Deciding to pursue an artistic or creative career path isn’t for the faint of heart. Challenges will abound, but so many of the artists we speak with couldn’t be happier with their choice. So, we asked them about how they made the decision in the first place.

Elaina Yvonne | Musician & Recording Artist

I pursued an artistic career because nothing else made sense for me. I grew up with music surrounding me. I’ve played instruments and sang in church since I was very young. As an adult I pursued other things but everything lead back to music. It is my most honest and vulnerable form of communication and I’m happiest when I’m creating. Life doesn’t make sense to me without music and creativity. Read more>>

Shelby Leigh | Actress and Director

I’ve always had a love for performing arts since I was a child. whether it had been praise and worship or mime ministry at church. To school plays, and being apart of the All City dance team. Performing and entertaining has always just been my safe space. Read more>>

Jermaine Bruce | Singer

Growing up in church as a little kid, that’s where I found my voice. Singing has always been in me and finally pursuing my dreams has be on of the best decision I ever made. Read more>>

Isabel Blackburn | Dancer, Choreographer, and Personal Trainer

Growing up, I did not intend on pursuing career in dance. I really didn’t know that was an option or a sustainable way to live. As much as I loved to dance and create, it was presented as a hobby, not a career. As more opportunities came my way and I started to be surrounded by individuals solely pursuing dance, I began to see the ways in which it could prove to be a lifestyle and career. Now that I have been working in the industry for several years, I not only love that I get to do what I love everyday, but I’ve also enjoyed being a part of the community and creating with others. As rewarding as being an artist is, it is also so special that I now get to share and create with other talented individuals that share the same love and passion. Read more>>

Jayashree Sadasivan | Fine Artist, Children’s Picture Book Illustrator & Graphic Designer

My love for drawing and painting began at a young age, when my parents gifted me a box of crayons for my birthday in kindergarten. Since then, art has been an essential part of my life. I enjoy working with a variety of mediums—colored pencils, pen and ink, acrylics, digital art, and mixed media. One of the most rewarding experiences has been painting utility art boxes around the Bay Area, California, which has allowed me to beautify our cities and bring art into public spaces. Read more>>

Sydnie Cutler | Photographer & Multimedia Specialist

When I was younger, I saw the world as a series of fleeting moments waiting to be captured—almost like fragments of a larger, unspoken story. I was drawn to the rawness of life, the unpolished edges, and the quiet beauty in everyday scenes. I think, deep down, I believed that the camera could freeze time, giving weight and permanence to things that might otherwise slip away. Read more>>

Amber Thompson | Creative Entrepreneur & Educational Resource Creator

I’ve always been a very creative person, from childhood. In high school, when I was exploring career paths I decided to go in a completely different direction and prepare to enter the medical field. Fast forward a couple years into college, I realized I didn’t enjoy the classes I was taking. And so I kind of had an epiphany and asked myself why am I doing this? I’m miserable. This doesn’t bring me joy or happiness and at that time I made the decision to follow my passions instead of following a typical plan of going to college, getting a 9-5 career. So since then, that was in 2019, I have worked for myself doing things that I love. Read more>>

Ruben Jolin | Artist & Comedian

Art is a purest expression of joy, positivity and beauty.

As an haitian, i was raised in a rich culture, i mean artistically, the gastronomy etc…theirs a lot of emotion in our culture, we are surrounded by many kind of artists, special people.

Being naturally introvert art became for me a way of learning myself by playing keyboard at my earliest age and watching cinema, those help me feel every kind of emotions, experiencing them going deep inside myself, it’s a whole journey thinking about that. Read more>>

Justin Webber | Software Engineer & Photographer / Videographer

So much of life is cemented in rigid ideals—what’s good or bad, right or wrong, following set paths and predefined rules. Photography and videography, on the other hand, allow for a kind of freedom that’s rare in other parts of life. In creativity, there’s no universal “right” or “wrong.” It’s all about what you feel, what you see, and how you want to tell the story. That openness to interpretation, that ability to shape something entirely from your imagination, is what drew me to an artistic career. It’s a space where the only limits are the ones you set for yourself, and that kind of freedom is empowering and inspiring. Read more>>

Masha Slamovich | Professional wrestler

This was the only vision I had for my life from the very beginning. It is a scary thought to me to not know what you want out of life, and I am lucky that this question was answered for me early on. I have a burning passion and love for professional wrestling, it is my life, my art, my self expression and my love. I truly believe I was put on this earth to wrestle. Read more>>

Rucha Bendale | Data-Driven Marketing Strategist & Creative Brand Specialist

From the moment I first picked up a paintbrush to the countless hours spent perfecting ideas, creativity has been the heartbeat of my journey. But for me, creativity is more than just artistry—it’s about weaving strategy into innovation to craft meaningful stories that captivate and inspire. Read more>>

Marco Guerrero | Actor

Art was one of the first things I was introduced to as a child. I fondly remember being 4, maybe 5 years old, dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” every time it came on. I would get so into it- mimicking the choreography as best as a child could at that age! My grandmother was the first to mention the potential I had, and strived adamantly to have me signed up for dance classes. Thanks to her and my mother’s efforts, I started off in Tap and Ballet. What one would think as being a productive start to an early childhood unfortunately ended shortly thereafter when my father opposed the decision and had me removed from class because he thought dance would’ve emasculated me. It wasn’t until my early twenties when I was re introduced to a world of artistic endeavors- when I happened to audition for a short film. Read more>> 

Darius Ford | Singer, Songwriter, & also known as the “Velvet Voice”.

To be honest, I think it actually chose me. Music has always been something I couldn’t get away from no matter how many other things I was involved in or how many times I tried to quit when things got difficult. I listen to music literally everyday and everywhere that I go. There have been times where I’ve been at work and completely zoned out thinking about something related to music whether it was singing, songwriting, or simply coming up with a melody in my head. It was only a small matter of time before I finally accepted that music would be my career. Read more>>

Jaiven Harris | Graphic Designer & Entrepreneur

I pursued a creative career due to my love of art and fashion growing up. It has always been my main outlet when it came to expressing myself, blending so many elements of creativity, identity, and culture. As someone who is not a very talkative person, they both allowed me to convey emotions and tell a story without speaking a word.

I learned early that art and fashion are ever-evolving, often unpredictable, and deeply personal while also being incredibly communal. By high school, I knew I wanted to take this passion and form of expression and turn it into a career. Read more>>

Jenny Golden | Voice over artist

I am in the very beginning stages of getting started in voice over acting and it’s been a lifelong dream since childhood. I’ve always loved singing and can remember doing impersonations and it just brings me a lot of joy. Over the course of my life I’ve always been told “wow you have such an amazing voice you should radio or a podcast etc”. Life happened and I had children young and went the route of providing and never really pursued my dreams, but now that my children are older and I’m not living in survival mode I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue my dreams! Read more>>