We asked some of the most creative folks we know to open up to us about why they chose a creative career path. Check out their responses below.

Rose Bianco

Many moons ago, I was a high school senior scheduled to go to university with a pre-law degree. That spring I attended a theatre games class with my friend Adly. She dabbled in theatre; I did not, really.
I would perform in my Catholic girl’s school productions every year. A sailor one year in South Pacific. Then Gloria Upson in Mame and people laughed and it was thrilling. Then Irene Molloy in Hello, Dolly. Well. That made me interested in acting but that’s as far as it went until I went to the theatre games class. Read More>>

JaNay Brown-Wood

I have always been a storyteller! I love crafting characters, molding settings, and taking my characters on different adventures–and doing this through books is such a fun thing to do! However, while I love to read now, I didn’t enjoy reading as a child. I actually hated it. It was like pulling teeth to get me to sit down and read independently. As I reflect back on that, I think it was because I couldn’t find books that had characters that reminded me of myself going on amazing adventures. The reason for this is that there was (and still is) a lack of diversity in books published for kids, thought it is getting better.  Read More>>

Nathan Smith II

My life revolves around experiencing joy. That realization made me really think about what kind of career would actually give me a fulfilling life. I came to the conclusion that a creative one was the only one for me because it allowed me to express myself in various ways and create these in-depth connections through the work I create and the work I connect with from others. These experiences provide me immense amounts of joy because they allow me to connect with people on a real level. Read More>>

Weston Risser

From what I understand, networking as an artist can be one of the most rewarding aspects of working creativity. I continually pursue opportunities to join close-knit circles of shared interest, by educating myself, researching others’ achievements, and admiring various crafts. I find my greatest inspiration is pairing imagined with the tangible. The personalized storytelling has been a powerful motivator behind my creative choices. Read More>>

Carrie Miller

I always felt very impacted by the films that I watched growing up. After being in school and studying gender, sexuality, queer theory and queer film – I realized that I could not only be impacted by this work, but that I could impact creatively. I remember the first time I watched a lesbian film made by a lesbian director and I realized I could connect to movies. I saw artistically what I would want to create in film and media. Because before, not much of the heteronormative imagery interested me.  Read More>>

Tiffany Turcotte

I had been working a 9-5 insurance assistant job but photography had always pulled on my heart strings. You know that feeling you get when you just know “this is not what I want to do for the long run”, that is how I felt working a desk job. I was gifted a camera for my 30th birthday by my father who loves photography and right around that time I called it quits at my job and learned everything I could with photography – I watched YouTube videos, tik toks and bought lighting equipment, backdrops, the whole 9 yards.  Read More>>