Artists and creatives face innumerable challenges given that their career path often doesn’t come with a playbook, a steady paycheck or any form of safety net. It’s definitely not easy and so we asked a few of the artists and creatives we admire to talk to us about why they chose to pursue an artistic or creative career.

Kobe Warner | Singer, Rapper, Model & Actor

Kids are always being asked by adults what they want to be when they grow up, and most kids don’t like that question. It didn’t bother me so much, though, because I always had an answer and that answer was always the same. “Well, I’m gonna be a pop star.” And I was dead serious. Read more>>

Yin | Band

I guess that’s a pretty simple answer. We have to. We all started making music long before we formed the band, and if you know anything about pursuing music as a profession, you know it’s extremely difficult to make a living. It’s a lot of being told “not good enough” or “try again”, and the process of making something that you really love is always tough, but the feeling of purpose you get after listening back to a final version of a song that really makes you feel something, is unlike any other feeling. Read more>>

Paula Jane Newman | Performer/Clean Comedian

I pursued an artistic/creative career not only because I showed promise in those areas but because I had so many challenges with academics at school. I either wanted to be an attorney or a performer. I realized they’re were going to be so many exams, and I would get such anxiety over tests and didn’t realize the depth of my learning challenges that I chose the arts. Read more>>

B. Wynn | Inner Flydom Founder & Designer

Art is in my blood. My mother is very creative. She paints, draws, sews, and owns her own gemstone jewelry business. She makes each piece of jewelry by hand. My father is a full time artist also. He creates sculptures, murals, etc. I don’t think that I could have avoided being creative if I tried. Read more>>

Lianna Smeltzer | Certified Drone Pilot & Atlanta Photographer

A little backstory – I grew up in an artistic household. My parents are musicians by nature and created a beautiful life together from their careers as Music Teachers. I grew up playing instruments but it never stuck – I mean I play once in awhile to reminisce and keep up the muscle memory but playing musical instruments isn’t a passion like it is for my parents. Read more>>

Kiana Floyd | Jewelry Assembler & Designer

Being with my great grandmother often taught me many things. She had a passion for crystals, fabrics, and add-ons, which often led to her sewing various clothing items for family members. This birthed a spark of creativity within me, leading me to start sewing and designing clothing. Read more>>

Cassidy Lewis | Pastry Chef

I always say my career chose me. Being from New Orleans I was destined to cook, but my passion came from creating memories through food. I love telling stories, allowing people to gather, and enjoy something that took me all day to create. I wanted to be apart of something like that for the long haul, that’s why I became a chef. Read more>>

Heerraa | Award-Winning International Singer-Songwriter & Co-Founder of Ascendance

When I was 14, I co-founded an initiative called Ascendance, which inspired and empowered fellow youngsters to achieve holistic success while still in school. Together with my co-founders Mathura Kannan, Harsha Ravindran and Sanadtkumar Ganesan, Ascendance was our vehicle to impact our peers (ages 10 to 18 years old) and share with them the opportunities we received to follow our passions at a young age. Read more>>