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.

Shannon Grooms

I wouldn’t say I pursued an artistic or creative career. I would say art and creativity pursued me in a way. It just came naturally. Ever since I was young I was always doing something creative. My favorite toy was my Lego set. I would design & build different houses and show my parents almost everyday. As I grew up, I continued to explore my creativity through music, videography, and drawing. Just to remind you this is me in elementary & middle school doing these things. I was curious & persistent in knowing how things were made such as, how did this artist create this effect on a song, how did they shoot this scene in this movie or music video and I simply challenged myself to create these things that I have seen. I mimicked what I was inspired by. I fell in love with creating something from nothing. Also, meeting talented like minded peers along the way pushed me even more to practice and become better to the point all I did was Art. God presented me with all these tools and opportunities for art through people & divine intervention. I just grabbed on to it and never let go. It was something from my childhood I truly enjoyed. I just never stopped doing it and I never will. Read more>>

Danny Clark

Growing up I always loved going to the movies. Summers in Atlanta were hot and going to the local theater and checking out the latest films of the 80’s and 90’s were pivotal in developing my artistic sensibilities. My mother had her masters in piano and music education so I grew up with a very strong appreciation for art, music and cinema from her. Through music I learned to appreciate the technical aspects of art. Technique and craft take a lot of practice and a long time to master. I think watching my mother develop into such an amazing pianist and organist made me set my sights on becoming an artist myself. In high school I was lucky enough to take several film classes and began learning about the process of making a movie from script to screen and started making my own short films. I was exploring auteur directors, devouring as many movies as possible and decided all I wanted to do was work in the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Lee Miles

I am the definition of a true Gemini, I’m multitalented in many ways, From Fashion, Food, cutting hair, enjoying growing my own foods or just being able to create in whatever way. I don’t think I choose to pursue a creative career path because it’s just who I am & how I like to express myself. Expressing myself in whatever way that allows me to feel free to do whatever & create whatever is what makes me me. I’m the biggest example of I can do it myself Read more>>

Marie Davis

Battling skin issues can be very depressing and stressful leading to self-esteem issues, lack of confidence, feeling unattractive, and relying on makeup for satisfaction. I’ve always experienced skin problems, due to my sensitive skin. During my teenage years, I dealt with acne. Later in my adulthood, I started experiencing eczema during the winter months which caused my skin to look unsightly. When the eczema occurred and medications didn’t seem to work, I decided to go the natural route for healing. I began searching for products at various locations. After numerous unsuccessful attempts in locating products that benefited my skin, I decided to formulate my own products at the advice of my youngest daughter Naomi. This was the best advice ever. I knew that if I was having trouble in my search then others were going through the same thing also. Read more>>

Austin R Gomez

I pursued an artistic and creative career largely because of the influence of my father, who is an artist himself—a painter and a drummer. Instead of engaging in typical father-son activities like playing catch, we spent a lot of time watching movies together or going to the theater. I grew up with shelves of DVD’s and Laserdiscs to watch from, which further sparked my interest in film and storytelling. The idea of becoming a film director was the first career aspiration I had. At ten, I made a 45-minute movie and organized a neighborhood screening with a projector, selling snacks and $1 tickets. As I got older, I drifted away from filmmaking and got into sports, mostly lacrosse, which helped me get into college since I wasn’t the best student academically. Despite dropping in and out of different creative interests, my parents always believed in my potential in the film industry. Their constant support and encouragement helped me realize my talents and guided me to complete my degree at SCAD in Atlanta which lead to my first film “The Humming Grows”. Their belief in me and my abilities truly set me on the right path and fueled my passion for a career in the creative industry. Read more>>

Kimberly Elam

I chose to work with cosplay because I have always been inspired by costume and character design in video games, movies, and television shows. The creativity and beauty that goes into these design gives so much life to these characters and that passion is what inspire me to want to create my own beautiful designs. I have always loved dressing up as my favorite characters and ever since I was little, I really enjoy figuring out how things were built and how they worked on the base level. This is the foundation of making cosplay. As a cosplay crafter, you have to be able to break down a design and make it possible in the real world. Video games are a huge inspiration to me and they usually feature designs that defy gravity and laws of the real world. Being able to figure out how to make those fantasy garments and props come to life in my hands is one of the things I love most about crafting. Because of this, I have taught myself many skills that I may not have learned otherwise. It was after many years of learning and developing my skills that I realized that I could make this my career. I have won many awards for my creations and have found great joy in teaching others about my most beloved passion, Cosplay. Read more>>

Wild Rellzz | Rapper

I chose the career of entertainment because I love to entertain people. And being tied down with a 9-5 or I couldn’t mental do that and be happy! Read more>>

Terry Berger | Photographer + Vintage Seller

I honestly don’t feel like I ever actively made the choice to pursue a creative career – it always just seemed like a no-brainer to me. I’ve always been a very creative-thinking person so having a career doing something creative just seemed like the only option in my head. Read more>>

Bernny B | Singer , Songwriter, and Producer

Well, I pursued a musical , artist career, due to always wanting to create and inspire , ever since I was a little boy, I knew creating in many ways , musically especially , was what I truly wanted to do. I used to just write music and play around and freestyle for fun over YouTube beats , and now , I am creating in ways that I have ever before . Following my dream to be an inspiring artist also ultimately made me want to pursue it as well. Read more>>

Cole Lacy | Tattoo Artist

I never believed life’s purpose was to sit in classes only to graduate to sitting in a cubicle the rest of your life. Picasso once said, “every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”. People allow life to dictate who they become instead of allowing themselves to grow into who they’re meant to be. I was always an artist, but I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist when the first episode of Ink Master aired. Seeing that medium being used and hearing the peoples stories inspired me to help people express themselves in new creative ways. Read more>>

D. Arais | Musician & Educator

Honestly, my whole life I’ve just been in love with music. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment or space I knew I wanted to do this. There are just way too many memories of the doors that have been opened for me by being in my creative space. As a child performing around the state to the adult around Atlanta and at college. I’ve been able to create opportunities for children in elementary and high schools to perform and express their creativity as well. It’s a beautiful cycle of life I’ve been in and I wouldn’t prefer to have it any other way. My mother always told me my gift would make room for me. She hasn’t been wrong yet. Even now, me pursuing this career has landed me on your magazine’s radar. I am insanely grateful for the opportunity. Read more>>

 Jessica Fields | Founder & CEO of Harbor 26 Studio

If you only talked to me for five minutes, you’d quickly learn two things: I love art and travel. Growing up as a military brat, art has been the biggest constant in my life. My creative journey began at an art school during my elementary and middle school years, followed by upper-level art classes in high school. There was never a question about my future—it was always going to be something creative. Read more>>

Sonja Robinson | Pharmacy Staff & Self Taught Nail Artist

I have always been creative and artistic ever since I was a child around 6-7 years of age. My passion came in full circle during Covid. At that time I was still working and I could not get my nails or toes done because the salons were not allowed to open during the pandemic. I had to figure out a way to do my own nails and toes. I decide to wear press on nails until the pandemic blows over, I guess everyone else had the same idea because I could not find any ones I like or they were completely sold out. I decided to google what I needed to design my own once I knew what I needed I order my supplies which came just in time because soon thereafter the mail services discontinued shipping for a while. Let’s just say I fell in love with designing press on nails and toenails. I have also expanded my business to include children’s nails, dog paws and cat claws that include matching outfits. I have to say the pandemic was a blessing in that it afforded me the time and desire to create press on nails it is now something I am very passionate about when I’m designing nails it does not feel like work I’m having fun doing what I love and that’s being an artist. Read more>>

Kerrie Kelley | Skincare creator & Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician

I would love to be able to say I chose an artistic/creative career, however; that’s not my story. As cliché as it sounds, it chose me.
Over a decade back, I had a personal want/need for skincare that would nourish and repair my skin using organic ingredients. I soon found out that what I was looking for was not in my budget. Read more>>

Susan Calderon | Artist and Art Instructor

I chose to work in visual arts because it makes me feel alive, with a driving purpose, and connected to the earth and those around me. Read more>>

Emma McMorran | Art Museum Manager & Content Creator

I pursued a career in art museums because I’m passionate about increasing access to the arts and education. In my full-time job at the Georgetown University Art Galleries, I plan contemporary art exhibitions and public programs. Read more>>