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.

Paula Cherie | Owner of Betty Studios, Inc.

I worked a corporate job for years but I decided life was too short to continue doing something so unfulfilling, so I studied marketing and created a plan to leave my corporate job. Read more>>

Lauren Dreggors | Actor

A career in acting wasn’t something I ever really thought about as a kid. I used to have pretty debilitating stage fright and would refuse to say any lines during school plays. One day in college, more or less on a whim, I auditioned for a production with the theatre department. I got a small role in the play, and it wasn’t until then that I discovered my passion. I fell in love with every aspect of putting on a show. Being part of a collective group effort that comes together to tell stories that need to be told is an incredibly fulfilling endeavor for me. Read more>>

Andrew Ordieres | Motion Designer

As a kid, I was constantly drawing. My mom used to say that whenever I was quiet in the house I was either causing trouble or drawing. Throughout elementary and middle school my love for creating continued. Growing up on the internet, I was obsessed with YouTube, movies, and various media. In high school, I joined my high school’s broadcast journalism team. There I learned videography and editing. During my sophomore year, my classmates eventually discovered my secret artistic talents and recommended I learn motion graphics, allowing me to exercise my creativity, unlike videography or editing. Read more>>

Jillian Liota | Romance Author

I’ve always been a writer – when I was a child I wrote stories through my elementary school’s Young Writer’s Conference (bound books I still own to this day), when I was in high school I wrote fan fiction about my own life (yes, it’s embarrassing), and in college I wrote for my university’s newspaper and took creative writing classes during a summer program at NYU. When I found and fell in love with the romance genre, it felt like such a natural thing to dive into the writing side of it. Telling stories – especially stories where everyone finds a happily ever after – is what I was made to do. Read more>>

Parth Patel

It took me awhile to find a reason as to why I chose to be a Business major. I realized that I love being creative, making connections, building a strong bond with people! Later on in 2023, I realized I wanted to teach business-related classes and being able to relate to the students. One of the reasons as to why I chose to major in the business field is because of the important life skills you learn. You are able to learn the importance of building connection and building a bond with people. Another skill I learned while being a business major is being able to communicate properly. Why is that important you ask? It encourages innovation, ensuring clarity, and help improves team work and collaboration. In general, communication plays an important role in your life whether its in a workplace environment, relationship, family, or even with friends. Read more>>

Talent Gwete | Creative Director, Photographer and Stylist

I chose chasing the thrill of freezing time, capturing the unseen, and weaving tales through frames. As a photographer, stylist, and creative director, I’m driven by an insatiable curiosity to uncover the beauty in the mundane, the magic in the unexpected, and the essence of the human experience. My camera is my time machine, my styling skills are my superpower, and my creative direction is my compass. Together, they enable me to craft visual narratives that transport, transform, and transcend. Read more>>