Do you remember the moment you realized what you wanted to do professionally? Was it magic? Was it scary? We wanted to hear from some of the most talented artists and creatives in the community and so we asked them to tell us the story of the moment when they knew they were going to pursue a creative career path.

Zhentao Xia

From my earliest childhood days, nestled in the serene countryside, I felt an intrinsic connection to the natural world around me. Even before formal art training, I was drawn to sketching everything from simple symbols to cartoon figures in the fields, channeling the fascinating ideas in my mind onto this natural backdrop. The vast expanses of woods and fields were not just a backdrop to my youth, but a canvas that sparked my imagination. This early exposure to nature’s unstructured beauty instilled in me a deep appreciation for organic forms and colors, elements that later became integral to my creative expression. Read more>>

Quinn Halgrimson

I think I always knew in some capacity – whenever my parents would watch movies with me as a kid, I was always up and about, creating my own characters and acting out big battles. “You make a better door than a window,” I remember them saying. For as long as I can remember I always wanted to work in the creative fields, but I never really considered it as possible until later in life. After all, everyone is supposed to go to college, get a degree in a safe field and work towards financial security, right? Read more>>

 Jordyn Davis

I discovered my purpose through the creation of “Composetheway,” my singer/songwriter project initiated in 2013. My songwriting journey began in 2011 as a member of an Alternative Rock band, and my solo endeavor allowed me to express my love for music and connect with others. The name “Composetheway” reflects my belief that individuals are the composers, voices, and leaders of their own lives, embodying encouragement, empowerment, and the celebration of individuality. Read more>>

Lloyd Henry

Music has always been a part of my life… I grew up in a multicultural household in Baltimore, MD. My mother is from Baltimore. My father is originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Read more>>

Carole Ruiran Chen

For me, a producer’s routine is like a lifestyle. I’ve always thrived on setting things by schedule and managing them as distinct goals. The process of organizing and completing tasks in a particular order brings me immense satisfaction. From a young age, my mom instilled in me the value of being rational. As a result, I’ve grown to enjoy the process of analyzing both stories and individuals. It’s become a task in my life from which I continually learn. I believe that every event, whether positive or negative, has a cause and a result. Read more>>

 Jesus Lloveras

I have always been interested in the performing arts, but it wasn’t until I was 18 years old and I moved from Barcelona to Sydney, Australia that I really give it a try. I was accepted to the National Institute of Dramatic Arts and that experience changed my path forever. I knew that THAT was what I was supposed to do. I had studied maths, chemistry and physics at school but I changed my plans to become and engineer to become an actor and filmmaker. Read more>>

K!Junkies, Amanda & Nathalie

We created our YouTube channel “K!Junkies” back in 2015, a year into our relationship. It was mostly just for fun to share our love and knowledge of K-Pop with others, but along the years we started doing other projects and bringing K-Pop events and games to local K-Pop stores, gatherings, and conventions. In 2019, we began building a more established brand for our K-Pop hosting of panels and dance contests to local conventions in Miami, but we are now being contracted and flown across the country to bring our content to other conventions! Seeing how much K-Pop fans love and appreciate what we bring to them is what made us decide that this is the kind of work we want to continue doing together as a now married couple. Read more>>

Teena May

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally when I was very young. Around 11 or 12. I had about 6 years of classical piano training and just started learning classical flute when I saw the trailer for Pocahontas before the Lion King on VHS. It was just the song “Colors of the Wind” and I knew who I was, without a doubt, in that moment. I’m tearing up just writing about that memory. Read more>>

Dakota Monzo

I started my musical journey as a teenager, but at the time I knew nothing about the path of the independent artist. I would freestyle with friends & write some god awful cringeworthy material reminiscent of an old school Slim Shady type of song. Read more>>

Derrick Davis

I actually knew very young. I would listen to classical and theatrical music every Sunday afternoon with my mother and quickly found my love for how the music moved me. My parents took me to see Phantom after seeing my love for the music of that score and after that moment I was preeminently hooked on the art form. Read more>>