Getting started sounds so easy – but for millions of aspiring artists and creatives, the uncertainty of the path forward presents a very real challenge. So, we wanted to gather some artists and creatives we admire to open up about their experience and how they think about whether they should have started sooner or waited for a better time.

Alex G-Smith

Out of all the things artists beat themselves up about, the most gnawing yet unproductive one is ‘I’d be so far along if I’d started earlier.’ On the other hand, though equally annoying and unproductive is ‘I’ll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll be ready.’ For me, I’ve learned to accept that time travel will not be a viable option in my lifetime. Read more>>

Scott Isenbarger

I definitely wish I had taken myself more seriously as an artist at a younger age. I didn’t get my BFA until I was 30, my MFA at 33 or 34. I felt like I was trying to catch up with artists that started down that path at a much younger age, I honestly still feel like that from time to time. Read more>>

Brittany Ostendorp

I’ve realized that everything happens in due time. Though I regret walking away from balloons ten years ago, I now recognize that I wasn’t fully prepared for the work and responsibilities of self-employment at 22. But now, it’s finally my time to shine. Read more>>

Patricia Leavy

I’ve loved creative writing more than anything else since I was a little girl. In fifth grade, my English teacher exempt me from some class assignments so I could try to write a novel. I was only ten, so the novel didn’t pan out, but I loved the process. Read more>>

Brandon Williams

This is a question I struggle with a lot. By all traditional metrics I started my artistic education and professional career late. I used to fantasize about going back in time to my younger self and forcing me to draw more. Recently I’ve come to really value the things I learned before getting started professionally. Read more>>

Huiwen Lu

I do wish that I started my creative career a little earlier. However, the work experience I’d gained before then has been invaluable. I think a lot of creatives want to pursue a career doing what they love, but don’t understand how most of it is business. Read more>>

Lynn Kessel

For most of my life, I had wished I started my creative career sooner. When my parents asked me what I wanted to study in college, my immediate answer was either art or counseling. With good intentions, but not validating my young adult wishes, my parents told me I was going to study business. Read more>>

Leigh Jordan

We feel that the timing for our switch of careers was perfect. If we had done it sooner, we wouldn’t have had the drive and the necessary experiences to create KY Taste Buds, and if we did it later…well, we were 47 when we started the blog. Read more>>

Olivia DeToma

That’s a tough one. I really am one of those people who believes everything happens for a reason, but if I had a chance to start again I definitely would have pushed to start my career sooner. As a younger person, I was so sure of what I wanted to do, but I let the insecurities and opinions of others keep me quiet about it. Read more>>

Nkem Warner

I firmly believe that my creative career started right when it needed to. Not a minute too late or too soon. A lot of things needed to align before I could comfortably step into this role and that is a realization I’ve come to now that I am here. Read more>>

Trent Allen Davis

Sometimes, I wish I would have begun my career earlier, however, I understand the maturity and lessons I had to learn on the journey to be able to handle the demands, as well as the highs and lows of being a creative. Read more>>

D’Angelo Connell

I started my business officially in 2022, and haven’t looked back since. Though I’m appreciative for the lessons learned from previous jobs that prepared me for my current career, I do wish I had the confidence and resources to start this journey sooner. Read more>>

Abyssinia Hammouri-Davis

I certainly wish I’d followed my instincts about living the creative life I yearned for sooner, but I’m so humbled by how it’s unfolding right now.Growing up, my mom was an expressive art therapist and musician; so naturally she always had us in some type of artistic medium. Read more>>

Lindsey Richardson

I’ve always been a creative, even since a child- but into a full blown career it took time and a lot of blood sweat and tears of inner work to get myself comfortable with the highs and lows that this career can have Read more>>

Elizabeth Marrero

When I was deciding what I wanted to do for “the rest of my life”, I thought of all things creative! I was told those weren’t careers or ways to make money. After that, I started seeing those creative avenues boom, especially with the rise of social media! Read more>>

Dolores Nemi Caldentey

After finishing school, I was in a complex mental space and didn’t have clarity on what career I wanted to pursue. I had always been curious about psychology because I wanted to help people heal and feel better. So I initially started studying psychology with that intention. Read more>>

Dawnnie Mercado

It’s funny. Officially I have begun my career twice. I look at it in terms of my child. There is before mommy and as mommy. I truly believe everything has it’s own timing and I’m exactly where I should be. After I graduated from NYU with my MFA in acting I went on to do regional theatre, and eventually some pretty great TV jobs. Read more>>

Cary Singman

I selected this question because I believe it closely aligns with the situation I’m navigating as a creative. I initiated my music career at a young age; however, I acknowledge that I lacked a clear understanding of how to approach it for optimal outcomes. Read more>>

Rianolakas Mizathtelos

In a fast-paced world where time is not only commodified but taken for granted, I have found that a lot of people seem to expect things to be built overnight— like going viral is something that just happens for everyone, or that as if work and creation is as fast as the fingers that scroll past a flood of posts on social media. Read more>>

YESLA

When it comes to creative journeys and endeavors, I think most creatives like to think they wished they started earlier because you think about how much further you would be if you did. As I get older & am learning from life experiences, I am starting to feel that everything happens in the right time. Read more>>

Thi (Tee)

Yes I wished I started my creative career sooner because I strongly feel like I could have gotten farther than where I’m now at the moment. I wish I built a portfolio from the beginning when I was younger because it could have definitely benefited me and possibly opened more doors to opportunities in art. Read more>>