We asked some insanely talented artists, creatives and makers to tell us about when they know they were going to pursue a creative career.

Julian Vaca

Storytelling is in my DNA. My mother is an extremely talented visual artist, and my late abuela—her mother—was too. My father plays multiple instruments and was a career sound engineer, having worked at CBS, FOX, CMT, and more. Read more>>

Saaraliisa Ylitalo

When I was just a little girl I was always making. At the age of 9 I was given a dress to embroider. I loved it and then continued to learn every fiber technique I could. At 18 , my father’s job took us to Toronto. Read more>>

Joy Green

I always did from since I was little. It was this innate, almost intuitive feeling that made me want to express myself. It was just something that I ignored for the longest time because I thought it was too risky financially to do… Read more>>

Vida Assadi

I had always wanted to pursue a career in art and nourish my creative side, but work and life in general kept me busy, and I continued putting it off and on the back burner. Until in 2016, when I decided that I could no longer wait. Read more>>

Darin Triplett

From the earliest moments of my consciousness, I’ve felt an inexplicable pull toward creativity. Even before I understood the concept of being an artist, I found myself drawn to colors, shapes, and the act of bringing something new into existence. Read more>>

Jung Sun Lee

I recall having a desire to become an artist since a very young age. I received rigorous training in drawing and watercolor skills from elementary school to qualify for art middle school, which could guide me towards becoming an artist in South Korea. Read more>>

Michael Crane

For me, it always seemed obvious that music was going to be the main focus of my life. I started playing piano at 6 years old, and from that point on music was what interested me the most and the one thing I was really good at. Read more>>

Aybil

The first time I remember wanting to be a songwriter was in a furniture store. I think I was about 14 years old. I was walking around while my parents browsed listening to the store radio play “Hey There Delilah.” Read more>>

Samantha Walrod

By my second year of art school, I was hooked to making paintings Read more>>

Frank Pascarella

I think I knew I wanted to pursue being a musician/artist professionally once I began getting notoriety from my peers about how good I was at networking, managing a project, booking my own shows and things of that nature. Read more>>

Yvonne Onque

As a young girl maybe 8 or 9 years old I wanted to become a “commericial artist”. Today we know them as graphic artists or graphic designers. Read more>>

Michayla Grbich

Art has always been something that has been a part of my life. I’d always been creative, but I think high school was when I really started to look at it differently as less of something I was good at and enjoyed – and more like something I was good at, enjoyed, and wanted to pursue and live in. Read more>>

Connar Brown

I’ve been very fortunate and my family has always been supportive, and immersed in the arts. My grandfather practically founded the theater school at Virginia Tech, and was a huge contributor to the Moss Arts Center that’s on the campus. Read more>>

Youngr

You know what, I actually can’t remember one exact moment. I mean, it’s been ingrained in me since before I can actually remember. I was lucky enough to see my dad have a career in music which means growing up, I thought that being a musician was kind of normal. Read more>>

Creativ Storm

I first realized I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally when I was in my senior year of high school. As I took interest in Style Writing / Graffiti growing up I would often explore the city with my friends who loved it just as much as myself. Read more>>

Indra Persad Milowe

My interest in art was inspired through nature, still life and design. I adored my St Augustine Girls’ High School art teacher, Mrs. Helga Mohammed from Madrid, Spain, who she was married to a Trinidadian. Read more>>

Edgar Fabián Frías

I vividly recall the moment I fell in love with art at age fourteen during a school trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Read more>>

Robin Davis

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in comics from the age of eight. My grandmother would always get the Sunday comics and let me read them, which instilled a passion and interest in me. Read more>>

Melissa Chin

This is a tough one for me- I would say that deep in my subconscious I always knew I wanted to pursue a creative path, but was too afraid to do so. Read more>>

Naomi Greenberg

Creativity, and a passion for drawing and painting characterized me from a very young age. Since before I was 3 years old, as soon as I was able to hold a crayon and draw, I already loved drawing, and would stay at the crayons table in my Kindergarten for hours on end, while the other kids went on to other activities. Read more>>

Scheherazade Stone

I knew at the age of 3 that I would become a singer and that being a musician was going to be my chosen profession. And because my mother is a classical musician as well, playing viola, oboe and mandolin, I was 100% fully supported in that pursuit. Read more>>

Street Beatz Made

I always loved music even when I was eight years old I remember my mom and dad would listen to music in the house, the car, outside and during family gatherings. Read more>>

Charlie Souza

Growing up hasn’t been easy, as I am still working on that, and for some reason or other I really don’t think I will ever grow up! Read more>>

Michael James

When I was sitting in the nosebleeds at MetLife Stadium watching Kenny Chesney perform live was the moment I knew I wanted to do this professionally. Read more>>

Jackson Floyd

I’ve always known I’ve wanted to pursue a creative career. Ever since I was a child, I have absolutely loved art but it was 3 or 4 years ago that I started to realize that I feel like I need to pursue a creative career. Read more>>

Sonia Iris Lozada

Entertainment has always been my passion. My mom’s side of the family had a strong musical background, and our home was always filled with singing and dancing. Read more>>

Tara Kye Maines

Since I was eight years old, whe I first saw the movie Grease, I had always dreamed of becoming a singer. Throughout my life I had been told to get a real job. Read more>>

Isabella Pizzano

My interest in art began with my visits to NY City museums and artist studios. As my interest in art continued to grow, I decided to open a gallery in New Jersey in 1980. Read more>>

Deligah Grier

I was in grade school and a big fan of poetry by Maya Angelou. As time went on I grew interested in Hiphop/Rap. When I began to study the pattern of the word I noticed this was just poetry. Read more>>

Shadé Pasquier

Three years ago, I couldn’t have imagined standing here as a professional actress. I used to believe actors needed formal training in a conservatory school or something like that. Read more>>

Bruce Cunningham

I knew I wanted to be an actor and a director in 1985. I watched Barry Gordy’s “The Last Dragon” & Ridley Scott’s “Legend Read more>>

Alberto Arvallo

i got to in djing in college making rounds in the local scene honing my skill. Fueled by passion for music. 20 years later still honing my craft and getting sharp. Read more>>

Samuel Cordova

My name is Samuel Marcelo Cordova—artist name: CS RUCKER. I’m a 37-year-old father of four daughters and a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Read more>>

1MOD

January 1st, 2022. Read more>>