Are artists born or made? To help answer this question, we asked some of the most artistic folks we know to tell us about how they knew they were going to pursue an artistic or creative path. We’ve shared highlights below.

Rasheed Abdullah

When I was like 20 I was out of high school at this time and I had set up a show my self to perform live after that show I knew I wanted to be a rapper for full-time because the engagement with the ppl was so turnt up Read more>>

Christian Bruni

Music has been fundamental to me since I was a child. There has always been music in the house: from classical to rock. This definitely fueled and helped me in my musical growth. Read more>>

Row Stacks

I realized that I wanted to do music when I was about 10 years old from seeing my older brother and uncle do it seeing them on TV made me want to pursue a path in the music industry Read more>>

Teo Pasquale

I got serious about making music when I was 14, tinkering with GarageBand on my brother’s laptop, crafting beats and writing rap verses. Read more>>

Tom Cheshire

I have been writing songs and putting out music for years but took things into my own hands over the past few years. The timing was right and the planets all lined up. It just made sense. Read more>>

Victoria Saddleman

The COVID-19 shutdown was basically what gave me the time and consideration of starting my jewelry business. The idea of making jewelry with tree branches started as something I just wanted to try out because I love a good craft day. Read more>>

Daniel McCarthy

I knew from the time I first heard Led Zeppelin at 8 years old that I wanted to be a rock star. It was like a switch went off in my mind. Today I still try to channel that youthful spirit as much as I can to help keep the dream alive. Read more>>

Rochelle Underdue

It all started when I was 25. At this point in life, I have already trained 7 years in the dance community under the guidance of the late Kavin Grant. Read more>>

Sadaf Padder

I’m a career changer. I spent nearly a decade as an educator in public schools before I left to pursue curating and creative organizing full-time. Read more>>

Tiffany Bass

I’ve always gravitated towards artistic projects or endeavors for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid it was drawing mostly; in high school it was music; Read more>>

Ali Kay

I know that artists find their creative voice at all different stages in life. I knew from the very beginning that this is what I was created to do. As a child, all I really needed were crayons and markers to make me happy. Read more>>

Geechie Poet

After years & years of writing in my composition notebooks, I decided it was time to get my poetry published. It was and still is fun for me, so why not pursue my passion and make a career out of it. Read more>>

Victor DiPilato

I’ve been drawing and painting my whole life, but I didn’t pursue it as a career for a long time. It seemed more like a dream than a reality. Read more>>

Storm Patterson

The first moment I stopped classical dance training. I realized dance would forever be apart of me and due to financial struggles at the time, I started my own side hustle to earn enough too support my artistry. Read more>>

Carolina Liz

The idea of creating Art has always been within me, but the moment I felt it clicked for me that I had to pursue it as a career was when I went to watch the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Read more>>

Dan Bennett

Growing up, one of the first major films I found myself drawn to was Star Wars, courtesy of my dad, and sci-fi and fantasy became a big influence in terms of writing. Read more>>

Alexa Ruvalcaba

I feel like everyone had this epiphany, a specific moment where they just knew what they wanted to be. A cool “aha” kind of moment. I feel lame not having a cool moment like that. Read more>>

Cydney ArtCY” Wilson”

When I went to a paint and sip 8 year’s ago, I realized i was so relaxed and at peace. I became so focused I never checked my phone, I didn’t eat or drink anything. Read more>>

Edith Quintanilla

I’ve always been drawn to creative expression from a very young age. I was fascinated by the world of storytelling, whether it was through books, art, movies, or even just daydreaming. Read more>>

Brittany Taplin

I’ve always experimented with my own hair , coloring it funky colors and having different cuts/styles but i had a new client come along; now friend who happened to be a recording artists (at the time i was doing hair on the side , like sew-ins mostly at this time) Read more>>

Blaise Mercedes

I’ve always known that music was my passion. As a kid, I felt a primal need to create, daydreaming about stadium performances and creating visual art. Read more>>

Tianhui Ye

I’ve known since childhood that my path would be one of art. Growing up with parents who were both photographers, I was immersed in the world of artistic expression from a very young age. Read more>>

Amy Elizabeth

When I was a small child I was always drawing. Whether on a chalkboard or paper and crayon, I would be drawing animals, fantasy creatures, and even Disney characters. Read more>>

Larry Sims

I knew very early on that I wanted to be in entertainment. My first performance was at preschool. My mom saw that I had the bug and enrolled me in a performing arts grammar school, which led to me auditioning to go to a performing arts high school. Read more>>

Michael Wallner

I ALWAYS knew I wanted to be in the creative world. I carried a camera with me at all times from a very young age. One of my teachers, who taught me when I was 8, went onto a very successful career in televison. Read more>>

Christy Powers

Ever since I was young, I always gravitated towards art. The art room was always my safe haven in school. I was lucky in high school to have amazing art teachers who were also working professional artists so I knew that path existed. Read more>>

Ashley Ripolone

The pursuit to my path as a professional potter was certainly not a direct one. I found my way to clay in college where my love for the material first formed. Read more>>

Gunnar Ready

When I took a 2 hour intro to VO course offered at Studio 24 and I had more fun in the 2 hours than I had my entire college career. Read more>>

Nicole Hemmerly

What started out as a break from my career as an Licsensed Athletic Trainer, learning about the historic applications of fiber art and the revolution of macrame and weavings of the 70s caused the first “what if” moment in my process. Read more>>

Andre Allen

I knew it was time to take my craft seriously around my mid twenties. Folks would always push me to sell pieces or make cover art for various other artist. Read more>>

Paulina Dosal Terminel

I’m pretty sure I always knew I would be an artist in some way or form – but I never thought about it as a career path until college. I danced competitively from age 5 to 18 and started taking visual art seriously in high school. Read more>>

Ray Buno

I first knew I wanted to be an Artist when I was in 4th grade. I always looked for an escape growing up because I wasn’t around the safest environment. Read more>>

Svetlana Shmulyian

From my earliest memories, I’ve been drawn to creativity; spending hours lost in drawing and painting, and singing at the top of my lungs in the forest near the village where I spent my summer. Read more>>

Kristin Sanchez

I’ve known I wanted to be a creative professional ever since I was a little girl. From a young age, I was drawn to the world of entertainment, auditioning for commercials, movies, TV shows, and modeling gigs Read more>>

Catherine Tirr

I have known from a very early age that I enjoyed making things with my hands. I later had the opportunity to take a more academic path and chose art, simply because I enjoyed it more and it excited me. Read more>>

Gabe McCool

Sophmore year in high school. My mom was an art teacher, so I had that influence from early childhood and then my teacher in high school was very influential. Read more>>

Devin Munoz

I knew i wanted to pursue a creative path professionally because a lot of regular 9-5 jobs didn’t work for me. The pandemic hit and it was my chance to lean into my business full time. Read more>>

Wrath Starz

I always knew I wanted to be in a touring rock n roll band since I was around 11 years old. My dad was a big influence on me musically, always cranking up bands like KISS and Judas Priest. Read more>>

Dianna King

I got my first taste of performing on a stage when I was just 2 years old. I grew up dancing all over California and ended up on Star Search with Ed Mcmahon in 1992 with the dance group: Slick and the Dimples. Read more>>

Rebecca-jo Dunham-baruchel

I’ve always known I wanted to pursue a creative path. Since I was a little girl I dreamt of creating art in many disciplines. It’s such a dream to create art as an adult. Read more>>

Edyta Deng

From a very young age, I found myself drawn to questioning conventional thinking, although I didn’t quite have the words to describe this inclination as “creative” or “artistic” at the time. Read more>>

Annelise Salazar

I went to Millikin University in Decatur, IL as a BA theatre major. I really had no idea what i wanted to do with my degree but i knew I loved theatre. Read more>>

Ta’Najah Wallace

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative artistic path full-time when I was a child, watching renowned black women making change and expressing themselves through artistry on television. Read more>>