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.

Danielle Elese

Since I was a young girl, I knew that my path would be different. All through school, I pursued the arts. I was always practicing for the next play, dance, or art project in my extracurriculars. The traditional lifestyle wasn’t it for me. I was a creative. Read more>>

Class Vee

I knew when I was a child, literally one of my first memories watching “Don Francisco” and it felt so interesting. And it just made me so happy to sing and dance. I tried on my own, and I didn’t feel like it was meant for me. I labeled it as a “dream” and I stopped trying. Read more>>

Charlie Xavier

From the moment I stepped foot into Mr. Falla’s grade 10 guitar class at C.W Jeffrey’s it was game over for me. There were no other paths in life that I wanted to pursue after I walked into that class room. Read more>>

Jay Lyn Gatz

I’ve known at a very young age that I enjoyed artistic expression. A lot of my inspiration comes from animated cartoons, video games, and novels. When I was in pre-school we took a field trip to visit a storyteller. Read more>>

Will Fritz

Back in the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade, my parents enrolled me in a children’s theater program. This week-long camp asked the students to write, produce, and perform their own original play. Read more>>

Juvylyn “Jhuvy” Wilson

Since I was a little girl, I have always loved art. It was fun to work on school art & craft projects. My Papa and I used to drop by & check out art galleries next to our school on our way home. Read more>>

Mark Johnson

When I attended the University of New Hampshire I needed to get a job and I looked in the local newspaper and there was a job opening for a Live Sound Engineer, no experience necessary. Read more>>

Tyree Jones

I have always loved drawing; it was and is one of the only activities that ground me in the present moment. Throughout high school and college, I would draw to ease my nerves about my oncoming fears of adulthood. I had no idea what I wanted to do, or who I wanted to be. Read more>>

Adanma Nwankwo

Since reception, I have always enjoyed art class. I remember distinctively creating these paper chains that my school would use for class decorations during Christmas and the little doodles of my holiday I made for my primary holiday write-ups. Read more>>

Eva Haimovich

I know it’s clichè but I feel that I was meant to be in this profession. Since I remember myself I was always attracted to stage and the craft of performing arts. I was always fascinated with the idea you can be someone or something else even if it’s for a few minutes. Read more>>

Jimmy Massa

I think parts of it just came naturally. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. A crucible of blues, soul, and R&B, has been a profound influence on my musical journey.  Read more>>

Sandra Del Cid

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in acting when I was five years old. I smile when I remember I would secretly practice acting in my mother’s kitchen. Read more>>

Jackelyne Castillo

I think I subconsciously knew when I was in at least 7th grade that my mom always put me and my sister in after-school programs. Read more>>

Tania Qurashi

When I was a child, I used to draw after school in a small room in my parents’ convenience store in South Jersey. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I looked forward to the art lessons in school and continued drawing at home.  Read more>>

Teresa Nguyen

I grew up fascinated with animation and cartoons. Even in high school, I continued to watch shows from Cartoon Network and Disney animated movies. Read more>>

Audreys Rosario

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative/ Artistic path professionally when I was 3 and went to a Classical Concert. I loved the atmosphere, the outfits, the music, the expression on the Musicians faces while they made the music come to life. Read more>>

Lori Horowitz

At the tender age of eight, I visited a historical beach site on the shore of Long Island, NY. There, I scooped clay from the earth and fell in love. Read more>>

Brandon Wilkins

I have always been a creative person. My passion has driven me to find the spaces in which music is born, whether it’s in the studio, or on stage. Read more>>

Yelena Rodriguez

I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path professionally, since I was seven years old. I’ve always known that my purpose was to become a singer someday, but I didn’t know how I would get there. Read more>>

Julie Kluh

I was living on my sailboat in the South Pacific, which had been my mission and focus for a decade, when I came to the realization I wanted to pursue painting as my career. Read more>>

Jill Lesly Jones

Although I won an art scholarship to the famous Art Institute of Chicago at age 12; I would say at the University of Wisconsin, is where I really found I wanted to pursue a life of creativity. Read more>>

Anastasia Sergeeva

As a child I was trying all kind of activities, dancing, swimming, music, but I finally stopped the search when I went to art school for painting. I felt like I can finally concentrate and get lost in it. Read more>>

Marthann Masterson

It is a wonderful story. I asked a woman who is an artist if she would teach my husband and I to paint. She did give us a few lessons about watercolors. Read more>>

Alex Miller

I first got into landscape photography and videography about 5 years ago, when I was 22. I had been in a transition period and didn’t know much about where I wanted to go or who I wanted to be. Read more>>

Sharon Albrektsen

In 2nd grade. Ist clay experience. Made a hippopotamus. Play-Doh was my favorite item from a toy store. I love to dance and sing. Someone stole my toeshoes when I was 8 and we could not afford new ones so I made art. Read more>>