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

Valentina Pelaez

From a young age, I always knew I wanted to be a singer. Yet, there were many moments when I second–guessed myself, wondering if I should pursue a different path—maybe law or something in the health field, areas where I had other talents. Like many, the future’s uncertainty, especially regarding finances and stability, sometimes made me hesitant to dive fully into music. On top of that, I saw the tangible impact my parents’ and older sibling’s careers had on making the world a better place, which made me question whether music could have the same effect. Read more>>

R.h. Bird

I was diagnosed with MS in 2009. Prior to that I was a Financial Advisor at a major Wall Street firm, and married, with three awesome daughters . Everything seemed to be going great prior to the illness. I remember having a conversation with friends and we were talking about our greatest fears. Mine was that I wouldn’t be able to work and provide for my family. But sometimes God is listening, and He says, “Oh, you’re afraid of this? Well here it is.” Read more>>

Brettina Davis

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative past in childhood. I often developed and put on shows for family members with my sisters. We also used art as a coping mechanism when things got hard. Read more>>

Sylvia Rose Novak

I remember being 13 years old and having this daydream on repeat: I was older, and I would throw a guitar case into the back seat of a convertible, hop into the front seat, and drive off. I didn’t really know, then, that being a professional musician was an option for me. I did know that I wanted to play music forever in some capacity. I actually thought for most of my teenaged years that I would grow up to be a high school band director. My lack of studious inclination in areas outside of music kind of pushed that dream out of sight and I shifted to just playing bass with my friends and writing poetry for my own consumption. I’d take the occasional stab at songwriting but, as a lover of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, the bar felt a little too high so I never really shared my songs with anyone. Read more>>

Dodi Kessler

“The consistent encouragement and the positive feedback on my short costume social media reels were instrumental in my decision to pursue a singing telegram business. I’ve always had a passion for performing, and the idea of combining that with my love for costumes and entertaining others felt like a natural fit. While I may not be a professional singer, I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh and bringing joy to their day. I hope to continue doing that through my singing telegram business.” Read more>>

Renae Madore

It was about 20 years ago when I decided to pursue my creative passion. When I started wearing the jewelry that I created, everyone loved it and wanted to buy it.. I am very passionate about my jewelry. The imaginative and intricate effort needed to create each piece is very therapeutic and it wonderful way to express myself. Read more>>

Tony Rincon

I’d say around mid-2009 I mentally crashed out from everything in life, I was 22 working full-time at a grocery store and trying to go to community college full-time to complete my graphic design ambitions. I always knew I wanted that but I just wasn’t seeing it during my time in college, I had no mentor, no guidance, just “go do this and pass your classes”. That wasn’t real guidance, and working at a grocery store wasn’t really keeping me balanced. So I basically ran away from everything, stopped attending classes, turned my two weeks notice after an argument, and knew joining the Marine Corps was my next step to hit the reset button on everything. Read more>>

Jared Morrison

I don’t think there was a specific day where I thought I wanted to pursue DJing and producing professionally. I just loved music and performing and DJing gave me that opportunity. Over time, I developed my skills as a DJ and bookings started to come. However, in a world now full of DJ’s due to its accessibility, producing music is something to elevate yourself even further as a DJ and allow you to stand out from the crowd. Read more>>

Derrick T. Lewis

Back when I was 4 years old, I saw the film “Mommie Dearest” and after I watched it, I knew I wanted to be in the world of entertainment, With my mom and late father being involved in the music industry, it was destined for me to do it, It’s in my blood. About 15 years ago, I took a hard look in the mirror one morning and said “if you’re going to do this, you better get to it now.” So I did and the rest is history. Read more>>

Fabian Perez

I originally started drawing, like any kid, when I was very young in Argentina. When I was 10 my mother signed me up to a drawing class, but it coincided with the month of the Soccer World Cup of 1978, so I attended a couple of classes, and then I dropped out so I could watch the matches on TV. Eventually, It was in Italy when my teacher Oscar Higa, after seeing the drawings I would do at dawn, suggested I should take art more seriously because I could have a great future with it. Shortly after, I moved into a friend’s hotel. One day the sister of a friend of mine came over, she worked at a gallery in Germany, and after looking at one of my watercolors he asked me how much it was. Even though to that point I had never thought about pricing my work, I told her ‘35.000- liras’. And she bought it! From that moment I started to think that if I could sell one, I could sell more, and live from it, and paint as much as I wanted. Read more>>

Wendy Pierce

I was fortunate to grow up near NYC and to have a family that supported my interests. My passion for the visual arts rooted early in a love for drawing and a growing interest in viewing the great collections in NYC. At Carnegie-Mellon and RISD I was exposed to traditional and cutting edge media and ideas and artists in exciting, creative environments. I set up a home studio and initially worked figuratively in wood and have eventually immersed in explorations in clay. Read more>>

Julia Deng Hanzu

It was during my sophomore year in Wuhan University, on the last day of finals week. I was sitting in the library, staring at my written notes, trying to absorb information about various economic models. Despite the diligence, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of weariness, a kind of frustration that I couldn’t picture any version of a full-filled future should myself continue doing all these. I had questioned the value of my finance-related studies many times before, but I had always pushed through. However, on this particular day, it felt so urgent that I couldn’t anymore. Read more>>

Erica Zhan

It’s difficult to pinpoint a single moment when I knew I wanted to pursue art professionally; in many ways, the path unfolded before I fully realized it. My initial engagement with the art world was as an administrator, researcher, and writer during my undergraduate years. At that time, I interpreted art rather than created it. However, my roles within the art world have always been fluid, and these early experiences subtly influenced my eventual decision to become an artist. Read more>>

Christine Fawson

I remember knowing I would do music for a career when I was a sophomore in high school – music picked me, it was like I was on a train I couldn’t get off. I never thought about it, never gave myself a plan B. I learned from my parents how to set goals and achieve them, how to follow my passion. I didn’t know when I was young what it actually meant to make a living in music, I didn’t know too many people doing it, but I went for it and haven’t looked back. I learned to sing and play before I knew what I was doing, which I think is the key to my success. I didn’t think about it or compare myself to anyone, I just focused on the songs I loved and sang almost every day. Read more>>

Arthur Bastos

I don’t typically get nervous. I’m cool under the pressure of a first date or performing on a stage in front of a live audience, or even sitting across from a CEO of a major corporation in a job interview. I also don’t typically get scared. Scary movies have never been a big deal, the dark meant nothing but a time for rest and heights were only scary if you had nothing to hold on to. But in July of 2008 I felt both of those feelings for the first time in my life. I grew up very close with my grandparents who lived across the street from me in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Every opportunity my twin sister and I got we went over to grandma’s house where we could do whatever we wanted. Read more>>

Bri Williams

Growing up I was surrounded by women in my family who were very creative, and I believe that helped put me on my artistic path. I took jewelry making classes in high school and in college, but it wasn’t until I started wire wrapping that I received an overwhelming response from people wanting to purchase my art. In 2020 I began selling jewelry on Etsy and I have been fortunate to share my art with people across the country. Read more>>

Tosin Opaleke

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was in 2007 when I was just 10 years old. It all started in my church—Rhema Chapel International Churches HQ in Ilorin, Nigeria. I had auditioned to be the MC for the Children’s Day service, and that moment changed everything for me. Read more>>

Phnxblk

11th grade English class showed me that I understood the language on a higher level than my peers. Lyrics and music from JAY-Z and Common influenced me to begin writing. It was then that I decided that I would pursue a career in the music industry. Read more>>

Randolph Holland

When I was pretty small I loved to make things, small clay animals, carved heads, drawings. I didn’t have any idea what it might be in the future, I just liked making things. I still like making things. In college I tried a few different paths to see if they were as interesting to me as creating my own works. I came to feel that college was a great place to first figure out what one didn’t want to be, and then once you figured that out , to concentrate and dig into it. Read more>>

Victoria Pitts

I’ve always been in love with singing. My mother used to sing for me every time, during the chores, and for bedtime as well, she used to sing her lullabies. She has a beautiful voice and she still sings in the church. I also started to sing in the church. But the first time I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path professionally I was a teenager. I used to sing in a choir in Belém with the maestro Milton Monte, in the north of Brazil, in the middle of the Amazon. Read more>>

Alx8721

I’ve always had a creative side. As a kid, I spent a lot of time drawing, writing, and reading. I also picked up the guitar a few years back, learning a few chords and some tablature, but it was nothing serious. It wasn’t until a life-changing divorce and a year of homelessness that I started playing guitar more often. To my surprise, those guitar skills translated well to the piano, and I found myself diving into it. I never imagined I’d be playing piano, let alone with both hands, looking up chords and making music. Read more>>

Sarah Gardner

I’m a self-taught mixed media artist. Beginning in around 2009, I spent many years and invested in lots of books and classes, following what inspired me, creating and learning, to find my creative style. Much of my creative journey focused on art postcards. The idea of creating something small, using the most recent things I’d learned, and then giving the postcards away, was a low-pressure way to put my art out into the world. I didn’t feel comfortable selling what I made, and I didn’t feel I would have the experience to teach until I found a style that was all my own…until I’d “earned” the right to call myself an artist. I realize now that this was a limiting belief with foundations in self-doubt. Read more>>

Dobee Snowber

I’ve been a painter, printmaker, and mixed media artist for many years. After finishing art school, I envisioned living off my art one day, but reality proved different. While I always continued to paint, I explored various careers, often referring to art as my avocation, even as I longed for it to become my vocation. When the pandemic struck, my partner and I, who run a general contracting company, found ourselves shut down for months. This unexpected break led me to commit to a daily studio practice, and I painted extensively. Read more>>

Nathaniel Nolden

Once I got my 1st placement with G$ Lil Ronnie & Go Yayo In 2017, I knew I could make it in the industry if I just continue to work on my craft Read more>>

Grace Porter

Ever since I was a little girl, my grandmother would sing and dance with me. We had an extremely close bond over music, musicals and tap dancing. When I was 10 years old my brother was in a summer musical theater camp, and after watching one of his perfommances, I tapped on my mothers shoulder begging her to let me join; “You’re not old enough yet.” she told me. But the following year, I was able to audition and for three summers after that, I would participate in Summer Musical Theater Camp. When I was on that stage performing, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life doing it forever. Read more>>

Entung Liu

It might sound counter-intuitive, but I realized I wanted to pursue a creative path after stepping away from the art world. My creative journey began early, almost before I can recall—painting, dancing, and attending specialized art classes during my formative years. I went on to earn a BFA from Taipei National University of the Arts, and it was a fluid progression that solidified my passion for art. Yet, as I immersed myself in the art world, I began to feel like I was living within a bubble, observing the world through a specific, curated lens. Read more>>

Wenrui Zhao

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when I decided to pursue a creative path professionally. Throughout my childhood, I was involved in all kinds of art: painting, composing music, writing novels and poems, making films… These artistic activities made me stand out among other kids, so becoming a professional artist was always in the back of my mind. I didn’t know how I could make a living from my creations, but I definitely felt recognized by others. Read more>>

Jose Gonzalez

Even from a young age, I was always fascinated by the idea of being in the spotlight. Whether it was growing up seeing pop stars performing, kids getting big breaks on TV, or hearing announcers calling sports action, I knew one day I could see myself doing something grander. Read more>>

Timothy Waller

I have been surrounded by music since I was a toddler. My parents and grandparents had a massive collection of albums. These albums included a variety of genres from Jazz, Gospel, Soft Rock, R&B, Blues, Pop, and Hip-Hop. I would often visit my grandma’s house and listen to albums in her vinyl record collection. I got to be the resident DJ for Sunday dinners and holiday celebrations while my family would eat and dance. I would be captivated by the albums cover art. Decades ago album covers were highly creative and would blow my mind. I would study each album as I listened. I would learn about the producers, musicians, and audio engineers of each album. While reading the liner notes I realized that there were so many different people involved in the process of making an album. Read more>>

Mikey Cook

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was back in high school. I was the type of kid who always had a camera or notebook in hand, experimenting with different ways to express myself. I remember vividly a moment during junior year when I entered a film project for a school event. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but when the film played for the entire student body, the reaction was electric. People were coming up to me afterward, telling me how much they loved the way I captured emotions and how I had this unique eye for storytelling. It wasn’t just my classmates hyping me up, either—teachers and mentors began to take notice, encouraging me to lean into my talents. The confidence boost I got from that moment lit up something inside me. It felt like validation, like maybe I was onto something. I had always been the creative one in my friend group, but that experience made me realize that creativity could be more than a hobby—it could be a career. Read more>>

Michael Naus Jr.

A strange thing happened in my life where I had realized at a very young age, before the age of ten, that I knew I had wanted to become someone who created music that would be played on the radio and or to share with others. As a child I initially wanted to learn to play guitar but my parents were not allowing that. My grandfather learned to play organ and fortunately my parents allowed for me to take organ lessons. This was in the late 70’s and into the early 80’s. I recall the first time listening to Duran Duran’s first self titled album and it was at that moment that I had realized that synthesizers could become a path to obtaining my dream. Once I had turned 21 and left home, I had purchased my first professional synthesizer. Read more>>

Carly Rubin

One day in particular, i had my writing intercuts taken away in school due to the drawings i was doing instead of reading and taking notes. I was always getting in trouble for things like that, along with drawing on myself at school, because i wanted to look like all the tattooed people i’ve seen at that point in my life. My mother is heavily tattooed since i was young, so i always saw it as this beautiful way to embrace who you are. I was never academically driven, i always found myself focusing on art and imagery, since i was a kid! All i ever did was draw, paint, whatever medium i could get my hands on. It always took me to a place of quietness and calmness, still does to this day. I always knew i would have a creative/ artistic path ahead of me, i just had to make it happen somehow. Read more>>

Kristin Lindseth

As a young child, I love to draw and had a drawing published in a newspaper for the first time as a five year old. I wanted to be am artist always, but understood that I would have to hold a day job from high school on. Because I wanted an interesting day job, I chose one in Life Science Research and worked at NASA Ames Research Center as a Research Associate for six years before I realized that one’s day job should not take too much time and thought away from art. I had come to the crossroads and it was a tough decision to give up research, but there was really no question that it would be the thing I chose to let go. There was a period of adjustment as I tried having a custom furniture business. I designed and made furniture and painted murals for six more years. But art is what fills my soul; gives purpose and fulfillment, so once again I left something I loved for what I love most. Read more>>