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.

Lulu Nina

I was actually born in a musical family. My mom is a classical pianist and my brother and sister sing and play the piano. I grew up singing and dancing as well. I realized that we have the common love for music when we came here to the United States and we started to perform for different people and events. My mom taught piano and opened up a music studio in Walnut, CA. We then expanded and added a dance floor area, which turned out to grow the Studio! We are able to prepare our talent for shows and events. We love the stage and seeing our own students that we develop kill it on the stage! We collaborate with the City of Walnut, other non profit organizations, and private events. We try to place our talent in all of these events. We have been collaborating with so many amazing groups/ partners such as Miss Philippines USA, Asian Fashion Week, the Lakers, the Clippers, NASCAR, The Rams, and so many more. We are so proud of how much experience we are able to share with our students and talent.! Read more>>

Louise Child

Great question! Being creative and persuing it professionally has been a gradual ever changing path for me. Although I originally started as a model walking a fashion runway as a favour for a friend, it was later on that I realised acting had stolen my heart. I think the moment I fell for it was when I realised actors have the power to move people. I love trying all sorts of creative roles but my passion lies in projects that really can help tell other people’s stories and inspire, transform and impact audiences watching film. I am currently involved in the early development of a new thriller Film about a woman who becomes ensnared by the man she loves. The events that unfold are based on a few different women’s personal accounts of escaping intimate partner violence. It’s a message but also a movement to help bring awareness and create a world where more people live with less fear. So I would love to see this film inspire others who are struggling in ways that often not as simple to solve as people might think. I hope it gives hope to them. Because Hope is what has guided my own extraordinary journey and is the spark needed to help create a world where more people take risks letting go of more fears. For me that is my why for acting. To share stories that help move audiences to think differently. Movies that have a message of transformation and may bring about different levels of impact. Read more>>

Sammi Wong

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path through the process of elimination. I took on different hobbies and rotated through them as quickly as I started, I was always open to trying and experimenting with something new. It was through trying different classes at my community college, switching to different majors, and artistic mediums that brought me to the realization photography was all I could think about. It became apparent quickly I was able to dedicate myself whole-heartedly. Read more>>

Jess Peoples

I don’t think I had a choice, it seems like it was always just pursuing me and part of me. I have received so many nudges, but something that came pretty clearly was in 2020. I had just started my own brand and design freelance/consulting business the year before with a set few hours each week dedicated to just experimenting with paint and no specific outcomes. I had so many great clients. Painting was that thing I did when I waited between client calls. It gave me the optimism I needed to try again when things didn’t go the way I wanted. In March, the world seemed to stop. Because I was a contractor, most work was on hold til the unknown future. So much was up in the air. Two little kids and two entrepreneurs. But in the stillness, people during that time just started calling me about my art. They purchased some pieces. And, I continued to create. My mom got sick that year. The doctors told us they may have to remove her face, she may not survive if the cancer was deep. There were so many unknowns. I kept painting and started learning more about foundational painting practices. I invested in learning more. Read more>>

Melissa Stylianou

I was in Grade 12 (that’s what Canadians call 12th grade) and had just moved back to Toronto to live with my Dad. At my new school, there was a fairly robust musical theater and acting program, and I had been in the Drama Club at my old school, acting in plays and musicals (I was one of 30 Shark girls in our production of West Side Story!), so I signed up to audition. My new best friend Patricia Smith possessed one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard, and it was understood she would get the part of Laurey in “Oklahoma!”. She asked me to sing my piece for her one lunchtime in my car. I must have been pretty understated and quiet – she kept urging me to sing louder and said we couldn’t get out of the car until I did. Her tough love worked – I nailed the audition and got the part of Ado Annie, and then the part of Anita in “West Side Story” the following year (Patricia played Maria). It was during those two years that I began to feel the pull to center stage and began to consider pursuing acting and singing in a serious way. I ended up in an intensive, 3 year conservatory style acting program in Toronto and vowed to stay the path. In my 3rd year, however, I experienced a crisis of confidence, despite excellent grades, feedback, and plum roles. I was just discovering singing jazz at the time, and once I hit the stage with my first big band gig, I felt pulled by a different wave. I respect and love the craft of acting so much, and I use those skills all the time, but I know I’ve finally found my calling with singing jazz and teaching music. Read more>>

Bryce Thurton

I’ve known I’ve wanted to go into the creative industry since I was 6. As a child, I taught myself howto draw and found my passion for the arts. Then not even a year later, I began learning how to play drums. From there, around 12 years of age I began teaching myself how to dance and shortly after, joined a local jazz band as the drummer. In addition, throughout middle school I managed my own creative social media pages where I would uplaod comedy skits and dance video that I would also edit myself. In the end of it all I got into music production out of curiosity at 14 and finally decided that it is what I want to fully pursue. I came to realize that making music was the one thing that I could say I confidently love doing. During all of this I was always an athlete and actually went D2 on a track scholarship to a school in San Francisco. However, I’ve left that behind and I am currently pursuing my dreams and aspiriation with music, all while making them come true. Read more>>

Greyson Hoelzel

From the (essentially) first video I made which blew up, I knew I wanted to pursue some form of online comedy. My first post was a satirical video about being diagnosed with a micropenis and it garnered quite the attention. People seemed to really enjoy a comedic take on someone making fun of themselves so that’s what I continued to do. Slowly, over the last 4 years, people have continued to follow along and engage with my content. Since then, I have mostly just made jokes either about myself or with observations I have made throughout the day and it stuck. Any opportunity I have to make someone laugh I try to take because I truthfully think comedy and laughter are the best things in life. The feedback (mostly positive) I have received since starting my online presence has been that I bring joy and laughter into different peoples and communities lives. I have never been more greatful and humbled by the people who have engaged in my life, especially since I know I can be cringey and boring which is never a good combination. Read more>>

Misty West

I wasn’t sure what I specifically wanted to be, I just knew I was following one hunch after another, learning different areas of performance. I realize now it was all preparing me for acting. The first time I realized I wanted to pursue a more creative profession was in high school. While I had plenty of academic work on my plate, being in several IB and AP classes, it was the arts that captured my attention. I was first involved in music and band, which eventually led me to dance. It was during college while I was earning my degree in dance where I first discovered acting. Through various connections in college, acting led me to working in production. Exploring all these different art forms has kept me constantly learning, and I loved it. Ultimately, my experiences have helped me grow into the person I am today, helping me understand the human experience in different and interesting ways. The path of the artist isn’t easy, but there was no way for me NOT to pursue it. No path lit up for me as much as this way of the artist, and I’m grateful; I have grown so much as a person, and I think creativity is more important for the growth of society than many people realize. Read more>>

Sadelle Leszana

Growing up as an only child, I had a lot of room for my imagination to flourish. I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember. I would often put on full productions in the living room for my family members. I would fill up journals with short stories and character developments just for fun, I hadn’t even fully grasped the concept of a career at that age. It wasn’t until I was around 10 years old, when I completed a short story, wrote a script based on that and then used my littlest pet shops to film a stop- motion mini movie, that I realized I loved this. I remember telling my grandparents that day that I want to write books and direct movies. Telling stories is the one thing I would do no matter what, it was just how my brain was wired! That’s the first time I made the realization that I need this. I went through many ups and downs with the weight of being a writer, and I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t give up a few times! But I always came back to what was natural to me, and luckily just in time for me to take it up in college. So I’d say in college was when I actually made the sound decision to pursue creative writing as a profession. Read more>>

Justin Dingman

I always grew up as a child listening to music that my parents listened to, at home or in the car it was what they chose to listen to that I had to exposure to. But when I was 12 my older brother bought me my first rap cd and that opened my mind to a genre of music I never had been exposed to before. When that happened I became obsessed with everything about it from the way the music was composed to the words used to express each songs message. It made me wish I could do the same. So from then on I began writing rap lyrics and dreaming of making music. Read more>>

Susannah Foos

The realization that I wanted to pursue art professionally came during one of the most challenging seasons of my life. In October 2023, I was unexpectedly laid off from my advertising job, and I found myself questioning everything I thought I knew about my purpose. It was a time of soul-searching, as I navigated feelings of uncertainty and loss. But in that quiet space, something profound emerged—a return to a passion that had been part of me since childhood: art. Painting became my sanctuary, a way to connect with myself in an authentic, uninhibited way. I felt deeply in tune with my spirit and even closer to my late grandmother, Adele Cooke, a botanical watercolor artist in Philadelphia. Though she is no longer here, her creativity and resilience have always been a guiding light for me. Her art lives on, and in those quiet moments at the canvas, I felt her presence, as if she were reminding me that I could carry our family’s creative legacy forward. Read more>>

Bridget Haggerty

Photography has been a part of my life since I was 12 years old, but I didn’t fully commit to a creative path until years after earning my BFA in Photography. Before art school, I hadn’t quite decided to become an artist. For five years, I worked on the technical side of photography—setting up print stations, managing event photographers, marketing, running sales contests, and taking occasional freelance gigs. Although I was surrounded by photography, I rarely had the chance to create. Over time, I became increasingly unhappy with my job, realizing that while I was in the photography industry, I wasn’t actually making anything myself. After a string of tough events—a stressful period at work, a hard breakup, and family issues—I finally took a week off, my first break in years. That time away allowed me to reset, and for the first time in ages, I picked up my camera just because I wanted to. I spent the week wandering, photographing the beach, the downtown streets, and whatever caught my eye. I felt a spark I hadn’t felt in a long time. Read more>>

Jakob Pek

I was in 6th grade… It dawned on me that, one day, I’d need to “get a job.” But “no,” I thought, “I want to be a wizard.” And here we are today. Read more>>

Andrés Torres

So it’s the year 2000, in the spring time. I was a 3 year old only child. Usually on weekends, my parents and I would watch tv shows together in the living room. On one day, we started watching Baywatch! One of the most popular television shows in the world at the time; I had absolutely loved it! I think at the time, specifically the scenes where someone was drowning and gasping for air to be rescued, had this almost… I would’ve called “over the top” dramatic element to it that I was drawn to. Drawn enough to reenact the scene. So I started to mimic the things I saw, and would lay on the living room floor pretending I was drowning in the water, and I would stay committed to the “bit” until one of my parents had “rescued” me. My parents found it hilarious and would always play along whenever I would unexpectedly started screaming and calling for help because I was drowning. After that, I just really enjoyed watching films and television shows. I think it was pretty cool because it caused my parents and I to have conversations, as well as just having a lens on what it meant to be human and to have a story. I guess I caught the acting bug like that, and it stayed with me ever since! Read more>>

Terrence Wirts

I knew about 1998 maybe 99 officially although music has always been my passion my father was a DJ for years and watching and listen to him spin I was like wow what a amazing way to express music, he was very good at his craft, I could feel it running through my veins that music was apart of me. Read more>>

Tula Gout Ruiz

enough to keep us going in hard times. People find devotion, a necessity of having something or passion for something. For me what kept me going, and still keeps me, was passion for acting. Since I have a memory I’ve always been amazed by movies and the world they create, the stories that are told, the messages that are delivered. For me it was a beautiful immersive experience. As I grew older I realized that acting was an actual job and became deeply interested in it. I saw the impact that performances, movies and theater had on people, how it sparked conversations, and made us look at the world and society in different ways, which is something that increased my interest in acting.Actors are storytellers that use their body, their voice, their emotions, their mind to tell a story, and make it as realistic as possible. They embody other persons in order to tell a story that will hopefully touch the audience and give a message to them. Read more>>

Stephanie Vidal

In 2019 I became pregnant with my first and only daughter, my third child, and I realized the huge amount of change it was causing in my face alone. The hormonal imbalance along with the pregnancy normal effects really ate away at my self confidence. I broke out in severe and painful cystic acne, I had dark spots throughtout my face and the weight gain that comes with pregnancy, it really destroyed my mental health in how I saw myself. I avoided mirrors, cameras, even people because it was such a huge and drastic change in my face alone and honestly I just felt so low about myself so I locked myself in the house and found every excuse I could’ve to not back out. After I gave birth, I decided that I needed to get myself back together and so I started researching skincare and skin concerns. Educating myself through google on what I can do to better my skin. I start to incorporate what I was learning into my daily skincare routine and saw my skin was improving and so was my self confidence along with it. Once I saw the difference in my skin and how INTERNALLY I was glowing because of it, I decided I would love to help others feel the same. I decided to go to school for esthetics to become a licensed skincare specialist to help others not only care for their skin but more importantly to make sure every single person I can help will feel absolutely beautiful and confident. Read more>>

Liza Lynx

I’ve wanted to be a business owner and choreographer since I was six years old. I directed shows at school and engaged my classmates, loving to dance and express music through my body. In high school, when it was time to choose a career, I decided to attend the Kiev Circus Academy of Variety and Arts to earn a degree in pantomime. That’s how my creative journey began Read more>>

Sabrina Thomas

I still vividly remember knowing I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally. During my time at the esteemed Ashe Performing Arts Company, I spent six transformative years honing my craft alongside industry icons. As a young artist, I was exposed to various aspects of the entertainment industry, from acting to writing and directing. But the thrill of being on stage, bringing characters to life, and connecting with audiences truly ignited my passion. My journey began to take shape when I wrote and staged my first play, “As He Watches,” which earned me a nomination for the prestigious Thespian Awards. That moment validated my talent and fueled my desire to continue pushing boundaries. Working alongside respected industry professionals, such as Leonie Forbes, Rosemary-Murray Tingling, Terry Salmon, Michael Nicholson, Clive Duncan, Deon Silveira, Owen Blakka Ellis, David Tulloch, and Orville Hall, further solidified my resolve. Their guidance and mentorship helped shape me into the versatile artist I am today. Read more>>

Rory Romano

From a young age, I wanted to be a pop star! I liked dancing around while singing loudly and imagining I was on a stage performing to an audience. But I was encouraged to follow “safe” paths in life so I could “support myself”. And to do things that I could learn easily or already knew how to do. So, I kept this dream to myself and hid it away for many years. It wasn’t until I was 27, a newly divorced mother of two with no sense of direction, that I realized the only “safe” path was to support myself by following my heart. So I asked myself… “What do I actually want to do?”. I wanted to sing! Read more>>

Jazmín Caratini

I remember being just five years old when I told my parents I wanted to be an actress. I didn’t fully understand what that meant, but I did understand the desire to have an impact. I even staged a “meeting” in the living room, just like the ones my parents would have when they needed to share something important with my sister and me. In that meeting, I told them, “I am making this meeting to let you know that the whole world will know who I am when I am an adult. So be ready because I will be famous.” It was an innocent declaration, fueled more by excitement than a clear understanding of fame. But there was something in that moment that later shaped my journey. My dad was a huge influence on me—every night, after my sister and I finished our homework, we had the privilege of watching a movie together. It felt special because each night was a new genre, a new world to step into. My dad would never repeat a movie, so every evening was a fresh adventure. And after the credits rolled, I would retreat to my room and begin creating stories in my head. I would act out scenes, imagining myself in the lead role, recreating the shots as I thought they should be done. Read more>>

Shaiskai

We can still remember the first time we realized that pursuing a creative path was more than just a passion—it was the path we had to follow. From a young age, in kindergarten, we always loved to sing, joining the school choir and making up our own songs. Music became our language, even before we fully understood it. But it wasn’t until we were 13, during a quiet moment in the kitchen with our Uncle Ben, that everything clicked. When he asked us what we wanted to do, we told him, “We want to sing.” Without hesitation, he said, “Alright, let’s make it happen,” and became our manager. His belief in us gave us the courage to pursue our dream, and with his support, we began working with producers and songwriters in Philadelphia, pushing ourselves to grow with every new opportunity. His unwavering faith in us carried us through the hard times, and even after he passed away last year, we dedicated our music career to him. Everything we do now is in honor of his belief in us, and we continue to push forward, knowing that he’s still with us, cheering us on. Read more>>

Kolt Sizer

I grew up without any real understanding or appreciation of art. Having grown up in the Midwest, I come from a family lineage of tradespeople, a background that did not align with the art world. With this in mind, I had never been to an art museum until the age of nineteen; with any interactions with art being limited to comic books and tattoos. At the age of nineteen I was asked by a local tattoo artist if I would like to apprentice under them. The artist was one I had been going to for my own tattoos and offered to teach me to draw and tattoo. After a year apprenticeship, I had the realization that tattooing was exploring other peoples ideas and that I wanted to see where my own art could go. I think working in the tattoo parlor gave me the confidence in my own abilities to take a chance on myself. From there , I enrolled in a BFA program. Since then, I have received an MFA, taught drawing, painting, and sculpture at a collegiate level, shown my own work across the nation, and am currently working as a curator at a museum. Read more>>

Raam Band

My journey in music began around age 10, when I started making mixtapes using two cassette players connected manually. I’d spend hours blending tracks and experimenting with sounds, then sell these tapes to my friends. That was around 1997. By 1999, I was performing publicly, and by 2000, my DJing skills had gained recognition within my school community. In 2003, at age 16, I took my passion to the next level, moving to the Red Sea area to pursue music full-time. I became a resident DJ at hotels and resorts, connecting with other DJs and selling music, which helped build my network. Reflecting on those early mixtapes, I realize they taught me so much about mixing, the art of blending sounds, and how music can move people. Those early years shaped the artist I am today. Read more>>

Rob Elings

Well, I was born and raised near Amsterdam in the Netherlands (Europe), and grew up in a creative, artistic family where my mom, my dad, my sister, my brother, aunts and uncles were all creatively engaged in some way or other; creating art, painting, making music, making dolls, etc. Always busy doing something creative with their hands. It felt that, for me, being creative was not even a conscious choice, but more like a natural, organic development of the person I was becoming and me wanting to express my experiences and views of the world in a creative way; My feelings about issues and current affairs, or the fantasy world where I might escape to as a kid, you know, like a 12 year old kid, losing myself, through my art in a fantasy world I made up. Read more>>

Maylasia Childs

Eversince I was a kid. I was always involved in somthing creative and always took the lead on school projects in elementary school and middle school. I loved loved loved fashion and learned how to sew in middle school. Aside from my crafty creative endeavors I loved music, music is something that inspires my work from feeling a mood that I want to convey in a video to editing on beat. My favorite subject in school was english and I started writing poetry in middle/high school. I was always very “deep” and vulnerable and thats when I realized that my voice was creatively orchestrated. In high school I was the “lunch time photographer” and would take pictures of whoever wanted to flick up for IG and was naturally too good with my iPhone 6 plus. Read more>>

Chris Taylor

When I was a young kid, living in Upstate New York, skipping rocks into Lake Ontario and going to the movie theater several times a week (my sister managed the theater at the time), I knew I wanted to live an artistic life. I was always drawing and painting, sketching in notebooks, etc. Between Prince’s movie Purple Rain and Pink Floyd, The Wall… I was hooked! I was young and more of a dreamer back then, but I started taking steps to live the music and art life… To be honest, the wardrobe came first! I bought a pair of those knock off, round mirrored glasses like Prince wore in the film… THAT was my first step of becoming a musician. The visions and ideas swirling in my head were already there. I just had to figure out how to make them a reality. Read more>>

Natalie Dolan

I was surrounded by music throughout my childhood, from my dad’s band practices to my mom’s Broadway soundtrack CDs. I started learning piano at age five and violin at age eight, and my dance classes taught me to express music through movement. Meanwhile, my favorite books showed me the different ways a tale can be told, and my family’s frequent movie nights introduced me to the world of film music — I fell in love with the scores of my favorite Pixar films, along with the magic of storytelling onscreen. So if you’d asked nine-year-old me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would’ve said “musician/singer/dancer/actor/author” (plus “chef,” but that path didn’t really pan out). As I grew up and studied music more intently, I held onto those childhood dreams, but I wasn’t sure whether I could commit to a career in the arts. When I was invited to a college audition and subsequently accepted as a Music major, I took it as a sign that I could continue to pursue the thing I loved most. The dream of a career in the arts may have started years earlier, but when I saw “Music” listed as my college major, I knew that I wanted to take that dream seriously. Since then, my experiences in composition and performance have continued to affirm my love for the arts and for storytelling through music. Read more>>

Sam Teich

I’ve always been drawn to creative pursuits (pun absolutely intended) from a very young age. I would wake up early on weekend mornings to draw with my dad, and I would entertain myself by copying my mom’s cursive handwriting, so now looking back, my profession as a calligrapher makes so much sense! Growing up, I had envisioned myself working in a creative job within a larger corporate environment (I dreamed of working in the art department of a big magazine, or designing book covers) but when I eventually entered those types of jobs (I did end up working at magazines!) I always found myself pursuing other creative side projects and hobbies outside of work. Eventually I realized I could make those hobbies my actual job instead! Read more>>

Mauricio De Riglos

For quite a long time I wanted to learn something different related to music industry. I went to College to study logistics and I was in that industry for like 15 years, I liked it but at the same time I always used my free time to learn new things, back in Peru I used to do some music production at home and when I came to the states I was in the Tattoo Industry, it was a 9-5 job as a studio manager in midtown Manhattan, it was very fun but at some point I decided to start working as an independent, I managed to get 3 jobs (which I still do), one in construction, another as a paralegal and the third one as tattoo artist manager, all my jobs were from home and I had the need to step out of the house and do something different and fun, the options were music production or photography. Music production would also keep me in the house most of the time so I decided to go for photography. Read more>>

Carrie Keefe

I first started working for myself back in 2012 when I opened an art gallery and gift shop in a tourist location near my home. During this time, I was able to fully explore what it meant to organize a small business, maintain a flexible work schedule, and truly connect with the community that I was creating. In 2015, my son Elliot, who was just 3 years old at the time, was diagnosed with autism. This prompted me to transition from a brick-and-mortar location to establishing an online presence so I could be home with both of my children and welcome therapies into my home that would help them navigate their neurodivergent worlds. What I currently do now—creating baby bonnets and designing surface patterns—was originally intended to be a blog where I could just share my creative ideas, all while being a SAHM. However, it quickly became a full-time career as I gained a following on Instagram and developed a loyal customer base. Read more>>

Megan Morbid

Honestly I first knew I wanted to go down the artistic path when I was in middle school. I was always the odd one out, more interested in art and drawing than any other subject, and middle school is when I started going to haunted houses with friends. I immediately took to the world of haunted houses. The first one I went to had me enraptured. I was amazed with the details, how people looked, how people took on these personas. It amazed me in a way I didn’t know I could be amazed.  I started practicing makeup shortly after I went to my first haunt. It wasn’t very good mind you, but I was so happy. Down the line, farther into Highschool I ended up getting to act for a haunt, and that was the MOMENT I knew I would do this stuff for the rest of my life. I wanted nothing more than to be as involved in the haunt industry as I physically could be. Scaring people, creating monsters…It just all has such a good hold over my heart. Read more>> 

Alayna N. Pernell

I’ve known that I wanted to pursue art professionally since my junior year of high school. I was able to fit doing a semester at the Cleburne County Career Technical School in my schedule which at that point was dominantly filled with AP and honors courses. However, I wanted to take a class in the Business Education program because nothing else seemed fully intriguing to me. I was shocked at how much I thoroughly enjoyed that program and it opened my eyes to seeing that my creativity could also fund my life. Until then, I only saw art as a hobby that I did after school or sports practice. I started painting very young and loved it so much. I was wrong though. I absolutely could be an artist and that could also be my career. I didn’t have to let it go to pursue something else that I wasn’t entirely passionate about. After that realization, I began looking into colleges that had art programs and of course, affordable ones. My Mom took me to a University Day at the University of Alabama and that was around the time that I also received my ACT score. I fell in love with that school and remember asking her, “Mom can I go here?”. She was elated and has supported me through it all to this day. I went in as a declared Studio Art major knowing that by the end, this was going to be my life and my career by any means necessary, and it all unfolded beautifully. Read more>>

Dj Spectakulah

The spark for my journey as a DJ began early. I was only 11 when my mom gifted me my first turntable and mixer. Music was already a big part of me—I loved it as far back as I can remember—but this moment felt like it unlocked a whole new world. Growing up just across the bridge from NYC in the ’80s and ’90s, I had this incredible access to legendary hip-hop radio shows that defined that era. Nights were often spent tuned into shows by pioneers like Special K & Teddy, Red Alert on Kiss FM, Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97, and of course, DJ Stretch Armstrong’s show on 89.9 FM, along with the WKCR Halftime radio show. Hearing those DJs—especially their scratching—hooked me completely. There was something mesmerizing about the way they manipulated sound, transforming a song’s vibe in an instant. Then, during my freshman year in high school, everything clicked. A friend who was also into DJing showed me a video of the USA DMC Championships with the legendary Roc Raida taking the title. Watching him command the turntables and witnessing the skill, precision, and pure artistry that went into that performance left me in awe. In that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do. That vision of competing and taking DJing seriously as a career path became my focus. I’ve been fortunate enough to live that dream ever since 1999, building a career in DJing and Turntablism that’s taken me through decades of incredible experiences. Read more>>

Ananya Goswami

I began my journey in both dance and painting at the young age of 3 1/2 to 4 years in Asansol, India. Recognizing my early passion and aptitude, my parents introduced me to dedicated dance and art teachers. India’s rich heritage of classical and folk dance forms initially exposed me to Kathak and Rabindra Nritya at a local institute. Noticing my progress, my parents soon enrolled me in an academy that focused exclusively on Kathak, marking the true beginning of my artistic journey. By fifth grade, my dedication and skill were acknowledged on a national level when I received the National Scholarship in Kathak from the Government of India. This pivotal achievement brought me recognition from esteemed judges and opened doors to advanced training in Kolkata. There, my family learned about an upcoming Kathak workshop led by none other than Padma Vibhushan Late Pt. Birju Maharaj Ji, accompanied by his senior disciple, Vidushi Saswati Sen Ji. Successfully passing the audition, I had the privilege of attending this prestigious workshop, a milestone that solidified my path in Kathak. Read more>>

Nayeli Aguilar-báez

Junior year of high school was a weird time in my life. We were all getting used to being back in school after COVID and I ended up switching to theater for one of my electives. I wish I could say I had known I wanted to act since I was a kid, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Up to that point in my life I’d always said I wanted to be a lawyer. Crazy how things can change in less than a year. My first musical ever was In The Heights and after that I had this sort of aching in my heart to continue doing what I’d just discovered I was so passionate for. Honestly, I think In The Heights being my first musical was kind of poetic now that I look back on it. I couldn’t have had a more perfect introduction to this very exciting and insane world of theater and acting and everything in between. I fell in love with the craft, and I am so very glad I decided to take that leap of faith in pursuing my passion. Read more>>

Eric Golden

I grew up around music, my Dad has been a working musician for most of my life, playing in multiple bands. While I was growing up he was performing 5-6 nights a week. As a kid I would pick up the guitar here and there but it was once I got out of high school that I started putting more effort into learning the instrument. Music was always a passion of mine, from playing around the house, going to see as many live shows as I could and listening to as much music I could get my hands on. In my mid twenties I was working on guitar and singing but, still just doing it around the house. At that time my Dad was part of a host band that did an open stage every Sunday afternoon. He would always invite me out but I was hesitant, while discussing this with my wife it was her encouragement that finally gave me the courage to go out, get up on stage and perform a few songs with the band. From that moment it lite a fire in me, and up on stage is where I felt I supposed to be. I started going to the open stage every week, from there I started going to open mics all over town. That eventually lead to me picking up acoustic gigs and I slowly grew from an acoustic artist to forming a band to now playing over 200 show a year. Read more>>

Elza Coutinho

Creating music has always been an integral part of my story. Not only did it bring me so much joy, but through music, I found my purpose. Deep down, I always knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally, but it wasn’t until 2021 that I decided to make that leap for myself. That year, I had just finished my honours degree in Psychology and was seriously contemplating my future and career as any 22 year-old would. One question I kept asking myself when deciding my career path was ” Would I enjoy this job even on the most boring days?”. And while I’m grateful for the education and experiences I gained while studying psychology, I would have been lying to myself if I had chosen to continue down that path. It really came down to continue chosing a path I was passoniate about pursuing despite any challenges that came with it Read more>>

Seb Lizarazo

I’ve always had the creative gene, it was just a matter of time. Growing up I used to watch a lot of “Art Attack” so you could say my introduction to the creative world was through visual art. It’s what I mainly focused on when I was growing up – I took oil painting and pencil drawing classes but all of that stopped when I reached my teenage years. That’s when I started getting really into music, I went to my first live music show at 13 and my life changed. For a while I was obsessed about finding the newest indie bands out there and used to go into all the obscure indie blogs looking for new music. During my teenage years my music taste started to develop, it started with Rock and Metal but it wasn’t until I moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil in my late teens where I really started getting into electronic music. Read more>>

Pincel Galactic

I have been an artist since I first picked up a pencil and started drawing. intuitively I have always had the idea of creating art as a way of living. Over time though, everyday obligations and societal conditions blurred the vision of the path that had already been set. But even during those times I was always making room to draw and paint, Frustration grew stronger and became the catalyst feeling that brought me back to the path where I felt most present. That’s when I realized I wanted to take art to a professional level. Read more>>

Diana Batista

In 2017 I was building a name for myself doing luxurious onsite beauty services for brides. During that year, I was servicing 2-4 brides in one day running all over our city. I had about 2-3 artists who would help me out and style bridesmaids while I catered to the bride. Throughout that 2017 year, I started to dream of what it would be like to have a company where multiple brides could be serviced in one day without having to compromise timelines or location to fit my availability. I am proud to say 2 of those artists from 2017 are full time artists with my company now. Read more>>

Isaac Reeves

The moment I realized I wanted to pursue a creative and artistic path professionally was when I successfully sold out my limited-run shoe, which I designed for Reebok, in just 3.5 hours. This project marked my first real experience designing on a professional level. I led a team tasked with bringing my vision to life and successfully garnered interest from a national audience, who bought into my vision and supported my skills. Before this milestone, I had experience running my own clothing brand, customizing shoes, and gaining some traction on Instagram. However, those were all self-initiated projects that didn’t have the larger impact I was striving for. My true passion lies in creating meaningful experiences for people—something I aim to implement in every aspect of my creative work. Read more>>

Jim Markell

I always knew I would pursue art as a profession. Never was there really a moment I wasn’t drawing as a kid or writing poetry. My dad is an amazing carpenter and I was always helping him growing up. My family is full of amazing violinists, singers, jazz musicians, visual artists. We all gathered at my great grandma’s house on the weekends and the kids would usually be making visual art or playing on the piano in the family room. I never thought I’d make any money at it though. Read more>>

Jess Lanphear

In March 2020 we headed to the hospital to welcome our first baby into the world. When we arrived, we were confused and disappointed to hear that no other visitors were allowed due to a virus that was rapidly spreading in the US from overseas. We already anticipated 2020 would be a life-altering year as we officially became parents, however, we didn’t expect it to be a year that turned the world upside-down so suddenly. Read more>>

Israel Avila

Right after a session with my therapist. We were talking about me finding something new to do and after the session I started watching my favorite comedian Franco Escamilla. And everything clicked, because I wanted something related with psychology and have fun so that idea of doing comedy was just perfect for me. So there’s my first time I knew comedy was the way for me to express myself, my culture Read more>>

Shuyi Wu

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative or artistic path professionally traces back to my senior year in college. Initially, I wasn’t an art major—instead, I studied English education. I always admired the noble mission of teaching English, especially because it helps people not only learn a language but also gradually understand and integrate into the culture of a country. Yet, despite its purpose, the field often felt monotonous to me. Growing up, I had been fascinated by comics, illustrated books, and fashion magazines. I loved drawing, crafting, and exploring creative pursuits, so deep down, I always yearned for the aesthetically rich world of art. However, when it came time to choose a college major, I gave up on art, worried about the potential instability of an artistic career and anxious about the uncertain future it might entail. Read more>>

Christopher Dabney

The first time that I knew I wanted to pursue a career associated with performing arts was when I was in undergraduate school studying ironically to become a doctor. I was unhappy with the studies that I was focusing on, even though I was excelling grade-wise. However, I wasn’t happy. And I don’t mean unhappy from a standpoint of being a student grinding through classes, but rather I was unhappy with what I was studying and learning. I felt like it wasn’t my calling. I remember going to the computer labs way back then to access the internet because smartphones didn’t exist yet. I would scour the internet browsers for famous actors and I would study how they began their careers. I was say to myself, “I can do that.” But it was taboo for me to consider changing directions with my future to pursue performing arts in my family, because that type of career was frowned upon since it didn’t provide consistent stability. Nevertheless once you get bitten by the bug, there’s no ignoring it, so I continued to research until I finally found a way to take a chance on chasing my dreams. Read more>>

Ryan Regan

It was after years of working in the IT industry. I realized that all the creative positions in IT were design related. I made the decision to go back to school with the intention to learn 3D and digital design. I did that for a few years before I realized that music was my true calling. I then went to school for audio engineering at StudioWest in San Diego, CA. The creative process is addictive for me. I love to create and collaborate with like minded artists. Those years learning design fundamentals allowed me to be a better engineer and producer. The creative process is universal. So whether it is music, design, or art; the cycle of creating moving and impactful work is the same. Read more>>

Zara Silver

I always knew dance would be part of my future—it was a passion that came so naturally to me. I was constantly craving more—learning, practicing, pushing myself. I started dancing around 12, which is considered late compared to most dancers who begin as young as 3. But instead of feeling discouraged, it fueled me. I worked twice as hard to catch up to my peers in skill and technique, training and practicing whenever and wherever I could. What truly ignited my drive was watching dance competition shows. I’d watch episodes over and over, and deep down, I knew that one day I would be that dancer on stage, performing. Read more>>