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

Will Preston

It’s a really interesting question. My journey as a recording artist and songwriter came from my love of music. It wasn’t something that I necessarily made a commitment to pursuing. I don’t think there was a first time moment in that sense because I’ve always been singing . Realizing that others appreciated and wanted to support my music was probably the motivation to pursue music professionally. It’s very gratifying when someone expresses that your voice or a song that you’ve written has resonated with them. It adds a little more fuel to your flame. I think of songs I’ve written like, “Candy Coated Raindrops” where people share that my lyrics convey the exact love that they desire or have found. And then there are songs like, “The End” that deal with a sadder element of love where the relationship is ending. It’s not joyous, but it’s relatable for a lot of people. Those stories and the dedication of fans motivate me, but if I were on an island alone, I’m sure I’d be just as happy writing and singing for myself. Read more>>

Abigail Fellows

I started watching Toddlers and Tiaras as a young child, and always loved pageantry. My mother always told me no. When I turned fifteen, I needed a new hobby, so I finally convinced her to let me start pageants. I met my coach in 2o16, when I was 16. During COVID in 2020, I moved in with my coach, who taught me her pedagogy. I knew that I wanted this career path. I have since garnered over twenty-five clients, in nine states. Read more>>

Drake Lopez

I remember being 15 years old writing my band at the time’s first couple of songs. After performing one of our first shows we had a lot of positive feedback about our music. Being the writer/creative, it made me feel inspired and ambitious to see where writing could take me. Here I am at 30 in Nashville writing multiple songs a week and hosting my very own songwriter round! Read more>>

Phoebe Rain

I have been brightly expressive & interested in most forms of art from a very young age. My father is a musician/song writer, & my mother is an artist & photographer. So they have always been highly supportive & encouraging with my love for creativity. It turned into the idea of pursuing visual arts professionally, when I was 16 in high school. I excelled in my art classes, won first place in the life drawing category at our state competition, & created pieces they used as examples for future years such as a functional life size rocking chair made of recycled cardboard. I greatly struggled with traditional school structure. My incredible art teacher, Tim Mispagel, saw this & turned my detentions into extra art classes. Eventually that turned into a formal joint decision of myself, the high school, my parents, & my local community college to let me transition into college at 16 for a pursuit towards a degree in Art & Business. From there I had two professors, artists Keiko Kira & Mark Cowardin, who pushed & shaped my skills & passion for authentic professional visual artistry. Read more>>

Veda Lee

I’ve always loved drawing — ever since I was very very young. However, it was during the 2020 pandemic in which I was for certain that art was the path that I wanted to take. With quarantine and other safety restrictions, I found myself with a lot of abundant free time at home. With this, I took the chance and started creating a lot of youtube videos, mainly animations at the time, in which I started to find a small community, getting to interact with others. This was very meaningful to me, especially hearing how I’ve inspired others to create art and express themselves. Throughout the years, I continued to create videos, branching out to documenting my art journey. Later on after entering animation school too, I realised how important it is to tell stories, not just for entertainment, but to inspire people to live life in a healthy, meaningful way. Read more>>

Sheya Chen

Back in elementary school, I was super into manga magazines and anime. Even then, I thought, “How cool would it be if I could do something like that someday?” When I got to high school, I found out I could actually major in art and go to an art school. That felt like my chance to turn art into a career. From that moment on, I knew this was the path I wanted to take. Read more>>

Aaron Isaac Vasquez

Ever since I can remember, filmmaking was always around me. My grandfather and uncle would make indie films, and I’d either be right there on set, wanting to help however I could, or just mesmerized watching them create. I remember going to the theater to see Indiana Jones for the first time – I was completely captivated by the story, the action, the thrills, and that unforgettable score. It was an experience that stayed with me, and that’s when I knew I wanted to tell my own stories. Read more>>

Olivia Taylor

. I decided to finally heed my family and friend’s advice and release my music to the public in 2018 with my single, “Not Perfect”. I took a break for a couple years to focus on college. In 2021, I released my first full album, “21”. In 2022, I started to perform my music out at open mics and lounges for the first time. I received good feedback and support every time. With this newfound encouragement, I kept performing. I encountered different managers and booking agents. Eventually, I stumbled upon a kind organizer named, Stef Marie Cole. She put me in contact with WUSA 9 News. I reached out, submitted my pitch and they booked me. In September of 2023, I performed for the first time on national TV. I sung my single “Options”. My family and friends were ecstatic. After that the ball just kept right on rolling. I was invited to perform for 93.9 WKYS’ 2nd Annual Women’s Empowerment Brunch at the Bethesda Theater. I performed “Options” & “Toxic Flower” while I handed out roses to the crowd. Afterwards, I was interviewed live on-air by Lady Reddzz. Most recently, I was interviewed on 95.5 WPGC by DJ Reddz. The interview will be aired on November 16th along with radio-play. On December 7th, I will be in Atlanta getting interviewed live on-air & in-person on their party station, 94.7TheLink by DJ Ro. Read more>>

Michele Knox

In my 30s, I enrolled in a professional art class in Las Vegas, marking my first experience in a formal setting. The instructor was pleasantly surprised by my painting, especially considering it was my debut. I’ve always had an artistic flair, whether it was through my passion for makeup or my love for digital art. Read more>>