Getting started sounds so easy – but for millions of aspiring artists and creatives, the uncertainty of the path forward presents a very real challenge. So, we wanted to gather some artists and creatives we admire to open up about their experience and how they think about whether they should have started sooner or waited for a better time.

Leslie Patrizio

It was the perfect timing for me to begin my business. I had the skills, confidence and the time to give a new business one hundred percent of my attention. If I had started my business earlier I would not have been able to give it my full attention. You can not have a fall back plan. If you do, you won’t succeed! Read more>>

Chloe Caudillo

I’ve been a storyteller since the first time I picked up a pen. My family and close friends understand that this is an integral part of who I am. Do I wish I’d been more consistent and serious about pursuing a creative career when I was younger? Absolutely. But as the first-born child of a working-class Mexican American family, it wasn’t encouraged—and felt entirely out of reach. Despite that, I spent my childhood writing countless short stories, and immersing myself in books and movies. During college, I served as a co-editor of the campus newsletter for three years—a role I earned and approached with genuine passion and commitment. Read more>>

Sergio Navarrete

If I could go back in time, I honestly don’t know if I would wish I had started my creative career sooner or later—it’s one of those things where, looking back, the timing feels like it was just right. But if I had to choose, I think I’d say I wish I’d started a bit sooner. Here’s why: I started my creative career later than some, maybe later than I would’ve liked. I wasn’t one of those people who knew from a young age exactly what I wanted to do, so I didn’t dive headfirst into it when I was young. Instead, I spent my early twenties navigating other jobs, gaining life experience, and figuring out what I really wanted to pursue. By the time I started taking my creative work seriously, I was a little older, more aware of the risks and realities that come with trying to make a living in a creative field. Read more>>

Stephen Graham King

Honestly, no. I have been creating in various ways my whole life. I was in the choir as a child. I was in drama club in high school and for a while wanted to pursue it as a career. When that didn’t pan out, I left university and waited tables to pay the rent. But one of the other things that happened to me in high school was getting to be in a small, invite only, creative writing class. It was a mix of students who might not have ever gotten together otherwise. There were cheerleaders, a football player, a Mormon girl, some of us Drama kids. And we learned the forms and shared them and critiqued each other. And that lit a slow burn fire in me that came back. I came back to writing at some point, I was feeling the need for a new creative outlet. So I sat down and wrote my first novel. Which was terrible and I’ll never show it to anyone. But I learned the form and got better with each draft and attempt. It took several years of work, with often long breaks, before I wrote some short stories that sold, and then a novel that sold. And then I rewrote two that I had completed previously and sold those. And I’m here now, having just released my sixth novel, working on my seventh, and with a collection of essays with my publisher as well. Read more>>

Alethea Crimmins

No, I wouldn’t have started sooner because that version of myself wouldn’t have been ready to handle the responsibility and pressures of this career. Mentally, I wasn’t in the right place—it would have been for all the wrong reasons. At the time, I was battling a lot of personal demons I hadn’t yet faced. I was deep into my teaching career, which I thought was my life’s purpose. I was so focused on that path that I couldn’t see anything else for myself. I didn’t have the self-worth or belief in myself to even consider doing what I’m doing now, let alone succeeding at it. Read more>>

John A. Rice

Hi! This is a great, important question. I hope you permit me to give a little backstory… I have always been a creative person and knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue a creative path. As a kid, I drew and painted prolifically, wrote stories, and performed skits at my local youth group. In high school, I played in the band, sang in musicals, and even attempted to produce a show myself. I’m fortunate that I was allowed to explore these interests freely—perhaps because they didn’t come at the expense of my grades. Read more>>

Angelynne “ajay” Pawaan

Growing up, I did not think that pursuing theatre–especially Shakespeare–was going to be in the cards for me. I always assumed that talented artists spawned out of no where and were given the lucky chance to make it a career. I spent most of my younger years focusing on my academics. I dabbled in the tech world, explored software engineering, marketing and non-profit careers only to come back to what was my ultimate calling–to create. Read more>>

Bailey Dowell

I love my job so much that OF COURSE I always *wish* I could have gone back and started sooner, but that wouldn’t make me the same person & artist that I am today! I always say I took the “long way” to hair. While my mom had me doing cap highlights and kitchen perms from a young age, it was never on my radar as a career. After graduating college and going into a more traditional career I started offering hair and makeup services to friends from my small town who were starting to get married, on the weekends, for fun. After 7 years on a corporate track, I knew the lifestyle wasn’t for me- that is when my Mom and Partner, Joshua, encouraged me to quit my job and pursue cosmetology. I became a fully licensed cosmetologist in the state of Missouri in August of 2019 and went directly into the traditional salon space. Soon after, due to the state of the world, working in a salon was not a possibility so I started to branch out into the bridal community we have in St. Louis- this is when I fell in LOVE with providing on-site wedding day services. Since mid 2020 I have had the honor of collaborating with several local teams which have led to recommendations to start fully booking brides and bridal parties on my own! In 2024 I began collaborating with another company, The Ivory Standard, to offer hair services to destination brides and retreats – taking me to Oahu Hawaii, Milan Italy, & Crete Greece this year with more to come in 2025! Read more>>

Mikelle Virey

If I could go back in time I definitely wish I could have started my filmmaking journey earlier. I started writing screenplays in highschool and really wanted to act but never even had a thought about directing anything. I didn’t have access to a camera back then since all we had was a camcorder and I couldn’t even touch that. Filmmaking is all about repetition. Yes it’s about having an idea and then filming it. And seeing if your idea (of how it would play out and feel like) is actually communicated to the audience. No? Hopefully you get a chance to repeat filming a similar sequence (or emotional beat) and see if there’s a more effective way to tell that part of the story. Yes? Great! But if you get a chance to repeat a similar beat, this time can you make it even more effective?  Read more>>

Christina Balian

In high school I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue acting as a career or I thought it wasn’t possible. Honestly I didn’t think it could happen. I would get bullied alot , because of my music taste or style. And I didn’t feel like I could be an actress or singer. If I can go back in time I probably won’t. I am happy where I am. It made me resilient, and I could handle anything anyone says to me really. I took criticism easier. I started truly acting at 23, but I went to college, and got my degrees and learned a lot along the way. I have grown into the person I am and for that I wouldn’t go back in time. I am now currently in University getting my Bachelors as well. And I am starring in multiple feature films. I am very proud how far I have come. Read more>>

Aksana Danilava

On one side, I think, everyone wishes they started their passion sooner, but from the other side you gain wisdom, maturity, life experiences and understanding of what really matters to you later in life. My husband and I got married and had 3 beautiful daughters and I have a carrier as a fitness professional. At some point of my life there wasn’t any room for me to be an artist. To answer your question, I would maybe make a few adjustments, but I would not reset the course of my life. Read more>>

Dylan Cruse

I was first exposed to electronic music production in high school when I got my first MIDI keyboard. I didn’t have any legitimate music production software at the time, but the keyboard I got came with a basic program that allowed me to play with some different sounds. I didn’t write any music with the keyboard but I had a ton of fun just messing around with all of the different noises. Fast forward a couple years and my roommate in college mentioned he used to DJ at small basement raves and had toyed around with making music using this program called Ableton. I decided to check it out and I was immediately hooked. I remember everyone on my dorm floor going out on the weekends and I would just stay in my room watching YouTube tutorials on how to make Skrillex growls. I still have some of the songs I made during that era, they’re absolutely terrible. I kept at it for a few years though, I had no idea what I was doing but still just really enjoyed messing around in Ableton. I started my first alias (Bluz Cruz) and released my music on Soundcloud but never managed to get any actual gigs (which was a good thing, I had no idea how to DJ back then.)  Read more>>

Dominic Wordlaw

Well, technically, my creative career started the moment I decided to move to LA from my dingy studio apartment off Main St. in Boulder Colorado. I was getting on to my second post grad year simply existing in Boulder, working as a flooring associate at the local Home Depot when it hit me that I should probably use the degree in Fine Art I just attained after 4 and half years of studies, training and testing. A few weeks later I packed up all my stuff, shipped it to my mom’s place in Chicago and flew to Los Angeles to make my dreams come true! It took a while, but a few family freind house hop situations later and eventually I landed a job as a PA in the art department on a Paramount Pictures Production and a place to call my own in Koreatown. Read more>>

Alana Marie Cheuvront

I technically started performing in plays and doing voices when I was 5 years old in elementary school. Every opportunity where performing was involved, I wanted to do it. I loved doing different voices in school telling stories and singing in the school choir. The Star Wars films inspired my love of voice acting. However, starting in my late elementary school years, I began to suffer from a lot of self-esteem issues and intrusive thoughts about myself when I was younger, even though I was so keen on wanting to become a performer of some sort. I almost didn’t care what kind of performance it was. I just wanted to sing a song or tell a dramatic monologue or do a theatrical solo dance. The thought of doing something BIG and captivating made my heart swell. But I was just so scared about what other people thought or what they would say! I was always inspired by people like Kristin Chenoweth, Madeline Khan, Winona Ryder, and Halle Berry who may at first appear meek, soft, and small, but they are truly lionesses! They pack a hard punch with all of their performances! Read more>>

Ayodeji Otuyelu

I believe that everything unfolds in its own time, much like the seasons, as long as you’re prepared for it. However, if I could go back, I would have launched my creative career much sooner. As an immigrant in New York City, I dedicated my first three years to surviving, rediscovering myself, and securing my residency permit. Yet, in 2020, I harnessed the courage and time to publish my first book, “Words in My Head.” By 2022, my first film, “Unsaid,” premiered at Soho House in New York City, and it successfully screened at various film festivals across the country, winning multiple awards. I currently have four short films completed, and I am in the midst of filming my next project, “Bad Hair.” This powerful short film celebrates the beauty of Black men and boldly asserts that it is entirely acceptable for a man to recognize and appreciate beauty in another man. Additionally, I am poised to debut my feature film, “Somewhere in the Park,” soon. Had I started sooner, I would have channeled all the time I spent on trivial pursuits into my creative endeavors. While I recognize my past hesitations, I am committed to making my mark now. Read more>>

Lauren Garcia

I started singing when I was four years old. My parents were stage parents, but they were also evangelicals who believed in the prosperity gospel—a unique mix. For a while, I think they saw me as their ticket to fortune. I loved music, but my voice was never truly mine. It belonged to Jesus, the church, my family, my community. I attended a performing arts high school and was accepted into Berklee but we couldn’t afford it. Instead, I went to community college, paying my way through school while gigging and chasing the dream of making art my full-time career. It didn’t work. My voice became my means of survival. That almost felt worse. Read more>>

Katheryn Mcgaffigan

Age and time seem so intertwined with creative careers, yet both are so subjective and ever-changing. I didn’t pick up a guitar until I was 19 years old, and I remember thinking that was too old — Kurt Cobain started when he was 14! I tried modeling when I was 16, the ideal age for it, but nothing came of it. I thought it was over forever. Fast forward to my late-20s, and I was signed with a great agency, had an editorial photo in Vogue, and did shoots with brands like Stuart Weitzman and Martha Stewart Weddings — my mom never saw that coming! I found my niche; it was in parts modeling. Read more>>

Sam George

Much earlier, definitely. Sam and I (Ben) are brothers, performing together from a young age. We formed Giant and the Georges with Luke and K Man around 2017/2018, by which point we’d all been through a number of job changes which, for me at least, caused such a huge sense of societal disconnect. So, frustrated with the world of work, we set our sights high… We then very quickly readjusted our sights and accepted a load of gigs where the payment was in exposure (we once even got paid in burritos.)  Joking aside, we appreciate every opportunity that came our way (even when we were being fleeced) as it gave us the space to hone our craft and meet a few characters along the way. Read more>>

It’s Called Whatever Feat. Sweedish

It’s not about starting sooner or later—it’s about being a female in the industry. I had to go through everything I went through to get here, and I truly believe everything happens for a reason. The industry often doesn’t allow you to fully find your voice; it wants you to look and sound a certain way. But the older you get, the more courage you have to do what you really want to do. There’s this constant battle with voices telling you, ‘You’re too old!’ Success is often only measured by stats and numbers, not by the true joy of creating. But despite that, we’ve found the resilience to keep going. We create because we love to, not because we have to meet expectations.Now is the perfect time for us because we have the courage to follow our vision and just create without fear. Read more>>

Rachael Burns

Before I launched my firm, I had worked under big corporate investment firms for about 13 years. I was comfortable being an employee and appreciated the simplicity of delegating all business management tasks to my employer. All I had to do was show up, do my job, and go home. I knew hardly anything about running an independent practice, so it wasn’t something I aspired to do. Over the years, I found that I had preferences for working with certain types of clients, mainly divorced women and widows. I also noticed that these clients weren’t being served in a way that spoke to their individual needs. I began to see the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach to the big corporate investment firms. Read more>>

Tara Shamroth

If I could go back in time and reconsider the timing of starting my own firm, I wouldn’t change a thing. When I made the leap, I had just reached a major milestone in my career—I had been named partner at my firm. It was a culmination of years of hard work, and it gave me the confidence to take on this new challenge. At the same time, I was also trying to start a family, which added a layer of complexity to an already significant life decision. The timing, by most standards, was far from ideal. Read more>>