Do you ever wonder what life would have been like had you chosen a more standard path? Does everyone have these doubts sometimes? We wanted to find out and so we asked as many talented artists and creatives as we could and have shared highlights below.

Samantha Dreifus

In the grand scheme of things, I am absolutely happier as a business owner. My chronic illnesses make it essential for me to have complete autonomy over my schedule, workload, and environment—something a traditional job could never truly accommodate. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t sometimes miss the structure and stability of a regular job. Read more>>

Nasty

In all honesty, YES. There are so many times I ask myself “Why do I even do this? I should just quit right? But it’s one of those questions I ask myself right before a performance and I laugh at myself because I know this is what I am meant to be doing. My mind, body and soul have brought me right where I wish to be for the rest of my life. There are so many issues that come in this line of career… The lack of respect for Drag Kings, lack of recognition for the job itself, lack of QUEER spaces, ohhhhh I could go on. I think of me at a “regular job” and feel a tightness in my stomach over it. No one wants a F***ing regular job. At least no one I know. I live creatively. The way I brush my teeth is creative, the way I make my morning coffee is creative– you see where I am going with this? If I don’t have an outlet where I can present my higher self that is NASTY, I absolutely do not want it. Read more>>

Nicholas Foster

I have some level of doubt as to whether or not I want this as my full-time job pretty often. The boundless nature of the work—no defined schedule, endless potential for improvement, a myriad of different projects with different goals and values—is easily overwhelming for me. It’s hard to enjoy an afternoon off (or a dinner with friends, or name your leisure time) when there is a pulling that *something* could be done. I wonder if having a more “traditional” job—regular hours, definable benchmarks—would help me compartmentalize my work from the rest of my life. Not to mention, music doesn’t always pay well, and I feel like the amount of work I put into this usually comes out in other ways besides money. Which can be a beautiful thing! And also I wonder if I’ll ever be able to purchase a house or support a family. Read more>>

Svitlana Yurchak

I’ve truly found myself in art and creativity!
I’ve never had a regular job, but when I started pole dancing, I was studying at medical university, certain I would become a doctor. To be honest, my present and future seemed dull and gray.
When pole dancing entered my life, it brought color into everything. And when I decided not to go into an internship after university and dedicate myself fully to pole dance, the grayness completely vanished. Read more>>

Aurora Caddell

Absolutely! Creating is a way of life. During my younger years as a fresh adult, I sacrificed creativity for a mundane nine to five with no real option as i was in a serious relationship with my monthly bills. As a temporary employee in the administrative field, the idea of being an artist for a living was always my goal, however, it gave me a real live taste of what some call a regular job Reinforcing my choice to stay in the creative field. Read more>>

Portia Hunter

I wouldn’t say I’m happy per se, because I’m a perfectionist and it takes a lot for me to be completely content with my work or as an artist. I’m hard on myself and find I’m always trying to be better, so it’s an ever-growing journey for me. It also really depends on the work or the situation. However, I am very grateful to be able to create whenever I want, take my time to play and experiment, and have ideas that I can bring to life. I’m humbled to be able to hone my skills and dabble in other art forms when I’m feeling burnt out with photography, haha. It’s all a lot of fun, despite hardships, and it’s beautiful to have a passion for anything and that brings me happiness. Read more>>

Reka Juhasz

I am happy as a business owner. I work well on my own, I enjoy my freedom, and I enjoy knowing that everything in my business results from my actions or inactions. While I don’t have other people depending on me for their salary, a few times a year—especially when things are tough—I wonder if I should apply for a regular job. I consider these moments my getting back in alignment prompts, doing work even when it’s scary, leaning into the unknown, and trusting my highest purpose and alignment. If I didn’t have these thoughts I would consider my business endeavor a failure. I’m not saying we should live on the edge and want to quit often, but I do think it’s healthy to wonder what the F we are doing in life from time to time. Read more>>

Hermina Lezama

Being a business owner brings me a deep sense of fulfillment, but it’s not always easy. There are moments when I wonder what it would be like to have a “regular job” with predictable hours, a steady paycheck, and clear boundaries between work and personal life. Read more>>

Kelsey Lee

As a small business owner, I know that every day is probably going to be less predictable during a regular 9-5 job. You have to be really self-motivated to get up on time and stay motivated, and you are way more vulnerable to swings in political and economic forces. I think that it is incredibly common for artists and small business owners to frequently wonder why they’re still doing it, or if it may be time to throw in the towel. I know that 2024 was a particularly hard year for a lot of business owners, and I spent the summer watching more and more friends and acquaintances have to close up shop, not because they wanted to, but because it was just no longer sustainable for themselves to keep trying. Read more>>

Bianca Wylie

I have done many things in my life. I have worked in a wide variety of industries. I can honestly say that even through all the ups and downs, I am happiest working for myself. I’ve worked at a store in the mall, a restaurant, a car dealership, a tax office, hair salons, even in door-to-door sales, and at a college. I have also been in the military, worked for the government, as a government contractor, and in the medical and beauty industries as well. I’ve opened, and closed, both successful and unsuccessful businesses on my own. Read more>>

Chel Wharton

Definitely! I’d say I’m really happy as a business owner. I love the flexibility I have with my schedule—it gives me the chance to focus on myself when I need to. I’m someone who needs structure, so even on my quieter days, I keep a pretty solid 9-to-5 routine. Some days, I’m up at 7 a.m., tackling my to-do list, and other days I might not start until noon and finish in an hour. It just depends on what I need that day. Read more>>

Johnny Person

I absolutely love being a business owner. I was never great at being an employee, i always thought “I could do this better” at any place I’ve ever worked. I understand thats a double edged sword and has its pros and cons to it. With that being said, being a business owner comes with a lot of stress, and comes with a lot of risk at times. Recently, I had the thought, “I wonder what kind of salary my resume could procure me having run multiple businesses”. Read more>>

Nacho Isa

I had a regular job until very recently… and I couldn’t be happier to be at 343 Labs leading my own company in the industry that I love.

I started DJing/producing when I was 16. At 22, when i finished college, I was playing 3 times per week. I was starting to not enjoy a lot of gigs, so I decided to take a step back, go into corporate world and keep music as hobby. But as I got into my 30s I started questioning whether I could be in a corporate job in 20 years. Read more>>

Anna Ritchie

I truly believe my life would not have been the same had I chosen a more “traditional” route for work. The last time I thought about this occurred to me on NYE, waiting for a client’s response back so I could get something initiated- meanwhile, it’s 7 pm, and I’m fully dressed up, standing by my computer, sparkly boots and all. I knew everyone else had fully closed their laptops for the day or not even worked at all. But the next week, I’m sending emails from Colorado because I had the flexibility to travel and work at the same time. A regular job wouldn’t have granted me the opportunity to go where I want or work when I need to, and I’m so thankful that I get the choice to do so. Life becomes way less predictable but in a unique way! Read more>>

Ingrid Yeh

I’m thrilled to be my own boss. I could never go back to working a 9-5 for anybody else after having worked most of my professional life as a freelance business owner. Creating my own schedule, having freedom of my time, flexibility of location, and never having to submit a time-off request (which is huge to me, as travel is my motivation)—all significantly outweigh the stability and steady paycheck of a full-time job. Though wedding planning is a very seasonal business and it can be dicey at times during slower months, I’m fortunate to have always had other grinds and side hustles to lean on—and more importantly, the trust and belief that slower times are merely transitional periods and an opportunity to prepare for when things pick back up, as they always do. Read more>>

Bernadette Marciniak

Someone asked me recently if I ever feel like I’m not cut out to make it as a business owner. “Every day,” I told her. “But what I know more than that, with every fiber of my being is that I’m not cut out to work in corporate. So I have to make this work.” The struggles that come with being a small business owner are real — I completely understand why someone wouldn’t want to take entrepreneurship on. Read more>>

Caitlin And Kathleen Curtis

I am incredibly happy as a business owner. Dellwood Designs provides me with a major creative outlet that I get to share with the world and I get to build my business in a family setting surrounded by those I love. The flexibility and joy in that alone absolutely outweighs the long hours and late nights that can occur as a business owner. Read more>>

Lesley Ortiz

I can truly say I am very happy as a business owner. I know very well what it is like to work for someone else and in other industries. I enjoyed previous jobs, but it is not quite the same as business ownership. To have full creative freedom and the ability to pave a path for oneself with full autonomy is like having a baby and nurturing its growth as you see fit. Read more>>