Is it natural to wonder what life would have been like had you chosen a different path? Is it common? We asked many artists and creatives from all over the country if they’ve ever wondered about whether they should have pursued a more standard career path to see what we could learn from their stories.

Xiaoyue Zhang

After years spent pursuing creativity and passion, I’ve come to believe that being an artist is my destiny—nothing else brings me as much joy. Yet I often imagine an alternate universe where I’d be doing something completely different and living a totally different life. Rather than comparing a “regular job” to art, I see every profession as its own form of artistry. Read more>>

Zaya Johnson

I think I always knew a typical 9-5 wasn’t for me. I exist the way I am because of my creative passion, and my persistence to make that something livable for me. As I have gone through the stepping stones of my career as a creative I have questioned conforming to the typical experience of a regular job. Times get hard, and slow months go by. That’s when I really have considered it, but I remember why I am doing this. I am doing this for myself, young and old, to feel the pursuit of passion and art. I could never truly be fulfilled in a regular job, especially considering the creative alley my brain has always been drawn to. The beauty of being a creative is the trials. You are always learning and experiencing, and that’s what I want. Read more>>

Noam Gad Weiser

I was raised with the repeated loving phrase from my dad, “Unfortunately for you, you are an artist like your mom. I am stoked about it.” So, the battle between what others would refer to as a “real” job and pursuing the pull of the weirdness of my brain and soul was always present. I am a curious person and thorough in character study, so that and survival were great ways to explore what having a “real” job is like. I still ask myself daily, “Am I insane?”, and the answer is usually, “Yes, but I can’t have it any other way”. Read more>>

Chinenye Nwosu

I can confidently say that I am definitely happiest whenever I am pursuing my creative outlets. I currently have a regular 9-5 job, so I’m not a full-time creative just yet, but ultimately that is the goal. Whenever I am at work I am thinking about creating art, or being on set, since I also act and model part time. Although I enjoy what I currently do for work, there’s not a moment where I don’t feel like I should be creating instead. My art is my passion, and that is what fulfills me the most. Read more>>

Shreya Aggarwal

Honestly, I don’t think I can separate being an artist from being a creative. They just bleed into each other. I’m happiest when I’m building something that makes people feel something, whether it’s a space, a story, or an entire experience. That moment when someone walks into something I made and just stands there, reacting… that’s what I live for. Read more>>

Jeff Pitts

A lot chance and struggle can help lead to a place like where I am now, on a comfort level, when it comes to being an artist and creative. I would be a musician either way, but a middle class, full timer wasn’t on my radar. The 15-year-old me knew I was going to be a rock star! The 25-year-old me felt the same way, but also knew I needed some luck – the clock was ticking. When I hit 30, I had already lost relationships and any use of my majors in school. No matter what I felt, to convince others to believe in me was tough. Then I got laid off from my job. Perfect timing! I took that moment to take my effort to a level I never had. I was going to make this work. Read more>>

Marz Bannos

I’m definitely happier as an artist! I also definitely sometimes think about what it would be like if i decided to prioritize pursuing a career in a more regular job. I just graduated high school, and there are many thoughts coming along with that. It’s ultimately the safer route to pursue a steadier career. I’m actually majoring in psychology (but considering changing it to social work) at the community college I’m committed to. Read more>>

Mark Sarmel Moreno

It’s strange to think of myself as “happier” as an artist. For most of my adult life I’ve had a regular job. I spent 17 years in advertising and I was happy there for the most part. I did art in my free time and participated in numerous gallery shows and sold a lot of my work there or at craft shows and the like. There were definitely hard times in advertising. I went through lots of late hours, worked weekends, layoffs, bad clients etc,, but it was good money and it allowed me to pay off my students loans, buy a car, build a savings, do lots of traveling and in general live fairly stress free (at least money wise that is). Read more>>

Carlotta Schiavio

Creating for me, is a constant adventure. I couldn’t ask for a more fulfilling life.
Art is my happy place, where I feel alive and in tune with the world around me. There’s a sense of pure satisfaction in taking a thought, a dream, or an emotion, and turning it into something tangible for others to experience. It’s magical! Read more>>

Patricia Peter

I’m definitely happier as a creative, but I’d be lying if I said I never thought about what it would be like to have a regular job. The last time was a few months ago during a prep for a film — I came home after a 12-hour day, completely exhausted, and saw a friend post about their promotion at a big architecture firm. I imagined the stability, the structure, the weekends off. Read more>>

Laura “Rarabird” Harper

I thought about this during 90% of my creative jobs! Most of the scenic jobs I did when I was making and maintaining theme park attractions involved working in un-airconditioned metal warehouses in the Florida heat, which meant wearing short-shorts and tank tops and working with resins and toxic foams. These industrial substances would burn your skin if they touched you while curing. so we had to wear these horrible, non-breathable paper protective bodysuits, and three pairs of latex gloves and a rubber gas mask, or we would “suffer greatly” (we were suffereing anyway). I was too poor to afford an air-conditioned car OR apartment, so I basically was subjected to constant sweating, heat rashes and heat exhaustion for years. Read more>>

Atharva Dhekne

I’m absolutely content with my life as a creative professional. I haven’t come across anyone in my life who hasn’t had a regular job trying to supplement their artistic ventures. It’s a regretful and agonizing thing in society that anyone who wishes to pursue anything creative cannot even pay their bills even as they’re starting out in their careers. Why is it that you only get recognized and are able to sustain yourself only when you’re somewhat successful in a creative field? Any creative person willing to turn their hobby into their profession has had to do menial jobs to stay afloat — it is more or less a rite of passage to doing what you love. It’s also a test of time and resilience of how much you’re willing to sacrifice and invest towards your creative career. Read more>>

Aidan Roberts

My journey as an audio engineer started as a very creative and fulfilling passion, where I studied the different processes and techniques that were used to make records sound a certain way. Every time I had a new band or new genre, I would spend all day trying to find creative ways to get the artist or band closer to their sound. However, once I became more involved in the music industry, I started having doubts as to why I would choose audio engineering as a career. Read more>>

Kate Bascio

I’ve actually had this thought quite a few times recently as I’ve fully begun to work towards being an artist full time and realized the difficulties that come with that. I’m still pretty fresh out of college so I’m still very new to the professional art scene, and it’s not exactly paying off just yet. I still live with my parents, who thankfully are helping to support me financially, and I have a part-time job as well to make some sort of income for myself in between selling at vendor events. Between balancing all of that and also trying to market my work on social media, it can be a lot, which is why I start to wonder about a different career path. Especially when I see my friends who have more practical degrees getting jobs in their field already and really starting their adult lives and I’m just making art. Read more>>

Brandon Mitchell

I believe to the key to being successful as an artist is loving what you do, so yes I am much happier being a creative than working a regular occupation. However, I still work a regular job and don’t knock anyone that does. Having multiple streams of income in today’s society is actually essential, so I’m even happier to be able to balance family, work, and still doing my dream job consistently. Read more>>

Marco Paul

The first question is: Am I happy?
And what, truly, is happiness?
It is not a permanent state—no, it is fleeting, a momentary shimmer across the surface of the self.
I know I can train myself to touch that serene place, though I haven’t quite arrived there.
Even then, I question whether that calm would match the definition of happiness I was once taught. Read more>>

Jama Oliver

Growing up with undiagnosed Autism/ADHD (AuDHD), I never had a clear grasp of who I was, what I wanted to do, or how to build a “regular” life. I jumped from interest to interest, focus to focus, major to major, thinking that with each switch, THIS was the thing I’d be able to do forever. I wanted to be a doctor, teacher, psychologist, historian, politician, lawyer, college professor, researcher, stay at home mom…the list is miles long! Addiction and alcoholism added an entirely different complication and having a “career” seemed completely out of reach. I got married during college and was pregnant by the time I graduated, so my life as a stay-at-home mom began without me ever using my degree (in Philosophy and Legal Studies) professionally. Read more>>

Arie Little

I love being a music artist. Meeting new people, creating relationships, learning new skills and being creative. It truly makes me happy. I am currently an up and coming high school senior. I have had several thoughts about having another career outside of music. I really want to study communications in college to go into the sports industry. I would love to pursue sports management. I think about this almost everyday. Especially since I’m looking into colleges to see who has the best communications program. Read more>>