So many of us parent the way our parents did – because it’s the only example we’ve had a chance to see up close. We think one of the ways to remedy this is to create a space where people can share stories of the things they feel their parents did right, so we can all learn from those examples.

Joaquin D’Orazio

My parents taught me independence, accountability, and how to treat people with respect. They expected me to take responsibility for my actions and figure things out on my own. When I got my first job at 14 as a busboy and dishwasher, they let me handle it. Managing my own schedule, dealing with tough shifts—it was all on me. That taught me how to work, not just show up.  Read more>>

Glori Wilder

I am lucky to say that I have parents who have supported my musical journey since the beginning. As an adult reflecting on my creative endeavors I explored as a kid, listening back to recordings I had made since I was nearly 7 years old, I recognize that the vision was hard to see for me. I was always passionate but I was not always skilled with music and technique. Thankfully my parents saw the light in my eyes when I would write and share my original pieces, good or not, and they put the faith in me to continue down the path of creative self discovery. Read more>>

Lisa Hendrickson

My parents were super innovative and creative people who continue to inspire my creative journeys! While neither would identify themselves as an artist, my father was a Presbyterian minister, clinical social worker and social work professor, and my mother was the assistant director at our local university, They were huge supporters of the arts! Specifically, they attended local theatre when possible, always had interesting art work in the house, and their book shelves were populated with artists, whom I would later study in graduate school. Very importantly, the way they navigated their lives- managing full time careers, raising three children, and still having time for friends, and international students who needed meals and places to stay. Read more>>

Lena Brown

My parents taught me from an early age that service-oriented careers offer tremendous value. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the benefits of their entrepreneurial spirit while they owned an amusement business that catered to festivals and various events. Their experience demonstrated that self-employment allows one to establish flexible schedules, create personalized business practices, and ultimately achieve a better work-life balance. This approach to work—not being confined to traditional 9-to-5 structures and embracing innovative methods—has greatly influenced my own perspectives on employment and success. Read more>>

Shanell Ferris

My parents were great inspirations to me. My mother always showed up as her authentic self as an artist/model, she was fearless and always expressed kindness to others. I inherited her engaging creativity, warm-heartedness and beauty (inside and out). Read more>>

Sarah Arakaki

It’s taken a while, but I finally understand my parents as people- their flaws, their fears, their quiet accomplishments. They might not have always understood me, but my parents always supported me in all the ways that mattered. For that, I will always be grateful. Read more>>

Ashley Mayou

My parents always taught me how to be independent. My fathers family owned a farm when he was growing up so I was taught how to garden and grow crops at a young age. Additionally we also built planters and dog houses. That may be where my love of the built environment came from before I even knew what an architect was. My parents were always there for me but if I ask a question I was encouraged to look for the answer myself first. This allowed me to have a research focused mind, always looking for how things worked before asking for additional information from others. Read more>>

Karla Castillo

I came to this country at the age of five, stepping into a world I didn’t fully understand, but one where love, sacrifice, and hard work were constants. I was raised in a blended family—by my mom, my aunt, and the man who would become my dad. He was my uncle by marriage, but over time, he became my father in every way that counts. He adopted me and helped raise me alongside my cousins, in a household that may not have followed tradition, but overflowed with commitment and care. Read more>>

Akilah Stevens

My parents did a lot of things right that have deeply shaped who I am today, both personally and professionally. One of the biggest lessons they taught me was the value of hard work and perseverance. Growing up, I watched them navigate challenges with grace and determination, never giving up even when things got tough. They showed me that success doesn’t come overnight, it’s earned through consistent effort and resilience. Read more>>

Jacob Shipley

Something that I think about a lot as a creative is the idea of a ‘Plan B’. It’s a classic concept – you’re going into a highly competitive field where there is limited chance of perceived success and even if you do achieve that success, the financial payouts can be inconsistent or limited in scope. So, figure out something to do JUST IN CASE things don’t work out. Seems smart, right? Read more>>

Dana Langford

My parents have offered constant support and encouragement for my creative endeavors throughout my life, including my cross-country move to Los Angeles after college to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. I remember pulling out of my hometown driveway and looking in my rearview mirror to see my parents holding each other tight and waving enthusiastically to send me on my way. When I had so-called failures, my dad would lovingly remind me, “Experience is learning what not to do.” Early in my career, I worked on a movie with TV icon Katherine Helmond, Mona from “Who’s The Boss?”. Read more>>

Adelphia Von Derka

As a fun fact, my artist name, Adelphia von Derka, is also my third given name—one with a story behind it. My parents made a playful bet during a horse race: if the horse won, their daughter (me) would be named Adelphia. The horse won, and so did the name, which has since become a meaningful and unique part of my artistic identity. Read more>>

Arson Nick

Growing up, my childhood home was full of music. You could walk from one end to the other and hear at least four different genres at a time, almost as if art and culture was pouring out of each and every room. Read more>>

Chase Sweger

My parents have been important roles in my life and have shaped me with the values and character I have today, I have learned many lessons from their guidance but learning the value of the dollar is probably one of the most importaant. The value of a dollar, not just the idea of exchanging your time for money but how you as a person can be valuable and putting a dollar sign on that value had been key. Whether it was picking up walnuts in the back yard and earning $0.50 a bag or learning to budget with my $5 weekly allowance, those fundamentals have carried over to owning a business. Money is an important thing to comprehend. Understanding how money works and how you can make it work for you, instead of you working for your money has been pivotal. Read more>>

George Washington III

When I went to college in the fall of 1986, my father was the Chief of Corrections at the Kankakee County Jail in Kankakee, IL. But by the spring of 1987 when it was time to come home for the summer, political and personal disagreements had forced Dad out of his job. I was attending a private university, and my brother, Brandon, 5 years younger, was attending a parochial school. Both of us required tuition. Dad was about to turn 50 years old, and had primarily been a factory worker and manager in the heavy industry that was leaving my hometown. Ma worked off and on during many of the years we were home, but did not have a career as such. Read more>>

Mariah Faith

One of the biggest things my parents did right, especially my mom, was create a foundation of love and resilience, even during hard times. My parents divorced when I was young, and while my relationship with my biological dad has had its ups and downs, my mom always made sure I felt supported and grounded. She raised our family with so much strength, grace, and heart, and that taught me to stay true to myself and keep going no matter what life throws at me. Read more>>

Clayton Thomas

I was raised in the clinic. Being socialized with people and animals from the time I was 2 years old allowed me to become aware of how beautiful communication can be when you take the time to understand the person. WE all communicate differently. I learned initially to hear the audience and speak to them, not speak your way. This led to sales, marketing, biz dev and beyond. Read more>>

Faith McKinstry

My parents believe in me and are giving me a chance to pursue doing what I love. Whenever I first said that I wanted to give acting and modeling a try, they were supportive and were all for me giving it a try if I was interested. Although, they were a little skeptical at first because I had never done either of these things before. I always knew I was interested in these career paths, but I never really told anyone, so to them this just came out of nowhere. Although, after I started modeling and acting, they told me how at first they had been skeptical, but after seeing me actually do these things, they could truly picture me being successful in these industries. They believe in me, and even at the time when they were unsure, they still encouraged me to give it a shot. Their support means so much to me and helps me have the determination to continue pursuing the careers that I love.  Read more>>

Elizabeth Newton

I’m beyond blessed to say that I’m one of those people whom my mom is my best friend; She’s the first person I always call for anything despite living on different sides of the country. She once shared with me that when she was in college, she had to prioritize profit over passion as she chose her major and ultimately her career. However, she eventually found her passion in motherhood and was able to be a stay-at-home mom to me and my siblings. As we grew up, she consistently nurtured each of our unique interests whether it be fashion, music, animation, film, or in my case, drawing. Her mantra was “you are inevitably going to spend most of your daily life working, so do something you enjoy.” Read more>>

Trina Harmon

What my parents did right might not look like what most people would expect. They didn’t give me emotional support. They didn’t know how to nurture my sensitivity or creativity. They didn’t understand me — not really. But in a strange and powerful way, that was exactly what I needed to awaken to the parts of myself that would become the foundation of my life’s work. Read more>>

Liz West

Both my parents work/worked as artists, with studios at home. Right through my childhood, I was exposed to the art world via conversations, art making, seeing artworks (in artists studios, and in museums and galleries). As an adult and when choosing a career, I was either going to rebel against this teaching, or be part of it. Often my parents would host curators and other artists at home, which gave me valuable insight into their world. Read more>>

Sophia McCormick

I think the biggest thing my parents did right for me is teach me how to be independent and do things for myself. I have three siblings and from a young age, my parents made sure we worked for anything we wanted. Read more>>

Monica Akpotosevwe

Looking back on my childhood, one of the most impactful things my mom did right was refusing to coddle me during my kidnapping trauma. At the time, I didn’t understand it. I remember being afraid—of the dark, of being alone, of taking out the trash at night. I wanted comfort, escape, and a pass on anything that felt too hard. But instead of letting me sleep in her bed or avoid responsibilities, my mom gently but firmly held the line. She let me feel the fear, but she didn’t let me stay stuck in it. Read more>>

Meg McElwee

I grew up in rural northern California where my “playmates” were often a combination of the surrounding pine forest, a good book, and abundant craft supplies.

My parents gifted me with a very “slow” childhood. My summers were not spent at camps, where fun activities are jam packed into a week. My after school evenings weren’t spent in lessons. Instead, I had a lot of time to be bored – though I rarely was. Read more>>

LaKesha Veney

Ha, where do I start with this question. Both my parents are southerners. Great hospitality, staying humbled, never giving up, treat people as you want to be treated, and keeping faith were constantly instilled in me for as long as I can remember. My mom nurtured my sense of self. As she has stated, I was a very determined child, ( that putting it mildly) so after awhile she felt letting me “do my own thing: was better than discipline. She realized that we had different personalities and were opposite in many ways. I was the only child for nine years. My mom did not try to over engage me with the company of other children. She would say “be still and get your thoughts together”, which is why I daydream A LOT and enjoy it! I felt confident, I could stand up for myself, and learned to trust your own voice, my parents gave me the foundation of love, and self worth. Read more>>

Vanessa Kundo

It wasn’t really my parents who shaped me the most—it was my grandparents on my mom’s side. They gave me the freedom to explore, create, and dream. They never did everything for me—instead, they encouraged me to figure things out on my own. That built a kind of independence in me that I carry to this day. Read more>>

Tim Baldwin

One of the most important things my parents did right was instilling a strong work ethic. Growing up on our family dairy farm, hard work wasn’t optional—it was expected. My father had a natural way with cows and taught us that doing what matters most isn’t about comfort, it’s about commitment. He passed away when I was 11, but the lessons he gave us stayed. Read more>>

Michael Alexander

My parents are amazing people. They parented like we all do… trying to inject insight and life-lessons along the way while figuring out how to raise wild animals that look like children. The following are lessons I took from both what they said and by observing how they lived. For what they sacrificed for me and my brothers, I will always be thankful. Read more>>