Do you remember the moment you realized what you wanted to do professionally? Was it magic? Was it scary? We wanted to hear from some of the most talented artists and creatives in the community and so we asked them to tell us the story of the moment when they knew they were going to pursue a creative career path.

Channel Matheny

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was a moment that honestly felt ordinary at the time, but it changed everything. I was sitting in my room, doing my makeup before work, and I caught myself slowing down—not because I was running late, but because I was genuinely enjoying the process. Every brush stroke felt like therapy. Read more>>

ELIAZ

I grew up surrounded by music and performing arts. Some of my fondest memories were going with my mom to her band practice and theatre rehearsals as a child. As a family, we’d take road trips blasting music (Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain) as my mom, sister and I drove to meet friends or to just explore our city. Read more>>

Dreg Vega

The very first time I realized I wanted to pursue a creative career had to have been when I discovered music. I sang from a young age at birthday parties and other family gatherings. Read more>>

Tim Ade

My creative journey as a published male model began during my years at Northern Illinois University—a time that was pivotal, not just for my education but for my sense of identity and purpose. Growing up, I always imagined that sports would be my path. I poured myself into training, discipline, and competition, hoping to take my skills to the next level. Read more>>

Carolina Cobo

I believe the call to pursue a creative path came to me very early. It never felt like a difficult decision, mostly because music and the arts were part of my life from the beginning. I started studying music at the age of five, first through piano, and as I grew older, I naturally gravitated toward singing and later acting on stage. Read more>>

Peter Ojingiri

I don’t think there was ever a specific moment when I decided I wanted to pursue a creative or artistic path. It was more like I eventually realized I had already been living in it. I grew up in a family where everyone is creative in their own way. Read more>>

Julian Blvck

First time I realized that I wanted to become a DJ and event producer was when I joined VampireFreaks back in 2008. Having ventured into the Goth scene and falling in love with the music, I saw how there were events happening where people in the scene gathered to enjoy the music being played by DJs. Read more>>

Rachel Lee Hovnanian

I grew up in a home where art, food, and ideas were part of daily life. My mother ran a culinary school and my father was a professor and writer; they both painted and were active in Houston’s art community. It wasn’t unusual for artists, chefs, and writers to gather around our dinner table. Read more>>

Kirschen TeX Wolford

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I initially wanted to pursue this career as an artist the moment I stepped into my high school here in Dallas. Booker T. Washington HSPVA exposed me to the craft and how far I could really go if I took it seriously. Read more>>

Luis Martin Gamito

From a very young age, I became interested in drawing, especially the animals I saw in the wildlife books my parents bought me. I remember trying to copy the same drawings in a notebook, but I got frustrated because they were difficult, so I tried drawing them in a cartoonish style, and that’s when I realized it came more naturally to me. Read more>>

Charity Hendricks Rael

Probably the first time I heard the band The Fray and found out they were from Colorado, I was probably in the 5th or sixth grade although I had inspirations before that. Read more>>

Madison Hines

My journey to realizing art was my professional path wasn’t a single lightning-bolt moment, but a series of experiences that built upon each other from different stages of my life. Looking back, I can identify core memories that laid this foundation. During my formative years, I was fortunate to attend a Magnet School that offered me exposure to various art forms. Read more>>

Shena Samone

I’ve always known music was my path. A childhood friend took me to a studio in high school, where I recorded my first hook. Years later, after auditioning for shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent, I joined a band I found through an ad. I stayed for a few years, then formed a trio, and later created my own band. Read more>>

Kelsey Shields

Realizing that I was meant to pursue a creative path happened to me more than once. The first time was in college. I was a freshman at Penn State majoring in nursing, but I had my eye on a Drawing 101 class that I wasn’t technically able to take. A friend felt the same way, and together we convinced the professor to let us join. Read more>>

Lo Cornell

This story starts in a little corner of my childhood basement, fabric scraps everywhere, imagination running wild, and the birth of what would become a lifetime of creative entrepreneurship. El Façions was the first brand I ever created. Read more>>