Are artists born or made? To help answer this question, we asked some of the most artistic folks we know to tell us about how they knew they were going to pursue an artistic or creative path. We’ve shared highlights below.

Mars Togaia

I first knew I wanted to pursue music professionally when I was 17. Before then I always knew I had a deep love for music and dreamed of making it my life, but I didn’t think I was allowed to make it a reality. My parents are Caribbean immigrants and anyone who is a first-gen knows the pressure your parents put on you to choose a career path that is guaranteed to be lucrative and that will make them and the family proud. Read more>>

Erik Fish

My story to pursue djing as my profession began after approximately five years of doing it solely for fun. I enjoyed the process of mixing music, by myself at home or with other friends. We would just all get together to hang out and take turns djing, mixing any kind of genre we happen to have on vinyl. A short time later, technology advancements allowed us to dj with records still, but now the music was actually on our computer. Read more>>

YOSHA SHAH

I am not a born artist but was born with a creative mind. Never though of pursuing arts as a profession until I came across a women who inspired me “My Mom”. She worked as a daily soap artist and loved her job. Very hardworking and enjoyed doing whatever that makes her happy. Read more>>

Ahmad Barron

Growing up listening to a variety of music led to me mimicking the artist that was the most influential. I began performing in front of my family, friends and my peers at school. Eventually I started writing all of my songs. Me and my friends created a group in the 5th grade in our after school program. Although it was a total of 4 members, I was the designated writer. Read more>>

Willina Rodriguez

I knew what I wanted to be since I was a Toddler. I remember looking through the catalogs and magazines and just smiling imagining myself in those pages. It was also very easy for me to act and cry believably, so my mom always mentioned I was a good actress. And last but not least I used to play teacher, which plays a big role in my passion for sharing knowledge with others and why I decided to become a Model Coach. Read more>>

Joe Bogan

I had been making random items to include cutting boards for a few years already. I really enjoy challenging myself and making things from scratch, though, most of those items had been for my use or given away as gifts to friends and family. I took on a new endeavor of creating an end-grain teak cutting board for a friend and made a few extras. Read more>>

Lily Qian

I was fortunate to have a bohemian childhood. My father was an oil painting professor, and my mother was a former ballerina turned costume designer. I was encouraged to draw, read, and take dance lessons as a child. I always knew I would work in the creative industry. Read more>>

Tyler Alexis

I grew up singing and dreaming of doing that for a living. However, growing up in LA, I had a much more realistic view than the thousands of people moving here to “make it big,” often ending up barely making ends meet, homeless, or moving back home. Read more>>

Madi Kreates

I never intended to make art a career. I was painting and writing poetry for fun and to help cope with the struggles I was experiencing in my life. One day one of my friends saw a painting I did and was like “wow that’s really cool, I want to buy it.” I thought she was kidding but she was so serious. Read more>>

Kelcie Bush

I actually have several of those “Ah-Ha!” moments in my life. The first one being entirely off the wall, or I shall I say puzzling? When I was very young I went to daycare for a full day during the summer. Both of my parents were extremely hard workers, my Father was a laborer in a glass factory, my Mother was a nurse. During those daycare days I remember spending a lot of time playing with this puzzle. Read more>>

VNIX

At this moment, I honestly cannot remember the first time I knew I wanted to pursue music, but I recall isolated moments that felt like my soul was aligning with it’s true nature. One particular moment was sneaking into my local church. The lights were out, but one of the doors was still unlocked. Read more>>

Christina Akinsanya

Since I was a child there was always this fire inside of me that pushed me towards becoming something iconic. I just always wanted to become legendary. At the age of 4 I wanted to become an astronaut and I wanted to be the first person on Mars. That was my dream till I reached 11. Read more>>

Kevin Edwards

The first time I knew that I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally through my words was in 2013, when I released my first book “Poetic Expressions- The Therapy Sessions.” After completing many daily journals of counseling myself through my writings, I let my mom read my hurts and triumphs and she cried. My mom advised me to publish these sessions to help others who had or was experiencing the same trauma. Read more>>

Aaron Hartfield

I have been playing the drums since I was 5 years old following in my brothers footsteps. The more I grew up the deeper my passion for music grew. During highschool all my friends were musicians and we love playing video games such as Rock Band and Guitar hero. Read more>>

April Buckley- Moore

I think the first time I knew that I wanted to pursue my artistic path professionally was when I was in high school. I remember a teacher calling me Wendy Williams because I would have all the information about what was going on in school, and it was so hilarious when reporting it back to her. Read more>>

Brittney Gardner

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative artistic career was when I was about seven or eight years old and they had Toonami on at the time on Cartoon Network and at the time they were showing sailor moon, dragon ball Z , cowboy bebop, and Tenchi Muyo I always love how the creator of these stories and the artists get to share their vision of creation with the world and I knew in my spirit I was destined to share my vision with the world too. Read more>>

Cam Simone

Growing up my first concert was the Janet Jackson rhythm nation tour when I was 5 years old. Since I was little I idolized Janet Jacksons’ ability to move a crowd while still putting on an amazing show, from then I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. I became a professional dancer from the age of 5-18 in all styles of dance and was in honors choir all through out grade school. Read more>>

George Hudson

Once I realized that I could make money doing what I’d already been doing for year for free was the wake up call for me lol. I grew up with a great love for music, animation and entertainment. My very first aspiration was literally to become a wrestler lmao, but as I grew in age, so did my interest but I still always knew I’d be in entertainment. Read more>>

Kyle Jenkins

Well I’ve always wanted a creative path in my career wether it was dancing or making music. Taking on the producer role started back in 2020 & went all on it & have been consistent ever since. I’ve been making music ever since I was child & dancing just as long. Always have had a special connection with music. Read more>>

Hannah Amidon

I always knew I wanted to be an artist. My mother is the one who pathed the path for me. My mom, Karen Libecap, was a photographer, baker, painter, and now does art shows full time and is teaching me how to do them as well. My senior year of high-school is when I came up with my first puns. Read more>>

Rosybel Arrayago

As a little girl I was obsessed with painting everything I could, when I was growing I became obsessed with my moms makeup but she wouldn’t let me take it so I just needed to wait for her to leave and TARAN SHOW TIME!!! When I was 15, I started going to small makeup courses but my family use to tell me all the time that makeup wasn’t a career in the real life or in Venezuela. Read more>>

LUXE the Drag Queen

A long time ago, what is really only barely a decade now, I was in a musical in High School – certainly a far step from being a drag queen now. I had been in musicals and stage plays before, but this was my first impression on my High School peers, what truly felt like a lot of pressure to me. Read more>>

Tiana Heath

The first time I knew I wanted to be a host had to be my senior year in High School. It was either go to college to do forensic science or study for radio and television. I choose the radio and television route ten years ago because I was always curious to know about an individual’s lives and how they started. Then, I knew I can master the television aspect and later merge my crime passion into my work. Read more>>

Michel Cisneros

Music has always been a passion for me. To pursue music in ways I can push myself to reach a higher level is something I have always strived for; even as a young girl. As I continue to grow and keep collecting knowledge, I also keep moving forward in my career but also as a person. Read more>>

Renee Lerma

As a toddler I would go through my mom’s sketchbooks because she’s a really amazing artist and I wanted so much to have her talent. My favorite thing as a kid from then on basically became being alone and drawing every chance I got. As I got more and more involved in trying to perfect my sketches, my mom became more active in the work force, respectfully, and I could see she was disassociating herself from her art. Read more>>

Lawrence D.

I knew that I wanted to pursue music when I was a little boy singing in the car with my father. He was the first person to teach me music and the very first to believe in my abilities as a musician. Of course everything was solidified when I got my first solo in church. The applause that I from the congregation was electrifying. No other feeling like when you bring light with your gift to other people. Read more>>