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.

Mollie Decker

I went to college for architecture and worked for 7 years after graduating as an architect at various firms (up until 2 years ago). My partner Mike and I also have our own small architecture firm now so I defiantly know what its like to have a regular job all too well. While I am so grateful for the steady paycheck I had for the 7 years (and sometimes miss that part) I don’t miss going to an office. Its great to use my creative energies towards my own projects and creative pursuits. Working for myself was a huge step for me as I am a bit risk adverse but it has defiantly been worth the leap. Read more>>

Edi Tingle

I am definitely happy as an artist. I definitely wouldn’t be happy doing anything else. That’s the piece of advice I always give people; If you could be happy doing anything else, do it. Being an artist is not for the faint of heart. In my early twenties I kind of fell off of the path of being at an artist and was vey focused on making my then long-term relationship work and advancing my assistant manager serving job. When I was offered the position of replacing my boss that I truly loathed, I decided to quit because I had that wake-up moment of “I’m in too deep, what have I done, who am I?” Read more>>

Peige Spencer

Currently I am a full time creative and I can honestly say while I’m creating I usually feel great and I am happier. Being able to get lost within my art and silence the chaos within and around me brings me peace. Although many people open up to me, I am not a person of many words instead I have social anxiety that I overcome everyday and one way I can express myself and release my emotions is through my art whether it’s painting or modeling. Read more>>

Kate Craig

I am very happy as a creative. When I was in school all my teachers used to tell me I spend too much time in class singing to myself and distracting other people. I was planning to do Family Law when I was 17, once I left college I just knew I had to at least try performing arts. I feel like it’s too soon to secure myself behind a desk for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Dwain Coleman Jr.

It’s an internal struggle that I always deal with. Everyday that I wake up, I have to make a choice. Do I go to work and make money at the average 9-5 to support my necessities, or do I sacrifice monetary values for creating and expressing myself? Do I trade my child-like creativity & passion for the rigid lifestyle of an adult? At the end of the day, I think it’s definitely just a balance that you have to find– because just as they could be seen as two different lifestyles, they can often compliment each other. Without the structure of adulthood, I wouldn’t have the time or even understand the importance of my creativity. Read more>>

Unyime Etuk

I am happy to be an artist but I do get sad a lot of times. I have a lot of projects I would love to venture into as a creative but these projects need lots of money to finance it. And because I need money to push into these projects, I have been subjected to an artist who survives on commissions. I rarely create pieces which are inspired; I only work for clients and this takes a lot of time and sometimes, it can get really depressing knowing that there are things I could have done but because I need to not disappoint a client, I end up postponing and it makes me real sad. Read more>>

Evian Leigh

I love being a model, I get to be creative and love working on my goals. Modeling gave me confidence and made me see what I really looked like. I quit my job as a supervisor at UPS last year and I have no regrets it was the best decision. My modeling career started to grow quick and my mental and emotion health became very good. I had so much time just to work on my goals. Read more>>

Jeremiah(KGH Jerry) Pearson

I’m definitely happier as a creative even with all the ups and downs that comes with it. I work on my brand and craft while working a full time job , so it’s honestly no days off, especially when majority of the money you make at a job is invested into your business. Don’t get me wrong it has been times where I’ve wanted to stop and just go get a high paying job but then i realize it’s not my calling , it’s honestly would make me miserable… and the reason i know at 25 is because i even tried to change my career and i still found myself back on the same path of becoming a entertainer… making people have fun and happy ! Read more>>

Emma Johnson

I often wonder how different my life would be if I worked say, a 9 to 5, office job. While I think having a routine, a guaranteed income, benefits, weekends off, etc. would be nice; it is rare that I wish I had any of these things over the career that I have now. Working in the makeup industry is so fulfilling. I get use my creativity and talents to meet and work with new people everyday. I think my generation especially, values career options that bring joy over working jobs simply for the income. Read more>>

Magge Nunez

First and foremost, I recently quit my job to pursue being a full-time DJ as balancing both roles was becoming extremely exhausting and demanding. For the past two years, I have been balancing a full-time salary role while taking DJ gigs every once a while. Those gigs became more often and increased in demand leading me with two week day residencies and one weekly radio and tv filming slot. Imagine doing all those things and still showing up for your day time that required the same amount of energy or even more. Because of that I made the decision to leave an organization that I have worked for the past five years in pursuit of this new role and path that I have been so fortunate to be chosen by. Read more>>

Mediolanum

This is a question that runs through my mind quite often. I never really had anyone close to me who was an artist or creative so, even the concept of being one was fairly foreign to me. I question from time to time if I made the right choice. I have always been under the impression that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life. However, it seems like I am always working or thinking about what to do next. The reality is I chose not to take the normal path. I chose not to work a job that society had set out for me. I remember finishing college and being offered a full-time job. I realized two things about that offer, one was that it would allow me to have a steady income and more money than I was used to. Read more>>

Shiela

Sometimes I forget I’ve worked really hard to work this hard. And by that I mean I’ve taken huge risks like turning down job offers & moving across the country in pursuit of this dream because I know it’s the only work that has ever truly made me happy. I remember during my first therapy session after moving to Miami, I told my therapist how I felt like a loser because I didn’t know anyone in the city, was struggling with money, and watching my other friends take their loved ones on trips and not have anyone question their status in life. I think about getting a regular job all of the time because it seems so easy to just clock in and clock out and have a guaranteed income so that you can plan ahead, work towards your financial goals at a steady pace and have stability. Then my therapist said “Uh, uh. Read more>>

Maria Ahmad

I actually do have a “regular” job– I work in public health! I wish I could be a full-time artist, but I’ve got bills to pay and big dreams to accomplish! I like my job in public health, but my true love and passion lies in art. I often spend my workday brainstorming future creative projects and am impatient to get home so that I can experiment with my ideas. I hope that someday, I can be successful enough as an artist, to be able to make a living doing craft shows. I know of a few Etsy artists who have made it so big, they quit their regular jobs to become full-time Etsy sellers. I would love to come to that point someday! Read more>>

Allen Allnoch

I actually had a regular job for years, until July 2018, when I made a move I had long considered: Becoming a self-employed creative. I love the freedom and variety of my work, and I have said many times since then, I hope I never have to go back to an 8-to-5 office job, because I’m not sure I could adjust back to that world. My primary work is photography and videography, both capturing images and editing them. But I also have many years of experience as a writer and copy editor, and in my self-employed world, Read more>>

Mercedez Rex

Most days I feel super lucky to earn a living as an artist; teaching workshops and helping others tap into their creativity feels like really meaningful work and I am happy to do it. I do sometimes imagine what my life might be like if I just had a regular job. I was talking to a friend recently who landed a cushy job at a start up- she works from home two days a week and has the option to go into the office 3 days a week. When she’s at the office she has access to a gym, unlimited snacks and they have lunch delivered from local restaurants. She’s got a great salary, 401K match, paid time off and annual company retreats. Hearing her go on and on about the perks and amenities, I felt a pang of jealousy as I imagined what it would be like to have predictable income… Read more>>

Adam Land

Happy is an understatement. I worked in corporations for nearly 20 years before deciding to reenter the art world. In 2018 I faced one of the biggest choices in my life. Do I continue down the path I am on, or take a different path. It wasn’t an easy decision to change paths. I had invested a large portion of my life in building a work history and valuable skill set. Not to mention the security of a salary. Jump forward and it is one of the best decisions I could have made. Read more>>

Maylen Calienes

I am happy being an artist and creative because I love it and I have no choice. I have no choice because what I do I feel is what I was meant to do, my vocation. I have always been true to myself even if life or people try to steer you in a different direction. Being an artist is often seen as not having a career that gives you profit. Granted that being an artist of any kind, whether you paint, or dance, or act, or sing, or make movies…these are careers that are not seen as jobs that provide unless of course you make it to a level where it is consistent and the jobs pay very well. Read more>>

Justin Watanabe

Yes I am happier as a music artist. I enjoy the flexibility of being able to work on my own time mostly from home. I thoroughly enjoy the creative process and feeling ecstatic once I have completed a project. I used to work a lot of fast food and disliked it. Sometimes, I think about starting a regular career but usually I think about how much time it takes and I don’t want to spend too much time away from creating music. When I think about getting a job it’s usually during the time that I’m not getting paid from my music. Especially during Covid, things got tougher and there was a lot of job openings so it was tempting for me to get a job. Read more>>

Mike Maimone

I quit my last full-time job as an accountant at the end of 2005. I had been moonlighting as a musician for a couple years after college, rehearsing and gigging in the evenings and on weekends. But then I moved from Chicago to Portland to join a band with a couple of college friends, and when that band broke up a few years later, I headed back to the Midwest to start my solo project. Read more>>

N’shai Iman

I love being a creative but being able to use your passion as a job can have its ups and downs. When I first started writing my own music, I never thought my songs would take me where I am today. I always wrote to express my feelings or if I just heard a beat that had a nice sound. But now, in a way, I write for my audience. Sometimes I have to catch myself because when I am writing a song to appeal to my audience, the song began to lose its authenticity. With this in mind, I now try to be mindful of not writing a song for the wrong reasons. Read more>>

Jon Kinne

I have what many would call a “regular” job. Monday through Thursday, I spend my time at a desk in a financial office. On nights and Friday through Saturday, I pursue art. I have seen many artists and creatives take their talents into the commercial world, through advertising or marketing primarily. And I have seen many of these artists lose interest in their craft entirely on their own time. Observing this, I couldn’t help but think that making art for content, for a company or target market, for profit fundamentally contradicts what art meant to me. Read more>>

Cierra Lewis

I am happier as a creative because it helps me bring my unique vision to life. Being a food blogger is more than just taking pics of food, it feels like capturing artwork but being able to taste the deliciousness of those foods that you love so much. I fell in love with food blogging in 2019. It became a business once I joined other DMV Foodies & started highlighting food from dc restaurants & showcasing their best entrees. I would get invited to try a restaurant & promote on my food page @brunchwithcee & tell my followers to stop by. Read more>>

Sharron Parker

My life as an artist has given me the freedom to experience as much as possible of the world around me. I can choose how to spend each day: if the weather is nice, maybe I’ll take a long walk or do some gardening before heading to the studio. If the weather’s bad, I plan for a long day in the studio, but can choose music to keep me company, or a book on tape. But if a friend needs help, or there’s a volunteer project that fits my skills, I can do that instead. Read more>>

Robynn Shayne

I love being a creative artist. Being able to bring a story to life with lyrics and music always brings a smile to my face and warms my heart. The funny thing is, I have a “regular” job. If you want to call it that. I’m a flight attendant. I’ve been an artist and a flight attendant synonymously for quite some time. I was a flight attendant before I became an artist. I really do feel like it helped me literally see the world through different eyes. I’ve been to so many places I never would have traveled to if I wasn’t a flight attendant. I believe it’s helped me become a better creative artist. I will continue to do both, because I love doing both! Read more>>

Rachael Mann

Being a creative, you definitely live a different life. Everyone has a story, even the creatives (Each creative has a different journey), but that is what makes us unique. I started singing at a very young age. I was seven years old when I first started to sing, and I sang my first solo at the age of seven. I was hooked. It was something that I loved so much, I spent most of my time after school singing in my room with my karaoke machine. When most of my friends may have played sports or were hanging out, Read more>>

Tyler Mills

It’s an interesting question that I have attempted to think of an answer too many times, however, I always find myself back in the same boat pursuing the same endeavor with a slightly abridged version of the vision than before asking question. The way I see it, I am not capable of living a life alternate to that which is pursuing happiness. I mean what is happiness… really? I guess when I can step back on the hardest, hottest days at the metal shop, look at my small team of colleagues, each of whom I appreciate and respect, and know that we are all working on the same goal in the same conditions then that brings me a sense of unity, being one, being part of something, and that translates to a feeling of success and happiness to me. Read more>>

Tan Rose

I love being an artist and I’m so much happier because of it. I was a web developer for five years before I pursued art in a serious capacity. I thought web development was going to be the career for me, and I was really good at it. It was fun and rewarding, but ultimately the company environment was not beneficial to me being successful or happy in that line of work so I left. I even tried to get another web development job and when I thought of doing what I did for the past five years again, I just knew it wasn’t for me. I no longer have those thoughts, but sometimes they do pop up when I’m going through financial trouble. I then remind myself that I am doing what makes me happy. Read more>>

Bear Howl

For me, there is nothing more rewarding than being a paid artist. Especially when the money is good. An artist relies on reaching into their soul and emotions to relay a feeling to others. That doesn’t exists in other careers. You’re exposing a real part of yourself, I’m not sure if lawyers, doctors, etc use this in their everyday life and you wouldn’t want them to. But it’s also one of the scariest careers to enter. Sometimes you don’t have commissions or shows that you are working for, but you must keep working and getting better even though you’re buying materials constantly just hoping someone loves your work and wants to buy what you’re creating. Read more>>