Pursuing a creative or artistic career can certainly be fulfilling, but it’s far from certain. Over the years, we’ve heard about the struggles from thousands of artists and creatives – it’s incredibly challenging and it can be tempting to wonder – what if you hadn’t pursued this path. We asked artists and creatives from across the community if they’ve every had those doubts themselves.

Magdalena Papaioannou

I’ve always worked for myself. I have never known what it is to come into an office every day at 9 am with a manager to report to. I can’t know for sure if that would make me happier, but I can tell you that I love what I do and the freedom it allows me. Just this last summer, I was hired to shoot another commercial lifestyle campaign for Kopu water. I spent a week in Greece scouting luxurious locations, and when I finally landed on one, I realized how lucky I am that I can make a living creating art in one of the most beautiful places in the world! Read more>>

Hannah James.

Being a professional artist is a very twisted thing. You make all this work in order to feel a connection with yourself, if it’s any good you try to capitalize off of it, and then all of your self-worth gets tied up in this thing that doesn’t make you enough money, and you end up resenting what you used to love most about yourself. What was once your biggest release is now your greatest source of stress. Read more>>

Carmel Liburdi

I remember my first time working for a big corporation was right after high school, selling appliances for Best Buy (can I name them?) At first I was excited to have a “real job”, with the clock-in and clock-out format. I went into it feeling proud, having lunch in the esteemed employee lounge. I showed up every shift, explaining my powerlessness to the customers: “I know it’s expensive, I don’t price the items”, “I can’t change it, that’s our system”, “that’s what it says in the computer”. Read more>>

Brooks Huntley

As long as I can remember, I’ve had unorthodox goals for my life. The first dream I ever had was to be a professional baseball player. And not long after, I picked up the guitar. For a while I figured I’d be the first person to ever close out game 7 of a World Series on the mound and then headline a stadium show in the same ballpark the next night as an artist. Needless to say, ‘practical’ or ‘probable’ were never exactly first priority for me when it came to what I wanted to do with my life. Read more>>

Cian Pedersen

As an artist for a long time I had to have a regular job on the side. For me I knew that there wasn’t anything else I’d rather do because being up on stage never felt like work. I get paid to do what I love. That being said I remember the advice another artist gave me where they said “if there’s anything/any job you can think of where you would feel just as passionate and would love doing you should do that” I didn’t take that as a bad view. You have to be okay with the roller coaster of a journey this way of life brings. It’s unstable a lot of the time. I know there’s nothing else that would come close to feeling of stepping on stage. Read more>>

Alejandro Pérez Moya.

If you ask me if I am happy as an artist, the short answer would be ‘yes’. However, the reality is much more complex. Dedicating my time to painting is a great source of satisfaction, but it also means giving up many things. Developing a career in Arts involves investing a great amount of time and effort, which in the short term doesn’t come hand in hand with recognition. In turn, it implies living with constant uncertainty and vertigo. Read more>>

Brandi Stimpson

I can 100% say I am truly happy as a creative artist, however there are times the thought of having a regular career may be an easier path. I’ve been running my own businesses for over 17 years and it’s not as easy as some may think. My latest business has been a larger struggle with the thoughts of “is this worth it”? Lately it has been harder and harder to be seen on social media and advertise to others. I believe that has what has made me question whether the time invested in the business side “marketing/selling/etc” is worth it. Read more>>

Chris Kalman

You know, to be honest, I never really equated being an artist with a path of ease, or even happiness. You look at all the great artists, and they don’t really seem happy, do they? Bukowski, Dickinson, Van Gogh, etc. I have known some immensely talented artists whose gifts did not remotely translate into happiness. Now I’m not a great artist, but there was a time in my life when I thought I might want to put my writing front and center. Read more>>

Hannah Bagnall

Usually around tax time is when I imagine having one job and minimal paperwork to deal with, but most of the time I’m thrilled with my choice to do a plethora of creative gigs. I work a lot, often seven days a week, but it also means I can take time to travel – though I wish someone would give me paid leave! I have to be much more in tune with my personal priorities, and when I am, making values-based decisions is pretty easy. Read more>>\

Grace Worley.

I graduated college during the peak of the pandemic in 2020 and immediately started my MFA program at Ohio University in the fall. As I was waiting to hear back from the programs I had applied to, I was interviewing with local school districts for teaching positions, and right before one of my interviews, I found out I was accepted to OU. It was a weird feeling because I suddenly didn’t know what I wanted to do. I mostly attribute this to being intimidated by the thought of getting my MFA, but also because I was so excited to begin a career doing what I love the most: teaching art. Read more>>

CARL ELIXIR

Being a wedding photographer has introduced us to some of the most extraordinary people in this world, and for that we are extremely grateful. Now we cannot image ourselves working in any other fields other than wedding photography. We are a group of free spirits, so being able to travel to many unique places and meet different people, yet still given the freedom to create those extremely cool shots that we do, is truly a blessing. We are also blessed that most brides and grooms that hire us have 100% full trust in our artistry, and they wanted us to do whatever it takes to create that meaningful shot. Read more>>

Jennifer Hampton

There are times when being a full-time artist can be overwhelming. Creating art that is meaningful and satisfying can be a struggle somedays. I need to be in the right state of mind to make art and it is not always easy or fun. Next to being a mother, a full-time artist is the hardest job I have ever had. No regular job requires the employee to wear so many different hats. When I tell someone that I am an artist, they picture me painting from sunup to sundown with no cares in the world. Read more>>

Maya Robinson.

I am happy as a creative! I am most fulfilled when I am in any creation process. Ive worked on and off as a teacher for years while building so many dreams along the way. There have been several moments where Ive felt I wasnt far along enough in life or in too far over my head, but Ive always had a louder more positive internal voice telling me to dream on. There is a healthy balance that exists where you can pursue your dreams and be truly happy in the present moment. Read more>>

Christina Craig Gentzsch

I am extremely fulfilled as an artist and creative, and I’m grateful for the successes I have cultivated since leaving my “regular job.” I’ve had the traditional 9-5 job. I thought it was great at first because, right out of grad school, I had consistent income and health insurance, and a 401K provided through my employer. At the time this is what I thought being successful meant. From a financial standpoint, it was very practical and safe. Read more>>

Kirk Maynard

I am extremely happy being a creative puppet director and NB Puppeteer for Natural Bridges Puppets, but I have also had the pleasure of working in another field at the same time. Creative Artists sometimes need to balance things out and so having an extra or alternate career can be helpful, especially when you hit some snags or lags in work. Always good to have something to fall back on when jobs or gigs are not ‘fruitful’ as you’d like them to be, or when you go through a ‘dry patch.’ We all need to be able to ‘make ends meet’ and so working in another field that you like can be helpful. Read more>>

Rick Gardner.

Drawing and creating makes me happy. I have a regular job doing fundraising for a non-profit and have found that creating and fundraising provide a nice balance for me. I use my art to help homeless pets through collaborations with rescues and shelters. I have been able to take my experiences in both areas to level up. Read more>>

William Weil

I am incredibly happy to be pursuing a career as a creative, although it can be very challenging at times. I rarely think about trying to have a “regular” job because I have worked those kind of jobs and the path I’m on now is much more fulfilling. The last time I thought about having a regular job was when I took a gig as a drummer for a band because I needed the money, but I was not very interested in the music of that band. Read more>>

Paige Collier

I am happy most days. I think the biggest pitfall to my happiness is that there’s never a point where I’m going to think, “I’ve done it! I’ve reached the level of talent I want!” I’m always going to have an idea in my head that’s grander than what I’m capable of creating, so I always fall short of my own imagination. Read more>>

Hannah West

I am unbelievably happy creating art through woodworking. For years I never considered myself a creative person. The word “creative”, for me, was a relatively small box that encased painting, drawing, writing, etc. but none of that ever appealed to me in any meaningful way. Of course through my woodworking journey and gaining exposure to an endless amount of creative people in the areas I listed above and far beyond. The word gained a new meaning for me. Read more>>

Josh Gomez-Gaerlan

Oh gosh, I have this thought every day at least once a day. I had it this morning as I made my coffee! As a filmmaker who’s barely starting their journey out, there are days where I sit and really think to myself, why did I choose this lifestyle? It’s hard. Being a creative is hard and not just from a monetary stand point but from a mental one too. There are days where that’s really what gets to me because I struggle with writers block/creative blocks a lot. and I tend to get really in my head about my work since I’m such a perfectionist. Read more>>

Lekhya Bellamkonda

I am happier as an artist than as a quality engineer on most days. I do wonder what it would be like to have a regular job as a creative. The last time that this thought came to my head was when I was on maternity leave and wanted to have a flexible job so I can be with my baby. Read more>>

Jason Branscum

I think this affects most folks from a financial standpoint. It’s definitely feast or famine in the music world. Either you have enough fans to do whatever you want, or you don’t. Fortunately for me, over the years various older musicians have taught me the skills to monetize old successes and make the most with dry spells. That’s actually where I’m at right now. I’ve found some niche gigs that pay enough for us to live off of, supplemented by old recordings and other groups’ performances of my older music. Read more>>

Kaliisa Alma Conlon

I love being an artist! My creative path is so joyful… I cherish the inspiring people I meet along the way. Making art lights me up, it’s my happy place. Read more>>

Michelle Marra

I can answer this question with a resounding YES!!! I am extremely happy as an artist. The really big question is why it took me so darn long to come to that conclusion. I feel like I spent most of my young life and adult life running from what gave me complete and utter joy. “Why would I do such a thing?” you ask. The answer was simple….I was riddled with fear Read more>>

Ayla Demirci

I am beyond happy as a creative and the main reason is because being a creative allows plenty of space for errors. Sometimes even embracing those mistakes to create something totally new. I am very scatter brained and a bit all over the place. As a waitress, if I made a mistake, then all I could do is try and correct the mistake. But as a creative when you make mistakes sometimes you realize the vision you wanted in the beginning isn’t really the vision you wanted at all. Sometimes a simple mistake can change a project for the better. Read more>>

Emily Falvey

I feel so grateful to be able to pursue a creative profession as a professional songwriter, but I sometimes feel like a fish out of water as a type A personality. I thrive on structure, a schedule, & feeling autonomy & control. Working in the music industry, on the other hand, can require exceptional spontaneity, flexibility, & emotional resilience. Read more>>

Heather Nadeau

So I will take the question the other way! I had a regular 9-5 job before finding cake design and often think back on why THAT job didn’t make me happy and fulfilled. Before heading to pastry school in 2010, I worked for the Department of Defense after leaving the US Air Force. I had some great coworkers, a security clearance, and a salary most 20-somethings would kill for. But I was stuck in a cubicle or working in a server room most days and I was not satisfied with my job. Read more>>

Lisa and Loren Skyhorse

We are now 73 years old. We have been self-employed, full time saddle makers/leather workers for nearly 50 years now! When we turned 40 we actually spent a week soul searching about if we wanted “real jobs”. We were parents, building a small ranch boarding horses and living modestly hand to mouth and wondered if it was just habit that was keeping us on our path. After intense introspection, we realized we loved what we did, we were good at it, and we were going to stay the course. Read more>>

Van Isaacson.

I think the short of it is that I don’t feel even remotely capable of having a “regular” job. I only say that because I’ve also been conditioned to see art as “other” but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I think being an artist is and should be seen as regular. The entertainment industry is absolutely massive and contributes heavily to the world around us. Unfortunately, there’s a trend in this culture of not pairing artistic endeavors with proper financial value. Read more>>