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.

Elizabeth Odiorne

There is no work as fulfilling as being able to create in my studio. I am so thankful to be a working artist, I wouldn’t change my path for anything. Being an artist comes with its financial challenges, and it takes courage to invest in your passions, but I am a believer that hard work pays off. Read more>>

Austin Yarbrough

I first went to school for business knowing full and well that producing music was my passion. I experienced a great deal of depression because I believed I needed to secure a practical degree as a backup plan or to play it safe instead of fully diving into what I believed I was made for. Read more>>

Iyana Brumfield

At the age of 8, Iyana began her own battle with bullying. Amidst the confusion and pain, she realized that being bullied knows no boundaries of gender, age, or color. Read more>>

Jacqueline Swanson

Growing up, during my married life and my working years, I always had the dream of becoming a full-time artist. Since my retirement in 2016 from the Minnesota Historical Society and moving to Eagan, I have had the freedom and luxury of devoting as much time as I deem necessary in developing an art practice. Read more>>

Terra Goolsby

I’m happiest being an artist. I have held several coordinating and curation positions. While they provided consistent pay and I learned a great deal from them, I had less agency, authorship, and creative expression within these positions. Read more>>

Gabi Pray

I am very thankful to be one of the few people that can say I love my job! Having an unusual work schedule can be challenging, but this schedule has been my normal for my entire adult life. How fulfilling my job is makes sacrificing my weekends so much easier! Read more>>

Sierra Kirsche

Am I happy being an artist? Did i pick the right career path instead of searching for a “regular” job? My confidence wavered for a long time when faced with this question. Being a creative is vulnerable. It is a part of yourself you pitch to the world in hopes someone will find it worthy of the price you ask for. Read more>>

Cade Nelson

In the same hand I could say I would never imagine being anything else than a creative… but that wouldn’t be true. I’ve often wondered what my life would look like if I hadn’t taken this path. The thought doesn’t last very long because well, despite it being the hardest possible path, it’s the best path for me. Read more>>

Kathryn Gastelum

Yes! I’m really grateful to be working as a professional full-time artist but certainly miss the regular income! If it wasn’t for my supportive husband, I would be working another job to support my creative process as a painter. Being able to truly focus on my different facets of art such as painting abstractly, or realistically or designing colorful, abstract silk scarves, each aspect matters greatly and much attention has to given to the business of art. Read more>>

Danielle Moreland-Ochoa

Artists are asked to do something astonishing. We are asked to support ourselves in a profession that lacks basic compensation while pursuing it with everything we have. If you asked someone in a “regular job” to show up to work and do their best and then go home and commit time to the work, but then told them they wouldn’t get paid, they would laugh at you. Read more>>

Amanda Cook

I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life!! I very recently quit my full time 9-5 banking job to take my makeup business full time! It’s exciting and rewarding and I am doing what I love the most. It feels good after doing this as a side hustle the last ten years to finally be in a place where I have enough business and support to go full time with it! Read more>>

E-Kan Soong

So funny story – my name’s E-Kan (pronounced Ee-Kahn, like Econ class), and I actually was an Econ major in college. No joke. Despite all the jokes, I actually double majored in Math and Econ because I figured, why not. I always excelled in school and knew I could do a more conservative job than acting, but thankfully knew early on this is what I wanted to do with my life. Read more>>

Jenna Marion

I find being a creative about as equally mentally/emotionally challenging as it is rewarding. Right when I started pursuing getting into tattooing I felt pretty young and excited. The classic the world is your oyster feeling. I knew as long as I worked really hard and did all the correct things I would achieve my goal and become a tattoo artist. Read more>>

Anima Hoitt

I am extremely thankful that I get to live my life as a full time artist. I understand that some may not have the luxury of doing the same, so I often think of how lucky I am and the fact that I get to make it my day to day job. Read more>>

Shariann Carlo

Ever since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be in the entertainment business. Even though they say you have to be crazy to become an actor, I wouldn’t change it for anything because it led me to where I am today. Read more>>

Exer Thurston

I live a very transient life, moving from opportunity to opportunity across the country several times a year. I certainly wonder about what my life would look like if I had a regular job. I do sometimes long for the stability an office job would provide, staying in the same city and building a life in a settled geographic location. Read more>>

Katie Boothe

Actually, I had a “regular job” for over 15 years. In college, I had been studying Recording Industry when I changed my major to teaching, because I was told it would be more stable, and dependable. But the reality was that the stability was also coupled with extreme expectations for my time and energy, well beyond what the schools were willing to pay me fairly for. Read more>>

Anita Chen Fu

Absolutely, I find immense joy and fulfillment in my creative pursuits as an artist. The freedom to express myself and bring my ideas to life is truly rewarding. While I appreciate the stability that a regular job can offer, the passion and satisfaction I derive from my artistic endeavors make it a choice I wouldn’t trade easily. Read more>>

Dawson Dutcher

Absolutely! From what my parents have told me, I have always been very tactile by creating things using my hands. I used to build LEGO cities when I was 4 years old. I have always enjoyed being creative and artistic in whatever I do. This is the best decision I’ve ever made. Read more>>

Derek Sheehan

I absolutely love the path I chose. I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist before I was old enough to tattoo. Looking back though, you can say I kind of fell into it as career. When I turned 18 I sought out an apprenticeship that did not work out and I quickly gave up on the idea of tattooing. Read more>>

Amanda Ayala

Being an artist comes with a lot of highs and lows. There are times when the momentum is rolling and a lot of great opportunities arise, while other times it can be slow, daunting and stressful. I absolutely love what I do, and love that I get to make music, but I think it is natural to think what it would be like to have a regular job. Read more>>

Lisa Larrabee

I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living. I have learned so much over the years and that learning just continues. It is such a rewarding way to live. I feel very connected to other creative individuals through art and teaching, and I am excited to continue to develop my personal artwork over my lifetime. Read more>>

Lina Anderberg

I’m very Happy. Best job ever. I never wished that I had a “regular job” This is what I’m meant to do. Playing drums. Grateful daily. I just have to add, that there is so much hard work involved, I just want people to know that. Nothing comes for free! Read more>>

Deirdre Sullivan-Beeman

I’m very happy and very fulfilled by my career as an artist. From childhood, I’ve always loved creative acts. Before I was working full time as a painter, I had a career in event design, which felt nearly equally as creative.I’m a free spirit, which always seemed problematic when I was working in a more systematic, structured workplace. Working alone as an artist, I’m completely responsible for myself. Read more>>

Damar Aaron

Coming from a strongly musical family, I’ve always felt from an early age that my calling/purpose was connected to music. Before starting my first production company in my sophomore year of college I was working in a corporate office. Financially, that was one of my most secure times of my life, however, my creative mind and passion were suffering. Read more>>

Betty Xie

This is a topic that I think of regularly in my own creative career, and nowadays, coaching creatives as they navigate this question on their path. My story – I went into the creative path with passion and without knowing too much about the reality of working in creative industries. As a 1.5 gen immigrant, I had no one in my family who knew what was like to work as a creative in Canada. I just knew I really liked the arts! Read more>>

Annie Purpura

There have been some ups and downs, but yes—I can’t imagine a life without an art practice or creativity around me. As both an artist and maker, I’m currently navigating the delicate balance between my art practice and another passion—teaching. Read more>>

Kwabena Kyei

I believe being a creative was one of the best decisions I ever made. Being able to express your thoughts and ideas can be very fulfilling to your soul as well as helping others bring their ideas to life and they also being very satisfied with the works you have done for them. Read more>>

Christine Huffman

Absolutely. Expressing my creativity is just inate in me. I used to work to at a “regular job” prior to what I do now. Read more>>

Jenny Toth

Yes I am happy being an artist. Read more>>

Nikoleta Morales

I have always been creative even as a kid. At first, I wanted to be a writer and I started writing poems and essays for which I won many awards. I also did modern ballet for years and I fell in love with dancing so much that I wanted to pursue it as a full-time career. Read more>>

Carl Weintraub

I’ve had plenty of “regular jobs” in my life. Most of them I’ve enjoyed. ALL of them I’ve learned from. When i was a little kid i fantasized about being a trash collector. I STILL fantasize about being a heavy equipment operator or a long haul truck driver. Read more>>