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.

Kennie Zhou

I do go through phases of feeling down and pessimistic and feeling particularly grateful and excited about what I do. I also have worked full time positions, “day job” as they say, from which I gained lots of experience as a creative producer. It’s all about the balance between what keeps your passion and creativity thriving and what allows you to make enough money to support your artistic projects. I think it’s a toxic stereotype to expect artist to work on nothing but their art, because artists have to live as humans first and foremost, in order to make art that feels human. Read more>>

Xingyun Wang

Happiness as an artist is complicated—it’s not the carefree kind, but a deeper fulfillment tied to discovery, persistence, and the joy of making. Yet there are times I wonder what it would be like to have a more predictable, stable job. The last time I had that thought was while preparing to ship several large works for an exhibition. Being an artist involves far more than just time spent painting in the studio. There’s constant preparation, cleaning, organizing materials, planning for exhibitions, and administrative work that often feels endless. Shipping artwork internationally, in particular, is always a challenge. What I thought would take a day or two of packing stretched into more than a week because of the complexities involved in protecting delicate paper works and navigating unfamiliar shipping policies—things I’ve had to learn through trial and error. Read more>>

Dagner Segura

I’m really happy as an artist, when I’m performing on stage or teaching a class I feel joy, satisfaction I feel present. I feel all the sacrifices I’ve made are worth it. I worked a regular job before and I just didn’t feel myself, I felt lost and with no sense of purpose. No matter how much I was earning that couldn’t compensate the void I had. ow that I’m a full time dancer, I feel fueled and inspired every single day. Read more>>

Mai Ly

Becoming a photographer has truly awakened the artistic side I’ve carried with me since I was young. Art has always been my world, from painting, drawing, airbrushing, and woodworking to sewing—you name it, I’m all in. But photography resonates on a different level; there’s magic in being able to freeze a moment in time or to create a fantasy from a single image. While I sometimes miss the structure and steady rhythm of the corporate world, taking the leap of faith to follow my dreams after having my daughter was the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s still surreal that I get to make a living doing something that brings me so much happiness Read more>>

Viktoriya Basina

I am extremely happy living a life as an artist and would not change this for anything else in the world. I had to overcome many obstacles and difficulties in order to pursue an artistic career. My family did not support my choice. In fact, while under the influence of my family I enrolled in college to study computer science. At the age of twenty I landed an internship with a big company doing computer science work and had a glimpse of what would await me when I finished my degree. This glimpse sent me into a depressive state and I decided that going forward I would have no fear and that I would pursue the type of life that I want. I just had too much creative energy inside me to keep it bottled up and dedicate my time to something else. I never ever regretted this, and am very happy that made this decision pretty early in life. I feel like pursuing my creative ideas and art in general keeps me sane and balanced, gives me purpose, and helps compensate for all difficulties in my life and the world around me. I think that time is very precious and spending it on doing something important and meaningful is key to happiness. Read more>>

Piper Burris

Eight months ago, I quit my full-time Administrative job to pursue graphic design. I wanted dedicated time to create a website and build a portfolio. As I didn’t have anything lined up, my employer offered a transition to part-time, remote work in the Marketing Department, rather than a full exit. I happily accepted and began my journey. While I knew it was a risk to work part-time with no end in sight, I had a few months of savings and a passion to create. I thought, “Once my website is beautiful and I can show some work to prove my skills, I’ll get a design job at an advertising agency.” Read more>>

Ian Jonassen

I’m very happy as a creative, even though I think about what it would be like to have a regular job every single day. I feel like it’s difficult to fully classify jobs as regular or creative because there’s some form of artistry in any occupation, which is why I think it’s been difficult for me to say “Filmmaking is THE art I want to pursue, this is it.” Despite my feelings that artistic fulfillment can be found in a lot of places, I can confidently say that filmmaking gives me the most fulfillment out of anything I’ve ever experienced. Nothing makes me happier than feeling exhausted at the end of a day of filming, looking back, and knowing that I put all of my effort into something bigger than myself. There are so many things to learn and appreciate in filmmaking while collaborating with amazing people, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it, and that’s why I can confidently say that I’m happy pursuing it. Read more>>

Genevieve Smith

I am undoubtedly happier leading extremely creative work. Before becoming a freelance artist I was an art teacher and worked in restaurants. Which taught me a set of skills that I still use today, so I definitely don’t regret my time in those professions. However, having control over my direction, my hours, business priorities and budgeting has catapulted me into a chapter of my life that I’m not sure I would have achieved while still maintaining a “regular job”. The social aspect has to be what I miss most. In workplaces I could be a bit of a social butterfly and working for yourself tends to get lonely from time to time. I am a team of one, which has plenty of perks but zero chances of blaming a coworker when I inevitably make a mistake. I kid, but in reality freelancing is a very high accountability job. You don’t always have different minds to spitball ideas off of or to help with a problem. Nevertheless, I enjoy the work I do now so much more than any job I had before. Which I try to remind myself of when I don’t have coworkers to go out karaoking with. It’s not the work of a regular job I miss, it’s the people.  Read more>>

Ciena Rae Gomez

I am happy as an artist. Even when I’m going through something tough, I am met with gratitude that I get to experience the full spectrum of emotions with creativity as an outlet. I don’t think it would be sustainable or possible for me to live any other way. If I’m not creating, I can’t help it, I end up getting sad. Like something is missing. I always end up back at the easel or caught up in some vision of a project I want to do. That’s not to say sometimes I don’t wonder what it would be like to have the structure of a regular job in my life. Like many creatives, I face creative blocks and self-doubt. Some of the most talented people I know are the most critical of their work. And I’m like what! This is amazing! Then I get caught up in the same spiral. It’s hilarious at this point to me. Being an artist is about putting yourself out there, and sometimes things fail or don’t go as expected. You have to be able to shake it off, give yourself some love, and keep going. All you need is one yes sometimes. I’ve learned to use any constructive criticism or rejection as fuel to dive deeper into my work. Read more>>

Mary Frances Massey

I can truly say I am happy as an artist, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Growing up in a dance studio, with my mother being a ballerina, meant that I was continuously immersed in the arts. My father, a guitarist, ensured that I listened to wonderful music. The influence of dance and music has been deeply ingrained in me, so it’s no wonder I’ve built a career as a professional singer, dance teacher, and teaching artist. I was thrown a curve ball in 2020 with being diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. My body was giving out on me and saying “enough”. Despite this, I have managed most of my symptoms and, after welcoming my third child in 2022, have been able to stay off medication for PsA. I realized that I needed to start planning for my future: what would happen if I could no longer continue this work? That recent thought was in May of 2024. Currently, I am pursuing courses for a degree in Business Management & Human Resources, with the aim of graduating in Spring 2026. I want to ensure that I am prepared in case I can’t pursue my passion anymore. My hope is to also get a Masters in Non-Profit Management and work for a non-profit within the arts realm. If I can’t teach dance anymore, I hope I’m always able to sing. I would be crushed if I couldn’t sing anymore. Read more>>