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.

Tree Lyiness

In my forties I’m happier as a full time artist then any other job I’ve had. I have worked all types of jobs from nonprofit to for profit desk jobs, cleaning jobs, and model jobs. I even worked with animals because I love them so much. I thought I’d be doing something good for the world, at least, only to find out that everything is corrupt, everyone is greedy, and would use me up to accomplish their mission. I decided if I put effort and energy into myself and what I can do, I would at least be happy! I have also found as I do what I was meant to do, the universe provides for me. Read more>>

Aubrey Hays

In short, I am happy on the day to day. However, I definitely struggle with mental illness. Anxiety, depression, neurodivergence, and cptsd specifically. But these things are the reason I pursue a creative path. I’ve had regular jobs in the past and they sucked all the life out of me. I really think my brain needs lots of different kinds of stimulation. So many female bodied people in my family have succumbed to mental illness and that’s why it’s all the more important for me to figure out the quality of life I need to stay healthy. Read more>>

Brenda Mak

I’m definitely happier as an artist. Being an artist can be pretty tough. It’s a pretty competitive environment depending on which path you choose but there is definitely more helpful resources now for the arts than there used to be. It can be demanding and I think as an artist, there can be a lot of self doubt. I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do for years. During that time when I didn’t/wasn’t able to find an art-related job, I definitely did question whether or not I made the right decision in investing all my time in the arts. Read more>>

Dominique Silva

I can overall say that I am very happy as a creative. It definitely has its ups and down but I am extremely grateful to be on this journey and seeing where it takes me. I do sometimes think about what life would be like with a regular job and the stability that comes with it but I know that my passion for art wouldn’t keep me in that space for too long. Read more>>

Alondra Flores

I’m very happy being an artist! Of course, it’s definitely not easy nor for the faint of heart. However, I know if I were working a regular 9-5 I would NEVER feel fulfilled. Working for yourself has its perks, but getting to “make your own schedule” can sometimes leave you overworked. I personally mess up my schedule from time to time, and end up working days without a day off for a while. It can be exhausting and that’s when I ponder with the idea of, maybe I should get a regular job… Read more>>

Akki Brathwaite

Working as an artist is definitely stressful, but I’ve enjoyed working on my own terms and creating projects for myself far more than working for others in any capacity. I’ve struggled financially for years, and I have picked up gigs, odd-jobs, contract and part-time work etc. to fill the gaps, but I do it to be able to continue my small business. Since moving to Austin about seven years ago, I’ve never worked a full-time job. It wasn’t by choice at first, but I learned that freelancing came with a lot of perks and flexibility, which I didn’t have before. Read more>>

Terry Jasinto

I’m happiest as an artist and an entrepreneur. I love the independence and I feel as though I’m living a more authentic life as an artist. Because the artist/entrepreneur life is one of feast or famine, sometimes you can get tempted to go back to having a regular job. But these days, even a regular job doesn’t provide the security you think you need. I’ve been in the position of having a great corporate job that I felt was safe but that’s never the case. Having said this, if being an artist is a risk, and a great corporate job has it’s risks too, where you you rather be? Read more>>

Coco Morton

I struggle with this constantly! Before working full time, I was freelancing and painting. I loved it because I had so much freedom and flexibility, I could choose my own clients, and it was just fun doing something creative every day. I was able to travel and meet a ton of people through art events. Everything was great until it wasn’t. Read more>>

Anna Le

I was born in Viet Nam and came to the United States when I was 18. Growing up in an Asia culture where most people in high education are the key to success, I have always been taught to study all the time. I spent at least 12 hours every day in high school studying. Our education system only focuses on fields that people believe are more important, such as math, physics, chemistry, or biology. We did not even have art classes in my high school. Art and creative activities were not encouraged to learn or even spend time as a hobby. Read more>>

Elise Garcia

I wanted to start this answer off with “I don’t know if I would consider it ‘happier’”, because I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but then I realized, yes, I am happier. Not happier than anyone else, but happier than my previous self when I was in a job that felt stuck. Ironically, my handsome husband and I have been helping on a project out here in California right now for the last two months and we’ve been in a weird position where we can still work on our own businesses from here when we’re not helping this company, but we have to work around someone else’s time schedule. Read more>>

Maya Billig

I actually just had this thought the other day. For some backstory, my career as a choreographer and dancer took off pretty immediately after graduating college in 2019. There was a a clear momentum and domino effect as I moved up the ladder from smaller works and films to eventually creating my first evening-length show. Even through the pandemic, this momentum continued. Read more>>

Florencia Clement de Grandprey

I never “wonder” what it would be like to have a regular job…because I’ve already had plenty of those and, honestly, wouldn’t go back to them!After my career in aviation, I worked in high-end interior design for nearly 15 years, where I was exposed to rich fabrics, patterns and textures, and other materials which reignited my artistic passion. My choice of becoming a full-time artist came after many years of frustration and a constant feeling of needing to be more creative. Read more>>

Leonardo Bello

Art for me is like breathing, or walking. I didn’t choose to be an artist, I was just born one. Sometimes being a full time artist comes with a lot of financial uncertainty, so I do have a “regular” job making picture frames at The Color House here in Miami. My day job is where I developed my taste and style, and it continues to be very formative and very rewarding, you could say my work was my school, in addition to being surrounded by art, being a framer has opened the art world for me and showed me its inner workings, have met an amazing array of people and get to see trends in real time . My regular job is instrumental in my artistic expression. Read more>>

Anna Cojocari

I’ve had regular jobs in the past; I know what it’s like to do something you don’t love in order to pay the bills. When I was doing that kind of work, I was usually drawing or sketching something during downtime. Nowadays, I never think about having a standard 9-5. I respect all the other jobs and roles in society, and I think I’m doing the one that makes sense for me and my skills. Read more>>