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.

Callie Lacinski

Gosh, I have thought about having a “regular” job more times than I can count… I even tried it for a little bit. It was about 2 years back and my mindset was so toxic in the dance studio. I was taking feedback personally and constantly telling myself that what I was doing was never going to be good enough. I would cry after just about every class I took and thought, “well, if this is not bringing me joy anymore, then why am I doing it?” I decided to take a break from dance, work on my mental state, and ease my way back in. Read more>>

Meghann Henry

I love my career as a creative leader. Creating opportunities for artists to have sustainable jobs in the performing and visual arts is what drives me everyday, that coupled with our impact on our youngest community members. However, the pressure of fundraising and the volatility of where the next trend will go in schools and grants makes me often curious about the other ways I could apply my creative leadership skills. Read more>>

Bianca Waechter

Why I left New York and what the Artist’s Life means to me The creative life is a life of many Ups and Downs. I thought about changing professions many times. But I keep discovering that I am not much good at anything else. I lack the passion. It would be naïve to say that only the creative fields require a lot of stamina. Every field does. And without passion I would not have the stamina that it takes. So, Acting it is. Read more>>

Sophia Elliott

I genuinely love being a ghost tour guide here in downtown Savannah. Although it can be difficult at times, being a tour guide has really helped me grow personally as well as professionally. It has helped me overcome my stage fright, taught me how to be a better public speaker and helped me to become a more confident individual altogether. I truly enjoy bringing smiles to peoples faces when I tell them all the crazy stories Savannah has to offer and even learning new stories myself! Read more>>

Gustavo Montero

We have our small family business, we have clients in some cities in Utah and we are dedicated to cleaning companies, offices, clubhouse, condominiums, etc. But my biggest passion is music, I spend a lot of my time doing this. I am always learning more about that world of possibility that music offers us and my dream would be to dedicate myself 24/7 to art. Read more>>

The International Reem Supreme Show

Kareem Shon: When I’m being creative, I’m in my happy place. I believe that I’m exercising my God given talent with complete focus. With technology we can explore and push limits. The best part is, if it doesn’t work, I can always start fresh and go in a different direction. My last regular job gave me some creative control, but not where or when it really mattered. I felt like my hands were tied and I was just part of the process and not part of the creation of my client’s advertising campaigns. Read more>>

Stephanie Gerding

To put it simply, I am definitely happier as an artist and creative. I grew up performing and partaking in many creative activities, so for me to imagine a career that doesn’t tie into those things is not desirable. I work as a set PA and stunt performer, and it’s definitely a fun time. However, it’s hard to work as a creative because there is very little consistency. Things are constantly changing and every day is completely different. It’s thrilling and I love it, but it’s tiring and hard to schedule life outside of work. Read more>>

Thomas O’Brien

Ever since I was young I always knew that being a musician was a high paying job. Watching Woodstock on MTV I recognized that the world of the music industry could lead to the exulted position of performance artist. I’ve had a hobby of music making since I was about 16 when I started my first scene band in Norfolk, MA. It was epic, and rocky. And because I had seen other bands selling march at local shows – I knew it could be lucrative. I had many odd jobs growing up, from soccer referee to working at a local target with a bandmate. Read more>>

Sophia Parr

In 2021 I chose to open up an art gallery in a large seasonal tourism community while pursuing my own artwork and growing as an artist full-time. I was so excited, I felt like after years of trying different things and bouncing from job to job I was finally going down a path that was going to be extremely fulfilling. And it was, for a while. Being a creative and making a full-time living for yourself is something any young creative kid might dream about, myself included. However, merging your own artistic endeavors and desires with running a business comes with challenges and setbacks that you aren’t necessarily prepared for. Read more>>

Vinny Mac

I’ve learned that madness comes with the gig. When you’re truly invested and passionate with a vision, it’s almost not real until you’ve sworn to quit right before you continue. I’ve said in a song, “in my head I’ve quit like a 1,000x” and it’s true. Pursuing what’s in your heart, what makes you feel alive is not for the weak. So yes, I am “happier” as an artist/creative, definitely more fulfilled. Read more>>

Jake Burns

I am happy as an artist, most of the time. The thought of what it would be like if I wasn’t pursuing this path crosses my mind almost everyday as I think it does for a lot of up and coming artists. It’s not an easy thing to do. Not only do you have to navigate the struggles of being a small business owner but you are constantly sharing some of the most vulnerable pieces of your being in the hopes that people can relate to it. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t and when they don’t that can have a huge impact on your creative thought process. Read more>>

Maggie Jackman

Making it work as a full time artist can be very taxing at times. There are definitely days that I envy my friends and family who work ‘regular jobs’ and then get to turn off and relax at the end of the day, or on weekends. When you’re running your own creative business- or any type of business, you pretty much have to use every minute of the day to get things done. Even the weekends are usually filled with markets and art fairs. Read more>>

Tara Booth

I think about what it would be like to have a 9-5 almost daily. I’m a ceramics and sculpture professor at a small, women’s college, so all of my work is crammed into 8 months of the year. This can be really exhausting, especially because being on an academic schedule is limiting at times. But, on the flip side, research is part of my job. Being in my studio, making work, and showing my work is expected of me. Read more>>

Brandon Trammel

I love that I have found a way to make a living as a creative. It has been a tough road. It comes with a lot of hustle, being okay to expose yourself and a lot of confidence in your capabilities. I love the process of it all. From following bands, reading up on their influences and album concepts to finding inspiration for my own creative process music has always been a major part of my life. I always thought the collaboration between musician and visual artists lent itself to a powerful form of expression. Read more>>

Melanie Reese

Without a doubt, YES! I am much happier as an artist then I ever was working a 9 to 5. And I always knew I would be. I never have to wonder because I know exactly what it would be like. For 3 years after grad school I worked as a full-time Executive Assistant on wall street. The job was a sharp left turn from how I spent the previous 2 years getting my MFA at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). I had just graduated, and I felt completely lost; terrified about how much time and money I had spent on a degree that guaranteed me nothing other than bolstering my creative thought. So, I turned away from the artist life. I told myself I had to suck it up for a few years and work the dreaded 9-5, cubicle job I knew I’d… struggle to be happy with. Read more>>

KC Sips

Great question! Overall yes, I am happier as a creative, but I do still have a regular job. Thankfully, my job encourages me to follow what I am passionate about, so I have more than enough time to focus on my creative endeavors. There was a point where all I had was a regular job, and I was not happy. I woke up, went to work, came home and did it all over again the next day. This created the need for a creative outlet in my life. Read more>>

Ashton Chase

I really am. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, of course. It can be hard to create when you’re on a deadline and aren’t feeling inspired or excited. However, I know from the years I tried to fit inside of normal job settings, that I wouldn’t be happy in the 9-5 mould again. Every job I ever had I fell out of love with and burned out on. I thought I was a bad worker, but now I realize I just wasn’t getting to be creative and that I needed to be my own boss. The decision to work towards self employment as a creative, like many others, came during Covid in 2020. Read more>>

Katherine Peters

I’m MUCH happier working on creative projects than at a “regular job”. I’ve been able to focus full-time on my jewelry since I got laid off from my most recent “regular job” two years ago. I had been working on Handscapes Jewelry part-time for five years before this happened, and although of course there are benefits to working for someone (and with other people!), it definitely cut into the time and energy that I had to spend on my own work. Read more>>

Donna Krause

Being an artist brings me so much joy and sharing that with others is even better. I have always second guessed my talents and thought maybe I should just “go back to work” and “earn a real wage”. I still have those moments but they are truly not for me. I have such a passion for creating and making. I love the process and sharing the process with others even more. I know I may not be the “best” out there but I know I do my best EVERY TIME. I pour so much love and passion into every knot and every design, that it makes what I do very personal. Read more>>

Drew Mantia

I’m satisfied with the creative life, but I’m not always happy with it. Happiness is short-term, satisfaction is long-term. Happiness is felt in moments when you get a reprieve from adversity. As soon as you’re in a new difficult situation, you’re not happy again until that’s solved. Satisfaction is enjoying happiness when it comes while expecting adversity and being confident the adversity you face is worth the stronger person and artist you become in its aftermath. Read more>>

April Borchelt

In my youth, I was asked the question on multiple occasions, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” From elementary school through high school, I was between being a veterinarian or an artist. I am lucky in the fact that my parents were encouraging either way so the decision fell to me. In the end, I chose artist because I felt like I had a gift for it, and it came naturally. My thought stream for careers in the arts didn’t start till after high school when I found an interest in animation. Read more>>

Jaslyn Harris

I battled with this question for quite sometime, and if you asked me this back in 2019, I would have answered no. After earning my degree in Modern dance, I suffered from post grad depression for almost two years. All throughout high school and college, I was determined to be a successful performer; I mean, you couldn’t tell me that I wouldn’t end up on tour after school; that’s all I dreamt about and it’s all I felt that I’ve been working towards. Read more>>

Scott Dorsey

I think of getting a day job all the time. As an artist you are the accountant, marketing, business manager, social media. You wear all the hats. It gets over whelming. So, you can be tired out from all the other stuff which make it hard to be creative and do what you really want to do. When business deals or print sales don’t go the way you except you start to wonder. Things start adding up and you get to the point where you are like F it, it would be easier to clock in do your job and clock out. Read more>>

DL Scott

If I had to choose, I would have to say my happiness would lie in being a creative. Creativity has a much broader spectrum where I’m not bound to a particular lane. Although there is potential for happiness as an artist, there is a feeling of completeness in creativity. I struggled along my journey of discovery in finding my voice and my brand. I possessed so many talents but I couldn’t decide the best lane to take. I could solely write, but I would miss the stage. Read more>>

Kiara Jones

I am happier as an artist. Being able to use my gift of creativity is really fulfilling and I think about it daily. When I’m working for a pharmaceutical company or had some internship at some government job, I often daydreamed on the job about touring, being interviewed on jimmy fallon, or learning new choreography for a music video. That’s how I know that this is my calling and my passion because I constantly think about it and pray every night that I can make music my full time thing. Read more>>

Taylor Ri’chard

I began my journey in the workforce in corporate America. For a long-while I really gave myself all the room to really make that world stick, but eventually my creative nature won. And to answer your question, no I don’t ever think about a “regular” job. Honestly speaking my life as a creative isn’t “happy” days every day. There are days I could bang my head into the cement, (joking) but then a really amazing day will happen and I am so thankful that I get to do what I do each day. I think the hardest time for me was trying to get my film out during 2020’s COVID experience. Read more>>

Wendy Digel

I am happy as an artist. Having my own faux finishing business allows my creativity to continue to grow. For me it is far more rewarding in many ways than a regular job could be. For one, I do enjoy the physicality of the job. Everything from mixing five-gallon buckets of plaster to spending the day working on a ladder or sitting on the floor working on a kitchen island. I am grateful to be in good physical condition so that I can do the work on a daily basis. Have I pushed myself too far on occasion and had injury? Yes, I have. Read more>>

Kizra Deon

Being a Creative/Artist is the best thing for me since sliced bread, I love what I do everyday and there is no other career or job in the world that can replace this or tempt me to switch it out. However, I have to remix this answer for this question because I do have a 9-5 job and I juggle them both daily, but when you are doing something you love and something you know you were born to do, its not work! My 9-5 job is just a means to fund my dream and there is a method to my madness. Read more>>

Kayla Romero-Mireles

I am so happy to be fully invested in my artistry. I love it because I get to express myself while also being able to take care of my daughter at home. I struggle with regular jobs because I have so many medical conditions. I was born with Chiari Malformation, autism and fibromyalgia to name a few. These different struggles come through with widespread body pain, numbness in my hands and feet and have a hard time understanding things intellectually. Read more>>

Becca Hovey

I think it’s incredibly common for artists to fantasize about a stable income and benefits. I am no exception to this. During these times when inflation is skyrocketing and the news keeps reporting on a “looming recession,” it can be scary to rely on consumer spending for an income. While it is challenging I am still happy to be charging forth in this endeavor. Creating visual art is incredibly fulfilling to me and making it my profession means I get to prioritize making art in my everyday life. Read more>>

Chanté White

I am very thrilled to identify myself as a creator. Creating allows me to dive into great spaces and execute the things that were once only living in my mind. Being able to make a living just by creating is a milestone, a blessing and a goal many of us have. However, when you are a creative who still has a regular 9-5 job, it can be challenging. It’s challenging because sometimes that 9-5 job does not reflect the things and the way you want to create, it is simply a paycheck to help pour into your creative dreams. Read more>>

YB Papa

When you become a creative, you quit your 9-5 to work 24/7. I’m happier being a creative, because I can show you my emotions in art form. When I was working my 9-5 job I was thinking about my dreams I wasn’t really focused at work.. I was based salary making $75-80k at the age of 24. That’s tough to leave, but I told myself if they offering me those type of numbers then why not invest in me ?. You will tough days you will cry, but you have to keep fighting.. success isn’t made overnight! Read more>>

Isabela Puga

Am I happy as an artist? Of course! But I am only 25 years old and still have a lot of paths to walk before I can fulfill my goals as an artist and be happier with my career (it just got started!). I am really lucky my family have always supported me, and besides some “teenager summer job” I never had to work in something that had nothing to do with creativity or art, so I don’t really think about what my life would be outside the art world or if I just had a regular job, I guess I would be unhappy, I would still have a need to create, right? Read more>>

Sarina Bigney

I have never been happier! I came from having a “regular job” before owning this business, so I do often look back at that time just to see how far I have come, and how different my life is. I will say, owning your own business and especially one with no other employees, can sometimes get lonely without anyone to chat with during the mundane day to day things. Read more>>

Kym Solitaire

I have been a creative artist my entire life. I am surrounded by artists in my family and never knew what life is like without art. I began playing the flute at the age of ten and received a college scholarship to attend a university to study becoming classical musician. As an adult I continued to play music in local community bands (Sunshine City Band) which played every Sunday at Williams Park, and a community symphony that rehearsed weekly at a nearby church. Being an artist means being open to life and letting things unfold, watching, taking it in, and making something creative and beautiful from that experience. Read more>>