Everyday, somewhere, there is an aspiring artist or creative daydreaming about pursing their creative career full time. Everyday, there are countless creatives thinking about whether to pursue their passion more seriously and so we wanted to hear from folks who’ve made the leap. We asked them to reflect on if they wish they had started sooner or if they feel they would have been better off if they had waited a bit longer.

Holly Wong

In many ways, I started my creative career very early and also very late. I was a creative child and I did earn both a BFA and MFA degree in fine art. However, I went right into a traditional day job afterwards, fearing that I could. not provide for my family without traditional employment. Read more>>

Alex Mor

I think I started the craft of that career at the right time, but starting my career was complicated because all the people born in the 90s are a transitional generation. Read more>>

Julia D’Angelo

I didn’t start seriously pursuing acting, music and film until I had finished college. A very “okay, now what?” moment, if you will. I found myself with no more routine, and no more certainty of what the next few years of my life would be like, so I jumped into things full force and dedicated everything to my creative career. Read more>>

Mary Ann Gilfillan

I am about to turn 64. I took a photography class back in college (back before digital cameras) and absolutely loved it. However after graduation I was expected to get a ‘real job’ that could support me and I did. Read more>>

Jack Amico

I do wish that I had pursued filmmaking sooner but I don’t regret it either. I was a cook in the Navy 2012-2020, when I started film school I was 26 and most of the school were kids right out of high school but at the end of the day were all just people passionate about storytelling. Read more>>

Eric Gazca

I’m very thankful that my art career is happening now. I just turned 40 a few days ago and it feels like the lights finally turned on in my head. Read more>>

Julia Cannon

I sometimes wonder what kind of a musician I would be if I had circumstances that allowed me to get lessons at a young age. Would I have still love it as much if I didn’t have to work as hard for it? Read more>>

Amber Monroe

Absolutely. As a child, I was always drawn to painting, drawing, and even fashion design. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always the same – an artist. Read more>>

Daisy Craddock

I never stopped being an artist when I chose to train as a painting conservator. My professional life was always a balancing act of both passions. Read more>>

Slava Babenkov

I believe that I started my career as an actor or as a writer just at the right moment. I don’t wish my career had started later for sure. Because even in my 37 I think that I won’t have enough time to play, to write, to create, to try everything I can artistically and creatively. Read more>>

Madeline Stadel

I think a lot of people (including myself) spend time waiting to start working towards their goals because they don’t “feel qualified”. What I’ve learned in my time as a full-time musician is that the groundwork of practice, technical skill, and talent does need to be present, but there is no “perfect time” to start. Read more>>

Ronnita Nance

Looking back, I often ponder that question. As a young child, I was always drawn to the world of art, sketching away in my notebooks and losing myself in colors and shapes. Read more>>

Emily Amber

I started writing and playing when I was twelve. It started out as an escape and it was therapeutic for me. I knew that I wanted to do it forever but when it became serious for me at sixteen I don’t think I was ready to look at it like a career. Read more>>