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.

Nickey Boyd

I started my Culinary Journey alittle late in life. I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in culinary at the age of 29. Before going to culinary school I graduated with a degree in Human Services with an emphasis on counseling and social work. After graduating, I went in a few interviews in the social work field but quickly realized it wasn’t for me. Fast forward I enrolled in culinary school and immediately felt out of place because I was one of the oldest students in the class lol. I didn’t let that stop me and I pushed through and graduated and began interning. One regret I have is not fully pursuing further learning at more high end prestigious restaurants. Read more>>

Heather Prall

If I could go back in time, I do wish I had started my creative career sooner. Looking back, I can see that the desire to create has always been there. I took my first painting class in 6th grade and ended up winning first prize in an art contest. That early experience lit a spark in me, but at the time I was starting college, I was persuaded by the opinions of others not to pursue a creative path. I was told it wasn’t practical — that there weren’t many opportunities and that creative jobs didn’t pay well. So, I listened. Read more>>

Rosie Roy

Oh, I would’ve started wayyyyy sooner, no question about it. My creative journey technically kicked off with dance when I was 11, which in the dance world is already considered fashionably late. By the time I touched down in Los Angeles at 23, I already felt like I was chasing time, trying to catch up in an industry that doesn’t exactly wait for anyone. Read more>>

Dani Orlando

I truly believe everything happens for a reason and in its own time. I grew up in a very scientific family. My mom is a doctor and most of my relatives are engineers, so that path felt natural for me. I was good at numbers and biology, so when I moved to the US from Venezuela, I started studying biomedical engineering on a pre-med track. Read more>>

Amanda Austin

I spent a lot of time enjoying art as a kid but I’m not sure I ever really had the right story about it in my head once I got older; I was focused on academics and never saw myself as “good enough” to pursue art as a career. Once I went down the path of pursuing a couple of different reliable careers, I rediscovered art during the pandemic as an essential part of myself and as a worthwhile activity in and of itself, regardless of money, productivity, or whether people like it. I sometimes think about what might have been if I had pursued an art career and what paths that might have led me down. Read more>>

Nicholas Christian

I was fortunate enough to start being creative musically in my first band when I was 16. So I did start fairly early and had a lot of accomplishments back then. One thing I wish I did though was take it more seriously throughout the years, that goes for my art as well. But, the immaturities and goofing off from project to project has always made for fond memories and I feel like they were all pieces of me that needed to happen. I always question would things would be like had I taken things a little more seriously sooner but hey, things are where they are now and that’s what matters most to me. I’ve been creating more so than ever in recent years and I feel as if those mistakes are all to thank. We live to learn. Read more>>

Nolan Flynn

I often wish I had started sooner. As an artist, writer, teacher, and creative, I’ve worn many hats, but it’s taken time to get here. I began working at 14, detasseling corn for Pioneer in southwest Michigan. From there, I became a cricket farmer in high school, then moved through a long list of roles: receptionist, medical assistant, house painter, ICD technician, and hospital employee. Through all of it, I painted at night—quietly building a practice, nurturing long-term goals, and dreaming of something more. Read more>>

Jazmine Cope

I was introduced to the world of music at around eight years old, then songwriting at ten. Once music became part of my life, it felt as natural as breathing. The question was not whether I loved music, but what I wanted to do with it. The older I got, the more apparent my love for music and songwriting became, so of course I wanted to make it my career. Read more>>

Melissa Michelle Jones

There’s a part of me that wishes I had found my voice earlier — that I had known who I was and had the courage to express it sooner. But I also believe timing is always divine. It’s never too early or too late. The truth is, I needed to live a little. I had to go through the journey — the growing pains, the self-doubt, the character-building seasons — to evolve into the artist I’m still becoming. I was a quiet kid, unsure of how or where I fit. It took time, experience, and a lot of self-love to get here. And while earlier might have given me a head start, the path I took gave me depth. And that’s something I wouldn’t trade. Read more>>

Emily Malyszka & Jasmine Zarrin

Jasmine: I think we started this at exactly the right time where we perfectly overlapped with each other. We had cemented ourselves as really close friends, gotten a better understanding of our dynamics and communication styles by being roommates, and were in a place in our careers to allow some extra silliness and creativity in our downtime. We started this podcast neither too late nor too early, and I really don’t think there’s much we’d change if we could go back in time. Read more>>

Rosalie Gale

After studying theater performance and then deciding that I hated it I moved to Seattle with my college boyfriend (he had a ponytail and a pet tarantula). After reading an article about how 20-somethings were becoming millionaires by working at this new tech company, I decided that’s what I would do. I started temping at Amazon.com around 1999 – before Amazon was Amazon. I most definitely didn’t become a millionaire. I made about ten dollars an hour (which – at the time – I thought was amazing). I DID receive an insane amount of stock options that I later sold when they reach about $13 a share. So again, I didn’t become a millionaire. Also, why would a company issue a temp stock options? Like – has that ever been done ever at all at any time? Read more>>

Christian Pascua

If I could go back in time, I honestly wouldn’t change the timing of when I started my creative career. I began making beats when I was about 22, shortly after graduating from UC Davis in 2021. At the time, I was fresh out of undergrad, trying to figure out what was next. A year later, I decided to return to school to pursue my master’s, balancing academic commitments with my growing passion for music production. Read more>>

Savannah Strand

Sometimes I feel like I am getting too old to pursue music. I know I am competing against younger girls that might be more exciting for people to follow. I do feel old sometimes, not in general but in this industry. I am, however, grateful that I got the chance to experience a lot as a child and teenager before actually pursuing music full time. I think I would have been a completely different person with different experiences if I had started releasing music earlier. My childhood and teenage years are huge inspirations behind my songwriting, and I am grateful I have lived the life I have. Read more>>

Kia Kamellia

I like to think that I don’t live with many regrets in life. I really believe in the philosophy that everything happens for a reason! I actually was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and moved to Louisville, Kentucky around 2012. Naturally as a kid I was always moving around, dancing, singing, wanting to be involved in my mom’s camcorder, having interest in cheer, drama etc,. I have always been passionate about the arts and was inspired by much of the music I listened to growing up through my Mom and Nana, and the sitcoms I watched. I loved how they could tell stories, and create music that would speak to so many people across generations. I knew I wanted to do that. Read more>>

Sarah Beth Terry

I was born famous. I knew it deep down, And for the life of me, I just couldn’t understand why the rest of the world was so ignorant to my obvious charm and destined fame. Read more>>