Is there ever a “right” time to start a creative career? Our goal has always been help people pursuing their passion. Helping those people often means helping them think through important decisions such as when to start, when to take the leap. Below, you’ll find our conversations with successful creatives reflecting back on when they had to decide whether to start or wait.

Anna Olejnik

I think that’s a pretty rhetorical question. Don’t we all wish we would have started doing what we love earlier? I have known I wanted to be in a creative industry since I was a sassy and flirtatious little girl. I was utterly in love with being able to bewitch people with my lingering eye contact or my ability to entertain. Never once did I shy away from an opportunity to express myself. Read more>>

Lauren Evans

My parents were adamant that I would not earn money related to acting until I was an adult. They wisely steered me clear of any proclivity to becoming a little diva. However, in their wisdom, they also took my passion for acting seriously and had me in classes and performing for the public from age 8. Although it is taking longer to gain traction professionally as a result, I am grateful that my passion and respect for the craft of acting was and is my foundation instead of it being experienced and perceived as a revenue stream before the craft itself. Read more>>

Anthony Dain

I ask myself this question from time to time. Wondering if I would be further along in my career had I started earlier; I don’t think so. I think I’m right where I belong. My creative path isn’t the same as anyone else, we all learn and grow at our own pace, and I think, for me anyway, I needed to learn to fail at so many other jobs/skills/career paths before I was able to find this one. I think if I started early, I might not have had the love and appreciation for the craft that I have now. Read more>>

Rock Creek Revival

The truth is, all four full-time members of Rock Creek Revival (RCR) have day jobs–we all work hard and play hard. Professions in the band range from mechanic to scientist, We’re all gainfully employed allowing us to pursue our passion for bluegrass. Some in the band have been playing music their entire lives, though none of us found our respective instruments until relatively recently. Do we wish we would have started our creative careers sooner…only if we’d be enjoying ourselves as much as we are now. Read more>>

Fabrizio Bianchi

While I am in a comfortable yet busy position of painting nonstop, I have often wondered if starting my creative career sooner would’ve made a difference. Opportunities beyond the level of experience and success probably would’ve been more pivotal by now, but I have learned a lot in the process of what I have accomplished in the order they actually happened. Read more>>

Alexandra Grace

I started doing art professionally when I was 18 and I’m so glad I did, I’m about to turn 21 and the friends I’ve made and experiences I’ve had being in this profession is unmatched, I love knowing no matter what else I do in life I always have this creative space and community Read more>>

Kye Lynch

I’m the kind of person to live without regrets, but in the long run I do wish I would have focused in a lot sooner. Growing up I was the kid that stayed in during recess to read comics and draw characters. It was around 8th-9th grade that I turned my attention to being an athlete, not knowing I could be great at both. I was still blessed enough to have the creative element around constantly because I attended an arts school. Being there gave me the chance to still learn and develop as an artist, but if I hadn’t put all my attention in one direction, I could very easily be further ahead. Read more>>

Mary Tamura

I’ve learned that everyone’s creative career and journey is different. Of course, I would beat myself up for not starting sooner, or doing one thing over the other, but I realized that every step in the journey, the detours, the rejections, are just chapters in my career. You can always wish that you had a different life or started something sooner or even later, but I’ve realized that there is no going back, you learn from your own mistakes, learn from those who’s done it before or after you, and keep going. Read more>>

Master Mold

Nether, I stared exactly when I was supposed to. Sure, there was a point where I felt maybe if I started sooner, I would be in a much better position but I didn’t have anything substantial to say. My creativity grew while dealing with adversity throughout the last 5 years. Music is therapeutic and distracted from the uncontrollable. In turn, I learned to enjoy and appreciate the journey. Read more>>

Brent Atwood

Absolutely wish I had started way earlier in my music career. Although I did play in several bands in and after high school it was never a priority. I wish I had made it one. I have always loved music and playing/singing. I grew up playing piano and drums but as is the story with a lot of folks, “Life” got in the way. It wasn’t until I worked a part time job at a local music venue that I got the fever again. I watched as band after band played each night and thought to myself, “I used to do this, I can do it again!” Read more>>

Chaehyung Lee

If I get the chance, I want to start my career as soon as possible if given the opportunity. Even now, if I were to call it a career, it could be considered one, but I believe I need to put in more effort to achieve my goals. My ultimate goal is to become a well-known artist and have my own exhibitions that everyone can recognize. Therefore, I sell my artwork step by step to work towards holding exhibitions. Read more>>

Karen Reid

My first answer would be a big Yes, however when I sit back and think about this question I believe I was supposed to start my creative journey later rather than earlier on in my life. I’m a great believer in what is supposed to be will be. Everything I have previously gone through has set me on this path. So no is my final answer lol. I’m happy to be starting this journey now Read more>>

Anthony Church

I always feel I started at the right time fresh out of high school. I think if I had started any sooner, I wouldn’t have been able to build up the discipline needed to stick with it and probably would’ve given up. I also feel if I would’ve continued to put it off and keep waiting that I would have never begun in the first place so to me it all happened when it was supposed to! Read more>>

Nicole Devine

I have been singing since I was four but I REALLY wish I would have started playing guitar when I was younger. There are so many people out there doing amazing things in the music industry that started playing their instruments when they were little kids and they are SO talented now. I wish I would have started as a kid as well. I did not learn how to play guitar until I was in college and I will be the first to admit, I was terrible. Guitar, to me, is a very difficult instrument to learn. It does not come naturally to me. I try my best to make it sound as good as I can. Read more>>

Jasper White

For me personally, I feel I started my career at a good time. Had I started sooner I don’t think I would have had as much as an appreciation for the craft as I do now. On top of that, I am able to put my heart and soul into my work now. Being that I am into my late twenties, the timing couldn’t have been better financially. Read more>>

Adam Matthew Smith

That’s kind of a difficult question to answer! I do wish that what became the SHADOWS graphic novel was published sooner, which is why I’m an advocate of nurturing multiple passions simultaneously, to fully embrace creative expression and the artistic journey. I discovered the magic of storytelling through writing and drawing my own comics at a young age. I found myself lost in a realm of epic adventures for years. But as I became a teen, a new passion began to take hold of my heart: music. Read more>>

Montel Woods

One of the biggest things I wanted to touch on is how I rebranded myself as an artist. I changed my name to Montel Woods, and in the midst of this rebrand, I wish I started my career as an artist a little later. Maturing has helped me grasp who I am better and who I want to be in the creative world. I still have a long way to go but I feel like I’m heading in the right direction now. Read more>>

Zoe Mitchell

I started my career as a musician and later switched to being a screenwriter in the film industry. I don’t regret the path that I’m on and I don’t believe there’s a “sooner or later” when it comes to a career or life path. Things happen, for good or bad, when they happen. To this day, I try to remove the antiquated thinking that I have to be in “this” place when I’m 25 years old or I have to accomplish “this” goal by the time I’m 30. Take things at your own pace and be okay with where you are right now. Read more>>

Casey Nwachukwu

To be honest with you, I started my motivational platform at the right time. I am a firm believer that blessings hit you at the most efficient time, and being on this journey has been nothing short of a blessing. Read more>>

Eastside AlleyB

Yes of course I wish I would of fully pursued my dreams of being an artist in my younger days, but i had to focus on working to pay bills and provide for my immediate family . That’s what led me to being an Entrepreneur. Read more>>

Jaime Canada

As someone who has always enjoyed social media and loved seeing the creativity during the YouTube era and start of Instagram, I wish I would have started much earlier. I think the fear of people I know judging me for posting on social media outside of an occasional life update held me back at first- but I’m so glad I started posting on Instagram and other platforms over the past three years and have created a small community to share my work and experiences with :) Read more>>

Gena Jongsukkijpanich

I personally wish I had started my creative career sooner. Growing up in an Asian family from a third world country, I was taught that art is not something you could pursue as a career despite my interest in it. With that belief in mind, I mostly spent my childhood focusing on school and studying. It wasn’t until around the end of my high school that I started picking my pencil and sketchbook up again, and decided to go to art college. Read more>>

Tiia Quinn

Oh, absolutely! But much of what I do now just wasn’t an option. I have always had a foot in different creative industries, but making it my full-time job didn’t seem like a possibility due to a lot of factors both in my personal life and external things out of my control. Then about five years ago, I kind of unwittingly started the path I’m on now. And the synchronicities showing up delight me. I love that I have been able to pull from my diverse background and experience while maintaining a schedule that works best for my life. Read more>>

CHIANNE

My answer will be a yes AND a big NO! :) When I first realized that I wanted to pursue music professionally; I was already in my late 20ies. (Not a common or expected timeline to initiate a music career, huh?! :) Actually sharing this now feels quite vulnerable as people often think that I am still in my early 20ies… Read more>>

De’Andre Jacob

As a chef I think I started at the perfect time. I started at 19 fresh out of high school. I currently have 12 years experience in the culinary and Food Service Industry. As a music artist I wish I would have started earlier .but I just wasn’t quite confident in my skill set yet. Read more>>

Phill Sikes

I absolutely wish I had started it sooner. When I was in high school, over 20 years ago, I wanted to take woodshop and metal shop classes. But I remember my guidance counselor and others steered me away from those classes and encouraged me to take courses geared toward a 4 year college. I really wish I had taken those industrial arts classes. Read more>>

Christian Sanchez Arce

I feel that it is never too late to start a new creative career or hobby. Starting sooner is better because you have a lot to learn daily from your mistakes. Creativity is a constant learning process. Your passion helps you create new opportunities daily. Read more>>

Shar Moore

I have always been creative since a small child. I would always enjoy the school projects where something needed to be physically made to express a feeling or a creative image of something I’ve learned.⁴. Sometimes my parents were not able to go out and buy materials for my projects so I would find things around the house and and use my creativity to bring g my thoughts to life. Read more>>

Nelson Acerbus

I wish I’ve never walked away from music. When I was a Border Patrol Agent, I didn’t do music for a good 7-8 years. That was precious time to work on my craft. But I really thought that my music career was done and I didn’t wanted to start from zero. I had an on duty accident that made me realize that, I wasn’t doing what I love and dove right back into music and created Semper Acerbus. Read more>>

Natasha Winston Clarke

Sooner definitely, but I wish I took more risks instead of being on and off. It was my circumstantial factors at the time that deterred me from a creative path. One of them being the location of my first college. I didn’t realize how inconvenient the location would be until I started passing up opportunities because of it. Then, my finances weren’t stable enough, so every break, I would come home and look for a job. However, it was difficult because finding a job to hire me when I’ll only be home for 1-2 months before I go back to school was so annoying. Read more>>

Owen Mutiganda

Of course. If it was up to me I would’ve started as soon as I was born. I really didn’t start making art until 4 years ago, and it came about during a not-so-pleasant phase in my life. But such is the trajectory of my life, and I’m grateful I embraced this side of myself when the time did come. It’s kind of funny actually because looking back it all makes sense. I’ve always had a broad imagination, from the toys as a kid to the books, to the fantasies of my early youth, I’m still doing the same thing it’s just being translated through a creative medium (photography, etc.). Read more>>

Lauren Wootton

I wish I had started my creative career sooner than when I initially started. I didn’t start taking my content creation seriously till the end of 2021. One reason why I didn’t start sooner was that I was worried about what others would think of me. Whether it was people from high school, my family, my friends, or even random strangers. What if they think I’m weird or cringe? What if they make fun of me? What if no one supports my journey? I became so hyper-fixated on how others would perceive me to the point where it made me hesitant to start. Read more>>

Jermeshea Nichole

I would have most definitely started my career sooner rather than later! For example, back in 2016 -2018 I was picking up some extra roles gigs in STL and out of town. I came across Tyler’s Perry was looking for extras to be in his movie “Acrimony.” I was given the opportunity to be one of those extras to play as a wedding guest, but I didn’t take action to pursue that opportunity. Read more>>

Shawn Gatlin

When I stop to think about it, after playing music for most of my life, I feel very much like I have wasted a lot of time. So yes, I do often wish I had started a lot sooner with art. Maybe I would have been further along somehow, but there isn’t any point in wishing. The only thing I can do is try to make up time by throwing myself into artwork, if it is helping another artist or my own art. Read more>>

Beth Pietras

Yes I do. For many years I worked in fields that did not allow me to be creative. I worked with numbers or data in general. I never thought I was very creative until I opened this business. I love being able to use the creative side of my mind and I can’t imagine ever doing something different. Read more>>