Do you remember the moment you realized what you wanted to do professionally? Was it magic? Was it scary? We wanted to hear from some of the most talented artists and creatives in the community and so we asked them to tell us the story of the moment when they knew they were going to pursue a creative career path.

Jayden Torrance

Ever since 5th grade, I knew I was meant to be a music artist. Music has always been a part of my life, shaping the way I see the world and express myself. I remember watching artists perform, feeling something deeper than just admiration—something that told me I was going to be one of them someday. It wasn’t just a dream; it was a feeling I couldn’t shake, like it was already written. Every song I listened to, every melody that stuck with me, only fueled that vision. Music wasn’t just something I loved—it was who I was meant to be. Read more>>

Xinge Liu

I am a dreamer, and I’ve been passionate about creativity and art since childhood.

After graduating from Polimoda, the Italian fashion school, I worked in the fashion industry for a while—a period that allowed me to deeply appreciate the power of creativity and aesthetics. However, my inner voice always told me that I wanted to do more and not be confined solely to the world of fashion. Read more>>

Jessica Ping

I grew up in the age of YouTube. Daily vlogs were the main source of my entertainment on any given evening. But as a visibly disabled woman, I never saw myself represented. Throughout high school and college, I made small attempts to be a content creator, uploading occasional cover videos and sunset pictures. At the time, I thought these were monumental masterpieces that deserved all the attention in the world. In hindsight, I’m relieved only a handful of people ever saw these creations. Read more>>

Lori Kirkbride

I was always creative and very in to art from a very young age. I remember drawing a picture of my brother & myself eating popcorn from a bowl when I was in kindergarten. I remember that adults took notice & complimented my skill as a five year old. Drawing, coloring, painting followed me all through school & was often worked on in art classes as well as for fun at home. My mother taught me to crochet when I was about 8yrs old & is still something I enjoy doing & can relate it to my art now. By the time i was in high school I was in the art room for a large portion of my day. I don’t think there is an exact recollection or pivotal moment of choice to pursue art professionally but rather it was so engrained in who I was that I never really questioned my path. Read more>>

Ivona Martincic

I was already trained and working in a creative field – interior design – when I was invited to participate in an interesting project that gradually led me to transition into being an artist. I had already started making wool tapestries and knitted pieces for the home when I was approached by the organizers of a local street art project. They asked if I could create a couple of crochet installations on the walls of buildings in the old town. The idea was to find damaged locations in the city and “repair” them with pieces of knitting, drawing attention to the neglected state of Zagreb’s old town. Read more>>

Clara Burstrom

When I was a child, it felt like I lived in my own world. It always seemed like I experienced the world in a different way than others, in a sensitive and creative way, but also a misunderstood way. This feeling was validated when I received my autism diagnosis. When I was 18 I started painting the colours and visuals I saw in my mind, I wanted to share with others the way I experience the world. It felt like I was taking a piece of my soul and creating a visual representation of that, which gave me a voice where I struggled to communicate. A few years later I realized that I needed to pursue art professionally because it made me feel more empowered and expressive than anything else, and that to share my art with the world was to truly be myself. Read more>>

Narmin Backus

As long as I can remember, I have loved to draw, paint, and create. Most children are very creative, but in time, I think they lose that interest or are not encouraged and stop creating and developing their artistic abilities. My parents have always encouraged me and my siblings to keep creating. My mum was always a creative person, one of my grandmothers was an architect, and some of my cousins and my young sister were talented in various art forms, so I grew up surrounded by artistic thinking and art-appreciating people. My father had introduced and encouraged an appreciation of museums and fine art to my siblings and me. Read more>>

Xinhui Wang

I was born and raised in a small city in China. My dad used to get angry a lot when I was little, he was serious all the time and barely smiles. I remember it was a hot afternoon, I was 6 years old, me and my dad watched a movie together in our living room. I couldn’t understand the story of that movie, but I deeply remember how it made my dad laugh so loud. I looked at my dad and thought…movie is magic that could make my dad laugh. I think that’s how it all started. I fell in love with movies. When I was 17 years old, I decided to go to South Korea to study filmmaking in college. And I came to the U.S. about three years ago. I just graduated from USC as an MFA film production student December 2024. Read more>>

Manases Elias Freile Cepeda

Since I was very young I have always been a movie lover and when I watched disney or nickelodeon, all these shows with teenage casts I loved them and I have always dreamed of one day being part of a very famous cast. Read more>>

Marcus Hamm

As a kid, I was drawn heavily to the world of fantasy, science fiction, and action. These genres resonated with what I found to be the best aspects of living, exploring the imagination. In elementary school, I remember coming to career day wearing a Hulkamania t-shirt, and I wore a Superman costume year around, even having jumped from our 2nd story window onto couch cushions below. Read more>>

Dj Soulful Desire

When I was about 10 years old I developed a big passion for music.In the 6th grade I begin playing the trumpet.By 13 I had learn to play trumpet and trombone.Also during that time at 12 my grandmother bought me a piano , because I had an interest in piano.I begin to teach myself by ear.My parents put my brother and myself in piano lessons for about a year and a half.I learned how to read for piano.At 12 years old my passion was so big for all of these instruments , that I would later begin to write music through songs and poetry.One of my biggest inspirations was my home church family Ambassadors Cathedral and my mother. My home church allowed me to play trombone for the youth choir for a few years. Read more>>

Tiffany Erickson

I’ve always loved art and all the supplies that come with it, but for a long time, I felt intimidated by the belief that I wasn’t “good enough” to actually pursue it. Art classes in school were challenging for me because creativity is so personal, and being graded on it can feel stifling. It’s scary to put a piece of yourself out into the world, especially in an environment where comparison is inevitable. If you’re not the “best” artist in the class, it’s easy to doubt your abilities. On top of that, I come from a line of artists, which created this internal struggle—I questioned whether I could ever live up to their talent. Like many people, I was really terrified of calling myself an “artist”. Read more>>

Zbg

It was when I was 11 years old I’m not even gonna lie, there was a school trip I went on and during that trip we had this notebook and my class got asked to write down what we wanted to do when we were older and that was when I wrote down that I wanted to be a youtuber because I grew up watching youtubers like deji, KSI, coryxkenshin, rdcworld, clifford owusu, cobanermani456 and many more creators and it made me want to actually create videos as well (this was when I had my first youtube channel) it was only when I was 14 and people used to message me saying how much they enjoyed my videos, mind you these were strangers I didn’t know that genuinely liked my content, not people I knew prior, that was when I decided to take it seriously because when I first started, I only did it for fun. Read more>>

Daynell Marbury

The moment I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was deeply personal and life-changing. It all started with the unexpected loss of my best friend, Jamila Chantille. Grief was overwhelming, and I needed something to help me process it. That’s when I discovered resin art.

At first, I was just experimenting—creating ashtrays, home décor pieces, and customized keychains. It was a creative escape, something that gave me a sense of control during a time when everything felt uncertain. As I kept creating, I found joy in making personalized pieces for others, seeing how small, customized keepsakes could bring happiness to people’s lives. Read more>>

Don Soledad

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was exposed to many arts, cultures, beautiful scenery, and positive energy all around me. I was lucky enough to grow up in such a diverse part of the country. I think this gave me the ability to think outside the box about doing something I really enjoyed and that I had true passion for. I also grew up in a musical family, with almost everyone from my grandparents, mother, father, uncles, and siblings playing instruments, be it piano, guitar, or just singing at family gatherings. Music has always been a big part of my life. The earliest memories I have had guitars imbedded in them, but the first time I actually knew when I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally was when I was in college and dove into flamenco guitar. Read more>>

Amari Kijana

Wow , I can recall it like it was yesterday ; I was four years old when I started realizing I had a gift for music. My mom would be directing the choir and then I’d start directing the choir from the pew with my ink pens while imitating playing the drums.

There were times the choir would get off key because they were more focused on my little self directing and actually following along. I am truly a church kid ; born and raised. I sang my first solo when I was 6 years old in Washington Tabernacle’s children’s choir. The song was called “ The Caterpillar Song “ and to this day it remains such a special song in my heart. Read more>>

Dirk Kroll

I have always been an “ atypical” learner. I loved reading, film, music and the arts but was not a great student in school due in most part to unidentified dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. I attended Wayne State University in Detroit with a focus in history but did not graduate. I had an opportunity to learn the art of plaster restoration and repair from some Sicilian artisons and I took to it; I was in my twenties and I found satisfaction in a skilled trade that was both artistic, challenging and rewarding. It’s a traditional craft that is not practiced by many, it has a cultural significance, perhaps a percieved value, and I see it as a dying art, unfortunately. Read more>>

Harry Baines

It actually started back in high school when I was 15 I did my first beach photo shoot which led me to pursuing the Modeling industry, I was told that I’m extremely photogenic by many photographers so I decided to go for it. Read more>>

Kenzie Isaacs

For as long as I can remember I’ve always had an itch for art, I think I first new I wanted to do art professionally when my mother got me my first paint set, it was used and very vintage, along with a vintage painting shirt. I fell in love instantly and haven’t stopped sense! Read more>>

A

My path as an artist started when I was very young. Like most of us growing up, drawing and coloring were a huge part of my life at that stage in life. My parents caught on pretty quick that I was a little more advanced in drawing than most kids my age and encouraged it as much as they knew how to. From that point through grade school I excelled in art, even having a painting of mine selected to be shown in the The American Museum of Natural History. From that point going forward, being a full time artist was always a dream of mine. Originally I really wanted to be a cartoonist or comic book illustrator, which still shows in my work today with my use of vibrant colors and subject matter of my paintings, usually nostalgic inspired from things like movies, cartoons, comic books etc. Read more>>

Tim Pirveysian

The pull towards the creative side of things came a couple years after graduating college. In my time as an undergrad, my entire focus was performing well in my studies and receiving my bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After a few pit-stops at various jobs in the field as well as a couple stops in real estate marketing, my soul was craving to pursue something creative and artsy, to be my own boss and show the world what I thought I could give. I wanted to live in the shoes of someone who was attacking their artistic dream full force. I felt like I needed to express my capabilities and attention to artistic detail best through music production and DJing, specifically because I have always had an affinity for dance music and with uniting people together, to achieve the goal of having the audience and I become one while on stage. Read more>>

Ismael Teron

When I was nine years old, living in my hometown of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, my school took us on a field trip to the oldest television station on the island, Capital San Juan, Telemundo. We got to see a live production of one of the most popular shows at the time. While everyone enjoyed the show, my mind was racing with excitement as I watched how it all came together—the cameras, the lights, and all the people it took to create a TV production. That was the moment I realized this was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Read more>>

Keeyong Hong

I had many opportunities to perform in church during Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I was really interested in it. When I was in 5th grade, I participated in a musical performance, playing a small role in a story about Joseph. I learned to dance and sing with my friends, and looking back, it made me very happy. Read more>>

Mo Hernandez

I’ve known I’ve wanted to pursue a creative path since I was a child. Growing up in a family of artists, I naturally gravitated towards art and creativity.

I have a vivid memory of sitting in elementary school art class comparing my drawings to the rest of the classroom. I was confused why no one understood the assignment (lol) I was also a hustler taking cartoon art commissions for a quarter. People were paying for my art since the early days. Read more>>

Scott Goldberg

I’ve always had an affinity for sound for as long as I can remember. When I was 12 I got a bass guitar, and met my best friend Dennis in middle school who was a drummer. I had no way of knowing the things I would have to go through to get there, but the moment we began jamming together and connecting musically was the first time I truly knew it was always going to be something I aspired to. Read more>>

Orlando Rosario

In middle school, my sister had a friend named ATM who was a DJ. He was really good, but he kept cutting the music to talk, which drove me nuts. I remember thinking, “I can do better than that.” That thought really stuck with me and got me interested in DJing. Read more>>

Dj Prime

At the age of 11, I had the opportunity to observe my five cousins, who resided in Harlem, New York, as they engaged in DJing. During weekends, I would visit them and spend hours watching them skillfully mix records. I was utterly fascinated, unable to fully comprehend the intricacies of their craft. My admiration intensified when I saw the legendary Jam Master Jay on MTV; it was at that moment I realized my aspiration to become a DJ. I requested my mother to purchase turntables for me, specifically the iconic Technics 1200, which are still celebrated today. Once I acquired them, I became deeply involved in performing at parties in schools and clubs. Read more>>

Amore’ Dear

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was when I picked up the viola. Playing for over ten years wasn’t just about mastering an instrument—it was my introduction to the world of storytelling through sound. The rich tones of Soul, Blues, and R&B inspired me, and I discovered how music could evoke emotions and connect people. Read more>>

Nachara Nyree

I remember being around 8 or 9 in Michigan and watching my favorite artist perform on b.e.t like Beyoncé and Chris Brown and Ciara and being like oh my gosh that’s what i wanna do .The music was so good back then and people were so creative with how they dressed and expressed themselves. Read more>>

Eva Chau

Ever since I can remember I’ve been a creative person, either it was by drawing or painting, doings arts and crafts as a kid, even creating stories with my dolls when I played as a child, or when I’d write short-stories as I grew up. My two favourite subjects in school growing up were Art and English, so whenever I had to decide what to do I always went to the art side; I studied Art in highschool and got a BA in Art and Design. Read more>>

Alejandro Taveras

First of all, I come from a very musical family (on my mother’s and father’s side). Coming from a family of musicians brings a lot of expectations. On the one hand, it’s natural, as you’re not the first one to get into this discipline, and the family is adapted to this lifestyle, which is reflected in your exterior and those around you. On the other hand, it’s a responsibility to continue a legacy that is passed down from generation to generation, becoming stronger and stronger, and indirectly, you feel the responsibility to increase the reputation. Read more>>

Deniro Dooley

When I was 7 years of age, I would watch my older cousins freestyle. I felt chills every time. I wanted to do it so I practiced.. In college I wanted to write music and record more than I wanted to study and go to class. I released a song “She Packin” went viral in my hometown Tampa Florida.. I received calls asking how much to perform “She Packin” I was in Tallahassee at FAMU. I knew music was for me. I felt like a star. Read more>>

Renee Little

Art has always been important to me, and I even held smaller art shows at local coffee shops and dive bars. I never made enough money, so I worked a plethora of odd side jobs, including positions in galleries and delivering pizza, to keep myself afloat. Thankfully, my passion for painting and the desire to create were always present. My first real job was at the local newspaper in St. Petersburg, FL, as a type cutter (which is exactly what it sounds like). I cut the type quickly and in a specific way before handing it off to the designers. I loved the job so much that I quickly earned a position in page management, building the pages by hand. I used X-Acto blades, scissors, and special tapes on drafting tables every day; it truly felt like art school. Read more>>

Lawrence Steven

I think I’ve always known that I wanted to do this, even when I’d seek other paths or dim my light for the sake of pleasing…I guess society or whoever, I still always knew. I won’t go too in depth, at least not just yet, but I will tell the story of how I finalized the decision to pursue this life of an artist, or I guess the story of how it chose to pursue me. Read more>>

Yongyan Chen

If I were to trace the origins of my creative impulse, it might stem from an instinct so primal that it defies definition. As a student, my weekends were spent in the darkened embrace of a nearby movie theater, completely immersed in the interplay of light and shadow. When the end credits began to roll and the overhead lights suddenly flickered on, I would find myself frozen in my seat—my palms still damp with condensation from an ice-cold Coke, the lingering chill of the air conditioning brushing against the back of my neck, yet my chest burning as if a molten ember had been placed inside it. At the time, I didn’t understand that this was a form of withdrawal—an abrupt severance from fiction, yanking me back into reality. Read more>>

Pegah Saebi

I think, for me, it started when I was a kid. Growing up in a family surrounded by poetry and literature naturally made me pay attention to the little things, the way words and images could tell a story or evoke a feeling. I think pursuing a creative path isn’t something that happens overnight; it’s more of a slow realization over time. You explore different interests, try new things, and eventually, you notice what you keep coming back to — the thing you never get tired of, the thing that feels right even when it’s challenging. Read more>>

Megan Minutillo Weiner

When I was six, my parents took me to see The Secret Garden on Broadway. I remember wearing a little blue dress and being quite excited that they were taking me out for a special event and leaving my little brother with our grandparents. When they talk about it now, my parents say that they were a little worried about bringing such a young kid to a show, but when the lights dimmed, the curtain went up, and the orchestra played the first note, I sat there, transfixed. From that moment forward, I always knew I’d work in the entertainment and theatre industry, at least in some capacity. Read more>>

Laura Li

I drew, danced, held my grandmother’s stitching needles, and captured moments with my family’s point-and-shoot camera. Art became my primary language—my way of speaking with others and with myself. It was where I could shape my voice without interruption, without the weight of struggling to form a syllable aloud. Art was a sanctuary, a world I could build at my own pace. Read more>>

Pj Rwechungura

For as long as I remember. There was sprinkles throughout my life where I had an itch for a creative/artistic profession. When I was younger I went through phases after phases, hyper fixations after another., all related to unorthodox jobs & creative outlets. I auditioned for Disney channel after hearing an ad on the radio about it on Q102 back when I was in elementary school. After that in middle school I got my first laptop and discovered games like Minecraft & League of Legends, investing myself in the world of twitch streamers and youtubers. It was always my goal from the start to try and be someone on the internet. Editing and filming videos is something that is not new to me and has been with me for as long as I can remember. Read more>>

Ndubuisi Emmanuel

My pursuit in the creative industry started professionally during my senior secondary school days. It happened that i and a friend of mine were the only ones who had a strong passion for the arts and had to be the only ones who wrote visual and creative Arts in WAEC ( west African examination council) out of over 1000 students. For me I will say that was the starting point looking at the challenges and the obstacles that I was faced with and was still able to drive through it for me was a great starting point in my artistic journey. Read more>>

Olalekan Ajalaagbo

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally over 15 years ago. During high school, I would be called for various gigs (especially weddings) to play the keyboard with the local African band. Sometimes, I would have an exam, but instead of studying on the weekends, I would be gigging from Friday to Sunday night. Even though my parents were not fully in support of the “distraction” of gigging while in school, I will still find a way to get good grades. After High school, the gigs and opportunities even doubled; I would be getting calls from local musicians regarding booking me to play the piano with their band for shows. During this time, I found it hard to balance college with gigging, as these gigs would sometimes require traveling out of the state. Read more>>

Rebecca Latham

I remember being a kid at my grandmothers house, and they were apart of square dancing group and were having a halloween party and my grandmother had bought all this stuff to make what we call now a Charcuterie Board. She had me put it all together and everyone at the party kept complimenting how beautiful it was! Fast forward 12 years to my first gig in the event/wedding catering industry -putting together massive charcuterie grazing boards. Hours of prep, hours of putting it together, hours of shopping for it and trying new foods and new ideas. I was hooked. It’s now one of the most popular items we put together. Read more>>

Negin Poure

From a young age, my love for acting and, more specifically, for film, was undeniable. I was a reclusive child who found joy in just two things: movies and playtime. My imagination ran wild, and it was like it never took a break-a 24hr service for me, by me. I would lose myself in these imagined worlds for hours on end, almost becoming a permanent resident in my own mind.
I loved crafting stories, developing characters, and creating entire scenarios where I could live out different lives. Whether I was a scientist, a physician, or a warrior, it all felt more real to me than the world around me. Read more>>

Hanna Jennings

When I realized art was a way of life, it felt like the right path to an authentic life. Being creative is a part of us, you have the option to create yourself, or follow behind another artist. The life comes from allowing yourself to be the artist. Learning to not get so hard on yourself, to be patient, and to be kind are great skills I’ve developed while pursuing my art. It’s made me a better person, so obviously, that’s a way of life I would want for myself, as well as others. When my art brought me internal happiness, peace, and it spread to others, I knew I would like to keep sharing love with the world around me. It’s built up self esteem and taught me the value of vulnerability with one another as well. Especially in today’s world, cherishing one another’s art is so important. Working to really listen and understand. Read more>>

Amanda Sawyer

As a child I was always known as the art kid. If a group project needed an art portion, it was the only time I was not picked last. I was fine with that. I found comfort in drawing and in painting. As the years went by it became not only a hobby but part of my personality. I would take my sketch book and pencils where ever I went. In high school I started trading my art for comic books and by the end of my time in high school I was selling my art and getting commissioned for projects. I began trying to find out how I could take my passion and turn it into a career but ended up enlisting into the navy instead. During my time in boot camp I painted my divisions flag. Painting the flag that represented my division is still to this day one of the most meaningful projects I’ve completed. Read more>>

Casey Walton

The moment I realized I wanted to pursue photography professionally was when I had my daughter’s newborn photos taken. As someone who’s always been creative and artsy, I remember searching for a photographer who could understand my vision—someone who could bring my ideas to life. Watching the photographer pose my tiny baby, capturing the delicate details like her tiny fingers and toes, while also bringing my vision to reality, was an incredibly fulfilling experience. It sparked a small desire to learn photography myself. Read more>>

Bridget Weiser

I think the first time I was certain that I wanted to pursue a path as a painter was at my first art show. I was so grateful that I had a chance to share my work with other artists and it came naturally for me to take myself seriously from that point on. There aren’t any guidelines when it comes to becoming a professional artist — art is all about freedom. I knew I had to feel it in my heart and learn to share myself with others. I want my life to make me more loving, more kind, more resilient, more generous, instead of the opposite. My paintings always have something to do with my life and how I deal with it. I couldn’t envision myself doing anything else— I didn’t want to. Art must be truthful—that’s its moral aspect. Read more>>

Maddie Kimber

When I was a kid, the first career I humored exploring was being a vet. In retrospect, I think I would make a terrible vet, but the idea of being around animals all day every day was thrilling to me because I’ve always loved animals. Ask my mom, every week I wanted a new pet. Read more>>

Grant Lyon

When I was growing up, I was always quick with a quote from The Simpsons, Monty Python, or Saturday Night Live. I wanted to make people laugh, but I did it using other people’s words. I got to college and fell in love with the standup comedian Mitch Hedberg. I memorized his first album and his quotes replaced the other sources as my go-to place to pilfer laughs. I played soccer at my university, UC Santa Cruz, and we were on a pre-season soccer trip to Costa Rica. The last night on the trip, riding back on the bus feeling good from winning a game, my friends and teammates got on the mic and started telling street jokes. Read more>>