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.

Brian Guilliaux

I can recall the time/period in my life when it became crystal clear that I intended to devote my life to the Arts. I was a student (Classical and Contemporary Dance) at the Performing and Visual Arts High School in Dallas Texas and it was there that I was given the exposure and opportunities to perform with the Opera as well as many other established professional Arts groups. Being fortunate enough to attend such an amazing school opened my eyes to countless possibilities in the Arts. Read more>>

Joshua Leonard

I first knew that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally around kindergarten. My older brother, Jason Leonard used to show me how to draw little designs and stuff when I was young, and one day he showed me how to draw Garfield. I was drawing Garfield at a young age, and from that moment on, I knew I would do it for the rest of my life. As I got older, I began to play and excel in sports, specifically baseball at the time, but I never stopped drawing. Read more>>

Ray Vaughn

I’ve know my desire to be an artist when I was a child singing in church! One vivid experience that I remember is when I was in college. I accepted a full vocal music scholarship to Mississippi Valley State University. When it came time to my junior year, I was exhausted from the thought of music theory. I had a desire to perform and that’s when it began. Read more>>

Hero

When I was in middle school, I used to know how to sing a bit. I remember during lunch period telling girls if y’all would like to hear me sing come check me out. When I sung to them, they liked what they heard and I liked the feeling. From there I knew I would definitely be a performer. But while transitioning to high school and puberty hit, my voice begin to change and get deeper. I didn’t know how to control my vocals anymore, so I said to myself “F**k it” I’ma be rapper from there I begin to evolve. Read more>>

JD Williams

At a very early age, I would say like maybe 5 years old, I’ve always wanted to entertain everyone! Whether it was through music, comedy, creating ideas and songs for my cousins and I to perform during the holidays or just random. So around my teenage years it became serious for me! Once I reached my early 20s, I decided to step out and do it! Read more>>

Joseph Belloo

I was a child smuggled into a country I didn’t know, understand, or get a grasp for yet. My life as a child was a mess even though I remember everything from 3 years old and upward. So I guess to help my nerves and curriculums as a Pre-K student was to be put into a piano class in Kramer Elementary public school (Dallas, Texas.). Read more>>

Jaelen Lopez

when I was 15, I came out with my first song. God it was terrible! But to everyone else it was the best song ever. I’ve been singing since I could talk, it just always was something I loved and eventually the older I got, the more that it became who I was. What I was known for, what I was good at. I decided from my sophomore year In high school that I wanted to pursue music. The amount of love and good feedback I’ve received since then has always pushed me to keep going. I genuinely write my songs about my life experiences, and to me it’s my own private therapy. I get to relive the feelings I put into my song every time I perform. I can’t see myself doing anything else. Read more>>

Debra Murrow

I was in my late 20ś and someone said I could have fun with my natural talents and God given abilities. It was game on, I had been working in different corporate jobs and was at a transition stage. I was either going to take another corporate job and do training, or start my own business. I initially was going into voice over work; but after taking some time out and reading for 3 year I received a revelation of the power of words. I found this amazing pen brush and all the art work I created came out ¨words & phrases¨, hence COLORME Art Spa was born. Read more>>

Marquise Fair

One morning I was I was headed to class at Miami Dade college Homestead Campus. As I walked through the double doors of the main entrance. I made eye contact with a classmate of mine. He was standing next to a round table with a few other students crowded around a laptop. After making eye contact with me, he approached me and ask me if I like singing. I said Yes, I love singing. He replied let me hear something then. Read more>>

Veronica Cabrera

Although I graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, I went down a different path soon after. I started working part time in the public library system and then in an academic library. While moving up in the library world, many people asked if I was going to pursue a masters degree in library science but I could never bring myself to it. I realized my heart was always set in the arts. Read more>>

Peggy Hinaekian

When I was four years old. I started drawing on everything I could find. My father encouraged me. I was curious to find out everything about art and techniques and pursued art fervently since then. I never gave up. Even during pregnancy and having to raise two children, I was always painting, sometime on the floor. I am a self made artist and did not follow in anyone’s footsteps. I lived in different cities and had to start from scratch in every one of them. Contacting galleries and making my art visible. Read more>>

Eileen Seitz

When I was around 13 years old in public school a friend of mine had a radiograph pen. i asked him if i could try it, and as soon as i started to draw with it, I KNEW that is what i wanted to do for the rest of my life.. Read more>>

Joanna Younes

I love answering this question because it makes me smile whenever I look back at that moment. Growing up, I always knew I had a passion for entertaining others. I loved making people laugh, smile, or even just surprising them. I started acting when I was six, so I grew up doing a lot of musical theater. I was cast in some pretty big productions back home in Kuwait, where I got to perform in front of large audiences and re-tell the same stories that I grew up watching and loving. Read more>>