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.

NaSwana Moon

I realized I wanted to pursue Acting when I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 under Operation Enduring Freedom. I had an AHA moment, in the form of a question. Why am I willing to risk my life here but unable to pursue my dreams due to fear? Being in a war zone and living through fear daily helped to realize that fear only had the power to hold me back if I allowed it to. And it’s something that I have to remind myself of daily. Read more>>

Leonardo Machuca Larios

I was in 6th or 7th grade when I Djing actually sparked my interest. All my life I grew up listening to Latin music but specially mexican music. I was the annoying noise kid by the djs or band looking at how things work, how the organized their cds and will always be asking for request to make people dance. I would also listen to more modern club music and edm. Read more>>

Paige Wilhide

I was born with an entrepreneurial spirit, from my elementary school days hosting neighborhood art classes on my front porch to curating makeup parties for my friends and family. Little Paige was a little hustler. I come from a line of incredible entrepreneurs– I couldn’t help it! I believe entrepreneurship is an art form in and of itself. As an entrepreneur, you are constantly finding creative solutions to problems, pivoting, trying things out, seeing what works. Low sales? Let’s come up with a fun marketing campaign. Client needs something you don’t offer? Let’s create a new package or program. Need content ideas? Let’s interview our audience and create some user-generated content. Read more>>

Kristen Mikayla

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally ever since I was little. My mom always told me I used to tell her as a kid that I wanted my own dance studio…that dream has never changed til this day. I have been training in dance since I was three and I am so grateful and blessed to be still going and tapping into other creative avenues along the way. Early on, I have always understood the flexibility and the exciting unknown that comes with being an artist. Waking up everyday to a completely new project or idea is my fuel to keep going and pursue my art professionally. Read more>>

Annette Kennedy

I’ve always been a creative soul and have used that gift in everything I’ve done, whether it was in a domestic capacity, a hobby or professionally. Some of the ways that manifested itself for me was in creative problem solving and embellishing or improving the norm, besides the joy of using my hands to make or grow things. I previously worked as a dental lab technician, a cosmetologist and a retail merchandizer. I’ve enjoyed sewing, singing, hiking, photography, gardening, folk art painting and traveling over the years. I took up art quilting in 2003, while living in Colorado, and quickly started entering shows, winning awards and got invited to exhibit my work, lecture and teach my techniques locally and around the country. Read more>>

Maithillee Zaveri

At the age of merely 11/12 years old when children are unsure of what they want to become/do when they grow up, I was sure about it. I was in the 6th grade when I was asked what I wanted to become when I grow up? And it was an artist. I was always fascinated when I used to doodle on paper then I was introduced to professional pencils & colours by my parents who started seeing my creativity & then they enrolled me to art classes (other than learning art in school). I started developing alot of interest in it & eventually started my career in arts. Read more>>

Monica Srivastava

Honestly, I think back to my childhood and try to remember a time when I didn’t want to pursue a life in the arts. There’s a bit of a stereotype about artists having a love for the craft since they were kids with crayons, and I actually fit that stereotype perfectly. I like to say that I didn’t choose painting, as much as painting chose me. As a child, I always gravitated towards making – I’d doodle in the margins of all of my notebooks, I’d make lanyards until my hands were raw at summer camp, I can remember my kindergarten teacher telling me that I didn’t have to use every color in all of my drawings, and I’d beg my parents to buy me new paint, brushes, and colored pencils for every birthday. Read more>>

Tim Eldred

As a kid, I somehow instinctively understood that pictures represented reality, and if you could manipulate those pictures in some way, they would tell a story. When I saw my first comic book, I knew that was the tool I could use for that purpose. So for many years, I channeled all my creativity into making comics. Making movies and animation were beyond my means, but all I needed to make a comic book was pencil and paper. Comics became a training ground for me, discovering what techniques worked better than others to communicate to a reader, even if I was the only reader who would ever see it. Read more>>

Jane Shi

I loved to draw ever since I was little. But growing up, my country and culture were not very accepting of an artistic career, so it never occurred to me that being an artist was a viable option. I did the best I could in school, but when I (inevitably) flunked my A Levels, my family and I both accepted that being an accountant or engineer was never going to be in my future. That’s when I started to seriously pursuing being an artist. Read more>>

Sunnie

I’ve always been a creative, the problem was the fact that I’m multifaceted…I’m an Artist, UGC Content Creator , Business Owner , Podcast Host and YouTuber. About two years ago, I had started to take content creating more seriously. I was stuck on like 3K followers, but consistency has me about 40K (across social media) as of today. When I saw my numbers jump like that, I took advantage. Read more>>

Crystal Garcia

I’ve always been a creative person. Ever since I was little, I loved to draw. My brother and I even drew on the walls! When I was in 8th grade, I remember there was an essay contest where we had to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wrote that I wanted to be an artist. I actually won the contest! When I got to high school, I was in the National Art Honor Society and president of the art club. Art has always been an important part of my life. Read more>>

Marissa Penney

As a kid, for sure! The second I was able to style my own hair I started experimenting. Not all my experiments were great but I sure went for it! I must have been about 7 or 8 years old when I decided to chop my hair off to my cheeks (at the salon) because I wanted to look like my adorable little sister. That was a huge regret, I definitely didn’t look just like her. A few years later, I was introduced to spray color and I was in my spice girl/no doubt era, imagine scary spice space buns in royal blue, paired with a Betty Boop tshirt, flared jeans and soda platform shoes. Read more>>

Lili Tewes

I saw Pina Bausch’s “Café Müller” when I was three. I was the shyest girl you can imagine, but from that moment, I knew I wanted to be a dancer. That’s how I ended up moving from Germany to New York as a teenager. Read more>>

Elizabeth Lee

I was a child actor when I was 10. I auditioned for the Sound of Music at a local dinner theater. As I am half-Chinese, my parents let me audition, thinking they would never cast me as an Austrian child. When the shock wore off that I was chosen to play a Von Trapp child, my parents battled over whether to allow me to continue. Performing on stage was a dream for nine months. It was also the first professional job of my life. Read more>>

Ruben Scott

Ah, the spark for my creative journey didn’t hit me like a lightning bolt; it was more of a gradual realization. Growing up, my family had this tradition of gathering around the TV to watch the annual John Lewis Christmas adverts. You know, those heartwarming, one-to-two-minute emotional roller coasters. There was something magical about them, something that transcended the screen and reached deep into our hearts. Read more>>

Tim Kobza

I grew up in Omaha Nebraska, my mom was a piano teacher and in my family everyone took piano lessons. I participated in choir and ultimately was recruited to play guitar in the church band. Guitar was a challenge, but I loved it and never had to be asked to practice. Once I started tapping into the creative outlets, it was clear to me that I would be pursuing a life in music. Playing gigs, teaching, writing and recording started for me in high school. Seeing Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny and other jazz icons at a young age was really inspiring. Read more>>

De Hootz

I’ve always loved making comics, I used to have a friend in grade school who I would draw comics with and I just never stopped. I used to hang around 4chan draw threads in the 2010s when I first started doing digital drawing. I’ve been slowly writing a graphic novel over the years but during the pandemic and all the things that went with it, I got more serious about writing and making comics and started this instagram project as a way to keep myself active and to find other artists. Read more>>

Fat Dreadz

This is a great question because I always knew there was something more to myself. I was always the funny kid growing up but It’s like as a kid you’re just being you and you’re not really caring about what’s going on but as you grow older you notice you can make a living off just being entertaining and that’s something you can’t take for granted. But I started taking music seriously in 2018 after I dropped out of college I made songs from then and all of 2019 and then eventually released my first project “Luv2gethigh” in 2020 for my YouTube Journey I’ve always uploaded as a kid but never took it was serious but it’s crazy because I have quit YouTube like 4 times and came back but its time now to show the world everything Fat Dreadz has to offer. Read more>>

Bre Fernandez-Powell

After immigrating from Cuba at a young age, I discovered my passion for creative endeavors like writing poetry, doodling, and spoken word. However, as the typical immigrant daughter, these interests were pushed aside. My family encouraged me to become an attorney, a secure and prestigious profession. I followed this path until my first semester at George Washington Law School, where I realized it didn’t align with my values and led to an identity crisis. While difficult, in hindsight this anxiety-riddled revelation was necessary. Embracing a more unconventional, new age perspective, I tapped into my inner child through travel and stumbled into the advertising industry as a writer. This field allows my creativity to flourish in shaping brands. Moreover, I have the freedom to pursue other creative outlets like creative coaching, teaching, and alongside my 9-5. Read more>>

Ruhee Maknojia

I first knew I wanted to be an artist when I was an undergraduate student. A professor who I deeply respected asked me what I wanted to do when I graduated. At the time I wasn’t sure, but was considering further study in francophone literature. In response my professor said I should be an artist instead. That statement really stuck with me and over the years I found myself gravitating towards the arts more and more. Read more>>

Deva Gallagher

I have enjoyed making things since I was a kid. My art teacher in high school was very encouraging. She offered resources, and guidance, but let me work at my own pace. She first introduced me to paper sculpture- a medium I still enjoy. I also helped her teach art lessons to elementary school students, which was very rewarding to me. Read more>>

Matthew Mroz

I was at my first college. I had just been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and was having a hard time. I was an athletic training major and was taking a sculpture class for the gen. ed. requirement. It was the only class I wouldn’t miss. Read more>>

Ann Myra

I was thirteen years old looking at a Kandinsky painting at the Yale Art Gallery, New Haven Connecticut. I knew in my heart, mind and soul that I was meant to be an artist. No idea what kind at the time. But I felt a deep kinship to the painter. Read more>>

Joo Park-Kwon

During my stay in Korea in the 2010s, I was very fascinated with my old culture, I thought about my purpose of life seriously away from just making money for living. I craved for learning about Korean culture especially in art. My interest in Korean fine art and culture led me to reenter the School of Art, and I completed the Master’s degree in Korean Fine Art. I found myself spending endless time in creating without tiredness, and that was the time I realized painting is the pursuit of my life. Read more>>

 Thelma Ruiz

I think I have always had the artistic gene in me. Ever since I learned about career choices I knew I was meant to dedicate my life to something creative and artistic. My path has changed a lot because I like a ton of things. I first wanted to be an actress when I was in middle school, then, in high school, I wanted to be a fashion designer and finally, I decided I wanted to make films. Little did I know, I would end up doing all these things throughout my life. Read more>>

Christie Moody

I knew as a little girl that I wanted to be an artist.I’ve always been very visually oriented I am transfixed by intriguing images . My mother was a painter and she made sure I had lessons growing up. Doing art projects and painting with my granddaughters gives me joy. Read more>>

 Justin Shider

I first knew that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path the first time I stepped foot in a recording studio. Watching my father, his brother and their friends create and rehearse music together was very inspirational. Though I was young I was observant and knew I wanted to be apart of this environment some day At about nine or ten years old my father took me to my uncles studio to learn “somethings” that’s when I first laid my eyes on a digital audio workstation (DAW). Read more>>

Jean Watson

I attended a summer music festival called “Tanglewood” in Massachusetts, which is the summer home of the Boston Symphony. After 8 weeks of intensive musical training surrounded by the finest musicians in the world, I knew that music would be my life’s work. Read more>>

Dale Keano

I’ve always loved music. In my youth, I vividly remember listening to All 4 One’s “I Swear” and Boys 2 Men’s “On Bended Knee” for the first time. R&B moved my body and lit up my soul. From then nothing was ever the same. I thought about it everyday, sang everywhere I could and would play it on the radio/CD every chance I got. Read more>>

Andrés Gallegos

I was born in Chile in 1986. I think I discovered my passion for filmmaking at an early stage of my life. The world of art was not very close to me or my family, however, I kind of knew that I had some form of artistic sensibility. My curiosity about the world of films was always present, I remember that my favorite show on TV was about behind the scenes of movies. Movie Magic, I think it was called. Once my parents had access to purchasing a Video Hi8 camcorder, that was the moment when everything started. I was 11 years old, and with that camcorder, I began making stop-motion videos and diverse sorts of videos with my brother and friends. Read more>>

Cameron Williams

I first started freestyling around 12 years old and recorded my first song around 13. For the next 4 years I experimented with music on and off but it never truly felt representative of who I was at the time or what I stood for. Around 18 years old, I began to find more of my voice and style as a rapper, transitioning into a much more confident artist. It was in the summer of 2022 that I knew that pursuing a creative path professionally was what I wanted to do. Music has always been an extremely important part of my life. Read more>>

Kaj Adnan

As far as I remember I have been passionate about the arts, acting in particular as it made me think out of the box to push my imagination to greater limits, and express different stories that I might not live. After finishing my bachelor’s in business marketing. I decided it was time to pursue my real passion. As a result, I enrolled in a conservatory acting course to enhance my crafts. Read more>>

Jada Bowman

When I was in my teens around 13 or 14, I have always been told that I should be a model because I would go so far in the industry. I have the look, size and the height. I never really took it seriously as it was not a passion of mine at the time. I felt as if I pursued it then I would be doing it for others and not for me. I got so tired of hearing it that I didn’t even want to consider at all. Read more>>

East Goons

I had always been involved with the arts since I was a kid. The elementary school I went to actually made each student learn to play an instrument of their choice (mine was the clarinet). I fell in love with producing and throughout middle & high school, I built up a platform to showcase my music. As I got older I went further than just producing and later became a sound engineer. Even then I still wasn’t satisfied, my love to create expanded further than just beats. I started to draw and design, which later turned into me making clothes. Read more>>

Ann-Hammond Gift

My grandfather was an artist. He always had us creating, whether on vacation or if I was spending the day with him. He always encouraged creativity through music and painting. Whenever he was babysitting me, he would have crayons, colored pencils, and watercolors out for me, ready to go. Sometimes, he would even sketch a local animal for me to paint in the lines with. My grandfather sparked my creativity and curiosity, leading to constantly drawing and creating clothes out of construction paper. I remember art class became one of my favorite classes from kindergarten through high school. Read more>>

Andrew “Twin” Banner

At age 10 my father had a drum set in the basement of his print shop. I would go visit him at work, I would always go down in the basement and would just play around with the drums. My father ended up bringing the drum set home for me. At age 13 I was self-taught, and my father would take me around to jam sessions. My mother enrolled me into drum lessons so I could learn music theory. My father always kept me around his friends who were musicians. Read more>>

Heather Neri

I knew I was to pursue a creative path professionally when I started to make things to donate to a local church fundraiser. Everyone said I should sell me stuff but I did not think much of it until I was asked to design a pattern by a friend. Once I started that design I realized how much fun it was to make my own designs. Before then I had really only made items from the designs of others, but now making my own designs I could make things that did not exist. As I started to make more designs and take on commissions from friends and colleagues from my job at the, I came to realize this was something I wanted to do more regularly. I started by selling my like three starting designs at a gaming convention. I did really well so I opened an etsy and threw myself full into it three years ago when working from home became a priority. Read more>>

Tyler Carpenter

I knew I wanted to be a content creator when I first got an iPad from my middle school. I used to vlog and do hauls on a school iPad and pretended that I was a famous YouTuber. Since then, I’ve naturally gravitated towards content creation, even if it was just a silly candid selfie on Instagram. Read more>>

Lydia Pottoff

I was quite young when I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the creative field. I drew and painted from an early age and I was both supported and encouraged by my parents. Read more>>

Joe Tyler

I remember trying to figure out how the set of Mr Rogers Neighborhood operated when i was 5, and thought how cool it would be to be there and just watch. So being part of a production has always been of interest to me. Read more>>

Khaila Williams

I knew as a child when I posted my first YouTube video that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally. As a child, I attended multiple modeling and acting schools along with being a part of stage plays, musicals, concerts, fashion shows, and I even dipped my feet a little in photography. Read more>>

Kristen Gray

My life changed in the most metamorphic way when I decided that I had everything within me to build the life that I desired. I noticed that I was waiting for something to shift in my life in order for me to feel the way I believed I should or to live the way I desired to live. I was waiting until I felt like I deserved the things I desired. Read more>>

Kelsey Paz Snyder

For me it’s always been this whisper in the back of my head and deep in my gut saying, ” You are meant to be an artist. Take the leap, do it.” But I always found an excuse not to or a work around in other ventures that were creative but not specifically creating paintings as a fine artist. You see, my mother, my grandmother, my great grandmother, my great aunt, they were all incredible artists with very talented shoes to fill. Read more>>

Priyanka Nanda

I’ve loved henna since I was a little girl. Growing up in India, I would watch with fascination as my mother created beautiful henna tattoos for special occasions. As I got older, I started practicing the art myself, though never considering it as a career path. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I knew I needed to find a new way to make ends meet after losing my job due to the economic downturn. After moving to the US, I decided to finally pursue my lifelong passion for henna and turn my talent into a business.  Read more>>