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.

LaKeta Renèe Booker

When I was around 14; I was performing as Sojourner Truth in the musical “The Life of Sojourner Truth. After the show; a man came up to me in the lobby & told me something that I’ll never forget. Read more>>

Darth Roach

I have always wanted to pursue a career in music since an early age. My earliest memories of practicing music and thinking about music as something I could do were when I was around 8 or 9 years old. Read more>>

Emma Wong-Stephens

When I was younger, I was dead set on doing something in the performing arts. I immersed myself in theater, signed with an acting agent, and even uploaded singing covers on YouTube’s nascent platform. Read more>>

Nature Shankar

I kind of just fell into it. Everyone around me when I was in art school (including the professors) believed that an art career was a joke. Read more>>

Marcéllin

Well, I’ve been in music since I could form full sentences. I started really singing when I was four. By time I was 7, I was doing full length musical productions. Read more>>

Angela Krieg

My path to becoming an illustrator, as corny as it sounds, has always been the goal after my dreams of becoming a writer or an engineer fell to the wayside. Read more>>

Lindsey

Creating has always been deeply important to me, but I have always struggled to acknowledge that I myself am an artist. I have had many people throughout my life see me as a creative or say that I had an artist’s eye, but I have always had such a difficult time seeing and believing that for myself. Read more>>

Jessa Calderon

I was blessed to know at the age of eight that I had the ability to put a pen to paper and create with words. By then, I was writing poetry. Read more>>

Ashley Jones

In fourth grade, my teacher, Mrs. Young, asked us to write a story. At my desk, I plunged into a world of aliens and adventure. Read more>>

Carolina Del Pilar

Pinpointing a specific moment is quite impossible, as in my case it was not a decision but rather a process, similar to creating a work of art. Read more>>

Chryssha Guidry

From as early as kindergarten, I knew I wanted to pursue a creative and artistic career. I remember eagerly asking for art supplies every Christmas, and my parents always supported me by entering me into art contests, even in preschool. Read more>>

Tyrell Washington

In fifth grade, I vividly recall the awe-inspiring moment when I watched Michael Jackson’s electrifying performance on HBO’s “Live In Bucharest: Read more>>

Jennifer W. Hilzinger

Actually, I never had the chance to think about it or map it out. My transition onto a professional, artistic path happened quite seamlessly. Read more>>

Rodríguez Calero

The schools I attended, were not conducive to creativity. The limited half-hour art classes were held at our desks, where we dabbled in repetitious acts of simple drawing and copied designs. Read more>>

Summer Braddock

From a young age I’ve had a love for all things art. Born with a rare disability and unable to use my arms or legs, I taught myself how to write, draw, and paint by using my mouth. Read more>>

Lucia Sapienza

When I was a little girl one of the first movies my parents made me watch alongside all Disney’s movies, was Jesus Christ Superstar. Read more>>

Sarah Tule

I think I first knew I wanted to pursue art professionally in high school. Our art teacher, Mrs. Noland was pleased with my work and self motivation and entered me into her higher level classes. Read more>>

Mor Ben Haim

I believe I was around six years old when I first decided that I want to be a performer. It was quite early, and I didn’t fully understand what that entailed, but my instincts were spot on. Read more>>

Derek Diamond

I’m an only child, so I had to find ways to entertain myself growing up. The primary way to do so became watching movies and TV shows. Read more>>

Ashley Lasko

I have been a stay at home mother for the past 11 years. During those 11 years my time was not my own. It solely revolved around my family. Read more>>

Glen “Papa” Wright

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative and artistic path professionally when I was in the second grade at Banneker Elementary School in St. Louis, MO. Read more>>

Hamza Brahmi

I’ve always wanted to express myself in some way. I always had a certain vision in my mind that I wanted to bring out to the world, and I had the desire to contribute to the cultural scene. Read more>>

Shane Hansen

When I was about 6, I received my first drum set. I play it whenever I could and a few years after that, I went to my first concert, The Devil Wears Prada, Underoath, and Saosin and that’s when I knew I wanted to do this with my life. Read more>>

Alana Taylor

I knew that I could not have a life worth living if art and the power of creating was not included. Art is embedded in everything we are yet we do not fully give art its credit and due value in our everyday lives let alone art experienced in extraordinary circumstances. Read more>>

Michael Brumett

I’ve always created images. From as long as I can remember, I’ve always thought in images, sought out images, and found the best way to express myself was with images. Read more>>

Lisa Kindle

I believe I innately knew I wanted to be an artist from a very young age. There are key moments that formed me as an artist and professional graphic designer and, ultimately, creator. Read more>>

Michael Norsk

I experienced a mental health crisis in 2016. My wife and I just had our second child. I was going to graduate school for my master’s degree in Elementary Education. Read more>>

Chris Rogers

I first wanted to act at a very early age of 6 years old. I would always watch R rated movies (which I was not supposed to LOL) and music videos with my uncle and aunt. Read more>>

Don Carol

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path was when I was in Vincenza, Italy as a child. I recall my mother drawing these elaborate designs, cutting out templates, sewing, and creating garments. Read more>>

Michael Kuluva

I was a professional figure skater before I was a fashion designer. I skated for my entire childhood and I pursued it as a professional once I turned 18. Read more>>

Logan Ryles

I have a vivid memory of sitting in my old GMC after a hard day’s work on a neighbor’s farm. I was sixteen, and only a year prior I had finished my first novel. Read more>>

Eri Maeda

The moment I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was truly transformative. Growing up in Japan, I always followed societal rules without questioning them. Read more>>

Airric Qualls

I knew I wanted to pursue this path after my first gig. In 2018, I was cast in a lead role in the play titled ‘We Need To Talk’ written and directed by Michael Levester. Read more>>

Johnny Catalano

Love is mysterious. I can’t seem to figure out how one falls in love with something or someone. I know I love the arts. Art is the reason I wake up in the morning. It makes life bearable. Read more>>

Alex Kovacs

I used to love having sleepovers at my grandparent’s house as a kid. My nana would let me stay up late and we would play card games by candlelight. Read more>>

Micky Vermooch

I was.Born into A.English Gypsy Family that has its roots going back wel over 500 yrs .as travelling taylors and Readingbthe Sign From Spirit and mother nature. Read more>>

Liam Smith

I think it was around the age of 16? I had always had my hands in many creative pots, so to speak. Dance just happened to be one of those things I did to look cool or get girls, funny enough. Read more>>

Nicole Santiago

As a kid, I always knew I wanted to be an actor/performer. I would do little things like put on a show for my family, rehearse my own singing and dancing numbers and force my younger sister into joining me, and even practice crying in front of a mirror. Read more>>

Maria Koronellou

I remember myself as a kid, how much I loved watching movies and going to the cinema. I was always looking forward to the scenes at the end, those videos of the cast behind the scenes. Read more>>