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.

Amanda Janson

Throughout my entire childhood and my teen years, my dream had been to be on Broadway. For year I took all the lessons: voice, acting, dance, etc. All while being involved in choir, stage singing competitions, drama club, anything that had to do with music, and more specifically the theatre. I grew up an only child and with the most incredible parents who made my dream theirs. Every show or concert, they were there. They paid for every lesson, class or headshot I needed. We were determined to make this happen. Read more>>

 Jevante King-Woods

So there are two separate moments that helped me realize I wanted to pursue being an artist professionally. First was summer of 2016 when I sold my first painting. It felt like I hit the lottery and that sparked the idea that I should try to pursue this. Then after a few years of shows and a few paintings being sold here and there I sold my first painting over $1,000 which was my first painting sold outside of Ohio. That moment showed me I’m on the right path. Read more>>

Wildfire Tina

In 2016 I saw an amazing fire performance at Texas Renaissance Festival by a troupe called Solar Rain. I came home inspired and bought myself a pair of fire fans. Over the next year, I signed myself up for belly dance classes at a local studio called Crescent Moon Belly Dance. It wasn’t long until the studio owner invited me to join her professional dance troupe. Read more>>

 Tyler Ciarlanti

I had a good idea from a very young age that the typical 9-5 life wasn’t ever really gonna be an option for me. I never did too well in school and wasn’t able to “conform” to the normal learning experience were all kind of force fed through the public school systems. I found myself daydreaming and drawing a lot in class and had a healthy dislike for authority figures to say the least. Read more>>

Demetre Durham

Growing up, thought I was always playing outside, and in a different sport all the time, my first love was always drawing. I spent so much time drawing, coloring and crafting that when you asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, it was “I’m gonna have my own cartoon!” And I meant it. I literally couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Read more>>

Desmond Long

The first time I KNEW I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally, that is a multi-layered question! Well, like most creators in this space, it started off as a hobby. I was also really into digital media and entertainment mediums, no matter if it was Movies, Music, TV shows, Anime, Video Games or Books. Over the course of pandemic, I was working from home, which was great because I consider myself an Introvert, I was able to really catch up on forms of media that I never had time to due to work. One day I decided to play around with some video editing software and fell in love with the process, the rest is history. Read more>>

Dennis McNett

I’ve made stuff since I was very little. I would take drawing materials over toys hands down. My first encouragement came from my great grandfather. He’d look at my drawings when I was 4-5 years old and and say “Oh my gosh! that looks great! draw some more!”. He was blind, which I knew, so I thought the drawings were magic. Later I got into skateboarding. This was the early and mid-eighties, so skateboarding was more underground, raw and untamed. Read more>>

StephSquared TV

The first time we realized we wanted to pursue content creation was filming was while traveling. As a couple we love to travel so we decided to film our experiences while on vacation. We would film little things like us trying the different foods, excursions, site seeing and even “couple travel 101”. Read more>>

Linda (RED) Harrison

Hello. I am “Red” aka Linda Harrison an Abstract Artist. Over two decades ago when I created my first abstract that I titled No Turning Back Now I knew I found my inner passion. My love for painting abstracts was here to stay. It wasn’t until a business colleague asked to purchase one of my abstracts that my heart soared with joy and the idea of selling my artwork to others became a possibility. Read more>>

Sayem (Supreme) Anukukkan

All throughout my child & teen experiences I’ve been intuitively artistic in my own ways. I loved to draw, but I didnt think my drawings were good enough, so I’d do that for self. I loved to sing, yet I was bad at creating songs. Then I got into learning how to play instruments in 5th grade at Morrow Elementary. Read more>>

Swa Jackk

The First Time I Felt Like I Knew Was In 2008-09 My Older Brother Was Rapping And He Use Always Have Me On Stage With Him Like A Hype Man I Guess But After We Use To Perform Everybody Would Come Up To Me After Saying Great Show Keep Doing You On That Mic And I Always Felt Like I Ain’t Do Nothing But Repeat My Brother Lyrics But It Was My Energy My Swagg My Demeanor I Always Been A Flashy Dressing Person I Just Never Was The Main Guy But From That Day On I Knew The Camera And Lights Was For Me Read more>>

Nightingale Ngo

I started piano lessons at the age of 3, with my mom as my teacher. She decided it was time for formal lessons when she watched me climb onto the piano bench to pick out melodies by ear that I had heard played by her students. Music, specifically, making music, has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Read more>>

Arius West

I was at the fair with some high school church friends and we were getting on the Drop-O-Fear. I was preparing to go up to be dropped and I was being “extra” as some would say and freaking out and I had more to say after as well. When we got off, my friend said that I would be good on stage and told me to audition for our community play at The Dolly Hand Cultural Center. Read more>>

Robert Page

Oh, I was a small boy in my first school many years ago. It was something I knew from an early age, once I could a crayon in my hand and make marks on something there was no turning back. there has never been anything else. Read more>>

DaiTrell Ingram

This is a popular question for a creative – Its an interesting thing, growing up in church, I’ve always been surrounded by gifted and talented people. I started running up and singing during service with one of choirs at a young age, maybe 6 or 7. Read more>>

Stephanie Ong

I did not take a linear path to becoming an artist. My path is more circuitous, and it has shaped my art career. I graduated high school in 1996 with full intentions of obtaining my BFA and starting a career as a fine artist. Just before college began, I followed my gut and opted instead for a masters degree in Speech Pathology. Read more>>

Bruno Casiano

Bruno Casiano is a Puerto Rican artist based in Cleveland Ohio who combines traditional and contemporary art. Born in Gary, Indiana, the son of a steelworker, Bruno’s family moved back to their hometown of Juana Diaz, a rural community in Puerto Rico. When he was 10 years old. Young Casiano developed an interest in the arts on arrival, awakened by the rural surroundings and tropical living on an Island, this made a long-lasting impression on him. Read more>>

Trenity Thomas

In 2018 I was working at a restaurant and I’ll always think about how I can further my path instead of cleaning tables. While working I thought of a photoshoot to do with a friend and my coworker. After doing that photoshoot with them, I realized doing conceptual photoshoots is something I love working with. Staying consistent with doing concepts, I build up a portfolio. I started applying my photographs to galleries and doing so I started to get more of an audience. Working with clients, doing conceptual photoshoots, and being in exhibitions became part of my ongoing path. Read more>>

Jasmine Alexander

My passion for the arts goes back to when I was very young. I was always a movie lover however, it was just one movie that made me decide that I wanted to become an actress. What love got you to do with it. Starring Angela Bassett. That movie inspired me to want to create and entertain. Read more>>

Eravani Townsend

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative and artistic path was at the ages of 15 and 16 years old. I was performing doing talent shows and at major venues in Atlanta. I was managed in a rap group of 5 in middle school and high school with strict industry work ethics. That type of vigorous training molded me and my passion for Music and sound. Read more>>

Ezgi Karakus

Growing up in Izmir, Turkey, I would spend hours playing popular Turkish songs on a toy keyboard. Despite my parents not having musical backgrounds, they fully supported my interest, signing me up for lessons in piano and guitar when I was 9. But, very quickly, we found out those instruments were not for me. Read more>>

Nicole Difinizio

From a very young age, I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic & creative path in life. I had a passion for music, I sang and played piano throughout my childhood. I enjoyed sharing my talents and creativity with those around me. I performed for family, in school and in recitals. Using my talents and creativity has always fulfilled me. Read more>>

Kathina Wood

Ever since I was young, I’ve been interested in the arts; dancing, acting, drawing, baking, whatever form of art. I wanted to have a try. I danced at an old church I used to attend or danced on my own with a group of friends creating chirographies to hit songs. I would sit next to my mom at her desk while she would work on her designs, and I’d be right next to her designing my little garments too. Read more>>

Danielle Knight

Since I was a child I had a talent for drawing that was often praised by my family. I was put into art classes and given art supplies from paint sets to a drawing table. Even though I was encouraged to draw, art was never looked at as a career but a hobby. I only saw my gift as something to do outside of work. In high school I started expressing my creativity in other ways and started a YouTube channel. Read more>>