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.

Valerie Liu

Art has always been my way of expressing myself—a language through which I understand who I am and process the world around me. Before college, I didn’t have a clear concept of what pursuing a creative career could look like. No one in my family or community at the time worked in visual arts, so I lacked both a template and an understanding of how drawing could fit into my future. When I started community college, I intended to pursue a degree in social work. My plan was to keep art as a personal hobby while focusing on my passion for working with people and building community. Read more>>

Jessa Joyce

I was bullied pretty extensively as a child — being undiagnosed autistic and ADHD, I didn’t know how to interact with people, and kids can be mean sometimes. So I begged my parents to let me switch to another school, and by the end of seventh grade, they finally obliged. But I had one last field trip with my old school — to the Motown Museum in Detroit. The museum was the old house studio where many of the beloved hits were recorded and polished, and one of the features of the building was a chamber in the ceiling where the music producers could play the recordings and record the echo as a sort of primitive reverb. The tour guide asked someone to sing under it to demonstrate how it worked, and I figured I was never going to see any of these people again, so why not? I sang “My Girl” by The Temptations and to my surprise, everyone was in awe! Even my bullies were impressed! From that moment on, I knew I had to be a performer. It was a high I’ve been chasing since. Read more>>

Caleb Cape

I would say 3rd grade. My teacher wasn’t there all the time. I think she had elbow surgery? The class ended up having a long term substitute. She noticed I drew a lot in class and at first she thought I wasn’t paying attention, even though I could quote every word she said while I was drawing. She said “You’re gonna struggle a lot in school. Teachers won’t understand and write you up for drawing in class.” She was right, but I wouldn’t comprehend anything if I wasn’t drawing. Next grade after grade I would fail a class. Eventualy, teachers in 10th and 11th grade caught on and I ended up doing graphic designs in class while they taught. Read more>>

Manami Matsushita

When I started learning piano when I was five years old, I was merely practicing and following my teacher’s instructions and didn’t feel a strong connection with the piano or music in general. The turning point for me was when I was ten years old. My mother, who is very passionate about the arts, took me to many music concerts, ballet performances, and art museums. One day, she took me to a concert to hear Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 live for the first time. The mystical tranquility of the third movement was not like anything I’ve heard before and captivated me into tears. At that moment, I committed myself to becoming a professional pianist with the goal of having others experience what I did through my performances.  Read more>>

Dionysia

I knew right away I wanted to pursue burlesque professionally. It was through this art form that I truly learned about self autonomy and trusting myself. I saw how as performers, we have the choice as to the art we share on stage: our choreography, our costumes, what we reveal, what we don’t reveal, and how we presented ourselves. This confidence booster, fully knowing I’m in charge of myself and what I do helped me make the bold choice to pursue this art form professionally. The many other lessons I’ve learned while performing are what have kept me in it. Read more>>

Sophia Savino+

Since childhood, I have always leaned toward the creative. Throughout grade school, I chose art over the yearly language classes, but by the time I was 16 years old, I had already internalized the belief that pursuing art as a career wasn’t financially viable. Despite this, I still enrolled in an art college and pursued a degree in Advertising Art Direction, with the intention of building a creative career at an advertising agency. My expectation then was to work for someone else, forever. (For the record, that’s not exactly how things turned out—I never worked at an agency.) Read more>>

Paul Counelis

The first time that I understood what an actor did was an epiphany for me. I was watching Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein with my dad, I was very young, probably 7 years old or so. I was mesmerized (and a little creeped out), but the realization that there were people pretending to be the monsters, throwing themselves so into the roles that you could believe in The Wolf Man, in Dracula, in the Monster, that became deeply fascinating to me. I realized that they were wearing makeup and that someone was “pulling the strings” so to speak…I didn’t really have the term “director” for it, and I assumed that whoever was filming the movie also wrote it. But I knew that the vision came from somewhere, and I immediately began thinking of writing my own movies. Read more>>

Tuke

I knew that I wanted to be an artist for most of my life.. both my parents are also artists and so I was encouraged to experiment with different mediums and techniques at an early age. However it’s quite difficult to narrow down the exact moment I knew this was what I would do for a living. Initially I think I just had an inclination to create, I didn’t really know where it would go. In high school I began more actively pursuing my skills and upon graduating I moved to Denver to attend art school upon starting I met another student who was a graffiti artist and I was intrigued from the onset. Something about doing illegal work around the city simply for the sake of painting and leaving it to have a life of its own appealed to me. I soon began painting murals for businesses that had seen my work. It was around this point that I had my first intuition that this is what I wanted to do with my life. However at that point of the early 90s graffiti and street art weren’t as accepted as they are today so initially I had a hard time and this took me away from my work for several years just trying to survive and make my way in the world. I quickly discovered that other means of income left me feeling a bit hollow as I knew in my heart that I needed to be creating in some way. Read more>>

Dennis Bradley

I started playing music at a young age – some time in elementary school – but didn’t become “hooked” until my teenage years when I discovered the guitar. My first instrument was the saxophone, which I wasn’t very fond of. But once I started taking guitar lessons, I knew that playing guitar and performing was something that I wanted to pursue seriously. Coming from a small town in Michigan, there weren’t a lot of opportunities, or bands, for me growing up. But I made the best of it and tried to learn as much as I could. My musical career took a slight detour for about 30 years immediately after high school when I joined the Marines and decided to make the military a career. But as I neared retirement, I was determined to play music again, and I was lucky enough to choose a city and surrounding area to settle in that has a great music scene and a lot of opportunities – Colorado Springs. Read more>>

Matt Halm

As a child, my parents gave me a loving home and encouraged me in everything, including my growing curiosity for art. My grandfather supplied my first drawing paper, where my imagination bloomed on the backs of old Mack Truck invoices. My grandmother, a painter and student of Pennsylvania painter Walter Baum, was a beacon guiding me to be an artist. The more I drew, my hand became more deft, my interest more focused. I soaked up every art class and scribbled on every piece of paper I could find, with no idea that I would never stop. Read more>>

Amy Barnhart

A few months before my 50th birthday, my daughter was sick and had to miss her guitar lesson. I had always loved to sing so I decided to take her lesson and learn how to accompany myself. After hearing me sing, the instructor said “Wow, you have a really nice voice! Would you like to join my cover band?” and I immediately and eagerly said YES! From there, I joined another cover band and began gigging all over San Diego. I started songwriting in 2015 on a yoga retreat in Idyllwild. Bri Schillings, an incredible songwriter and artist had just written her song, Bend and, since I had been yearning to write a song but didn’t know how, I approached her for some tips. A few hours later, had written my first song, We Shared Music that honors my mother’s life and the gift that sharing music can give to connect us, help us feel embraced and live our lives with grace. Read more>>

Maryna Korolova

I guess I was never into regular job so first I decided to be a teacher of English when I lived in my country. I used a lot of creativity to prepare for lessons . I actually loved it, working with kids and adults who wanted to learn to speak English was both challenging and creative. When I turned 30 I moved to states and very soon started my own family and business. I had a partner who I opened a pole dance studio with in Springfield. I loved it since I was always into sport! Moreover it required a lot of creativity to plan classes and teach some choreography. Soon after I had my first baby and I realized I can’t have this much time at the studio anymore and sold it to my partner. We agreed I would teach once a week . However, something was missing . I loved being with my baby and I loved watching her growing and changing but I really wanted to frieze the moment. So a bit later I got my first camera and started taking different photography classes, marathons and such. Before I had my second baby was knew that I want to be a photographer and started having my first photoshoots ❤️ Read more>>

Gabriel Samra

I always wanted to be a creator but I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to achieve.. I studied to be an arquitech a year later I graduated I became a TV producer and 7 years later I realized the impact of a Hairdresser in a women’s life. I started doing hair for fun and I ended up becoming a Professional Hairdresser Read more>>

Vivian Chen

Growing up, I’ve always been into art. I would go to museums and galleries a lot, I had a little camera and I took pictures all the time, and then I’ve always been really good at making stuff. Everyone saw the creative spirit in me and it’s how I always thought of myself. In middle school, when we started learning about science and physics, I was astonished by the fact that there’s a completely different way of understanding our world, like when you first understand how friction works and how to calculate it, or dropping something has only got to do with the mass and not the material. It’s like there’s a completely logical way of explaining the world that it seems totally irrational. I was really amazed by that and wanted to discover more of the science world. The only problem was, math was not really my strong suit. Read more>>

Kaiden Cook

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative path at a very young age. I would say around 6 or 7 years old. I always enjoyed drawing, and I wasn’t the typical kid that loved coloring books. I would always want to add my own creative touch to them. It wasn’t limited to just sketching either. I would create little comic books with a story, edit stop motion animation with my Transformers figures, spray paint my model cars to make them unique, etc. I guess you could say I love customizing or designing just about everything. The satisfaction of completing a project that was once just a simple idea within my mind and bringing it to fruition is one of the greatest feelings. That’s what I love about being a graphic designer. There is no limit to your creativity, and you are able to present that to others and be proud while doing it. I believe my creativity and imagination since I was a kid has helped grow @tfbeecamaro into what it has become today, and I’m so grateful. Looking back, it’s crazy to see how God’s plan aligned so perfectly for what I wanted to be, and everything fell right into place. Read more>>

Xena Zhang

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was during my childhood in Beijing, surrounded by a family deeply immersed in the arts. My grandfather, an author, filled our home with stories that inspired me to create my own. At the same time, everyone in my family contributed to the artistic environment, whether through writing, music, or visual arts. By the 5th grade, I began formally learning drawing and painting, and these practices became a cornerstone of my life. Even today, I still practice, finding it an essential way to explore and express my ideas. Read more>>

Tyrus Facey

I grew up in Winnipeg Manitoba. My dad is of Jamaican decent and my mom is a Danish immigrant. From day one I’ve always been around music. My dad is a DJ and my mom is a big music lover, so there was always some form of beats playing in the house. Weather it was my dad spinning vinyl from his massive record collection or my mom listening to RnB and neo soul when cleaning the apartment. In house school I would freestyle with my friends in the cafeteria and watch as my friend’s older brothers would make music in their basement, but I was always too scared to make my own. Read more>>

Vel Images

So I’ve always been a kid who loved cameras. I would beg my mom for a disposable camera if we were out at a store never a video game. So when I graduated 8th grade she gifted me a video camera and the rest was history. I went to high school and began making rap dvds with a friend of mines; showcasing rappers from our high school. In my senior year I took a photography class that changed everything. A year later I would buy my first professional camera and meet a black photographer by the name of Greg Maxx who would teach me the world of professional studio photography. Read more>>

Arthur Midianga

I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path since I was a child. From a young age, I was recognized for my talent. I was featured in local newspapers and excused from class by teachers to work on school art projects. Participating in exhibitions and winning competitions showed me that art wasn’t just something I loved—it was also something I also excelled in. My early inspiration came from Renaissance masters like Da Vinci and Michelangelo. I was obsessed with their technical skill and theaw human expression represented in their works. Read more>>

Lily Roman

I had an experience doing a type of therapy during the pandemic, called EMDR. It was quite healing, and transformative for me. I was able to process memories that had subconsciously hindered me from having the confidence that I needed to acknowledge my feelings and honor them, instead of suppressing them or thinking they didn’t matter in certain situations that they really did. Of course this is crucial to being an artist and a human! After this therapy, I developed a unique, strong desire to start painting again. Not commissions, being told what the buyer wanted, but to discover what I really wanted to paint. Narrowing in on “If I could paint anything, what would it be? How would it feel? What would it represent?”. Read more>>

Rafael Maman

I guess I alway knew I wanted to make films. Since I was a child, all I could think about is cinema and slowly I started wondering what it would be like to make films, what if people could actually see the images I have in my head. This passion turned into some sort of game for me, that became highly addictive. However, it is only much later that I realised I couldn’t live without it. I was working in an office job after graduating from a business management degree, the whole career path seemed to be laid out. It only took me a few months to feel like my life didn’t have a purpose to me. I didn’t really know why I would go to the office, and I couldn’t stop thinking about making films. I just wasn’t made for this kind of life, and I felt the need for a constant change, something the art world could bring me. I went to do an internship on the producing side of filmmaking and all of a sudden I felt like I had a reason to wake up in the morning. I was curious about everything going on and driven beyond what I could have imagined a few weeks before. Understanding the mechanisms of this mysterious industry which had built my dreams since I could remember it was incredibly fulfilling. Soon enough I decided I wanted even more and started making short films as a hobby, which turned into an obsession. The obsession got me into USC and from this point on there was no way back. Read more>>

Haley Powers

I had a very close friend of mine get diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. I was working in corporate America and lived several hours away from her, but I wanted to do something for her that would give her a sense of peace. I decided to make her “Love Cards” that she could read on the days she had her chemo treatment. Creating those cards for her was what I started looking forward to each day – and knowing how much they meant to her and how much she loved them brought my heart so much joy. I realized that I could create art that brings happiness to others, and actually have a career making art. I took a huge risk and quit my corporate job later that year, and haven’t looked back since! Read more>>

Eric Franzen

Oh boy, this is most likely a most frequently asked question that I get! I first knew that I was more creative an artistic at an early age. I believe it really hit me when I would go to my grandma Shirley’s farm house and she had a cabinet in the wash room with crayons and coloring books for when all the grand kids visited. I found myself always drawn to that section of her cabinet in the wash room. Also, my parents were a second big influence on creative and costume creation. Many Halloween costume parties did they attend in our small town from year to year and were always creating or getting creative with their costumes, subconsciously had a huge influence on the trajectory of my life. Read more>>

Sharon Lee

Growing up in an immigrant household, I was involved in many extracurriculars, from piano to violin lessons. I was also put to do swimming and volleyball. But none of them stuck, and I would eventually quit. I couldn’t flip underwater, and volleyball got too intense. I started balding from stress because of piano recitals, and I couldn’t read notes. I wasn’t musically or athletically talented. Until my mother got a phone call from a friend who said that an art teacher had come into town and was offering art lessons. She was Korean, like us, and I started immediately. I was in the 2nd grade and came in with a large sketch pad and oil pastels. The only art I did was drawing anime characters, so when my art teacher brought out a book with pictures of sea life, I was intrigued. She had told me to choose my favorite image, and I would copy it. Read more>>

Deanna Brooks

From a young age, I have always been dancing. Whether it was around the house or in the dance studio I grew up in, I was always moving. With my studio, I took classes and participated in recitals and competitions. I didn’t have much experience with the professional side of dance. It wasn’t until I was awarded a scholarship to the Hollywood Summer Tour that I got my first taste of the professional dance world. This experience was super insightful and transformative. I got to experience the LA dance scene for the first time at 14 years old. I learned from professional dancers and choreographers and immersed myself in open classes, photoshoots, rehearsals, and educational workshops. This special experience concluded in a Michael Jackson reprise music video, “Black or White,” filmed at Paramount Studios. The Hollywood Summer Tour reaffirmed my love and dedication to the art of dancing, and it made me realize how much I can achieve to make my passion a job. Read more>>

Tony Akale

Summer 2017, I found myself stuck in traffic with my brother. He was excited about an upcoming show and casually asked, “If you were to join, what would your stage name be?” Without hesitation, I gave the first answer that came to mind. The following summer, I was at another brother’s place, observing his work process. One night we had a serious conversation about our future in music when he said, “with our commitment, if we truly dedicate ourselves, everyone will respect us & our efforts.” These two seemingly ordinary moments sent me down a path to pursue a career as a recording artist. Read more>>

Phillip Andrew Monnett

I always was drawn to the art of storytelling even when it came down to paying with Barbie’s and Polly Pockets. But I remember when I was 6 my parents took me to see The Firebird at The Houston Ballet with the icon herself, Lauren Anderson, as the title role. From the moment I saw her step on stage I knew that I wanted to do that. 10 years later I fell out of love with ballet, but knew I wanted to continue to do something creative with my time so I went into costumes for my high school’s theatre department. About a year later I decided I wanted to try out the acting thing so I auditioned for my high school’s production of The Cherry Orchard and ended up getting cast as one of the leads. Later that year after doing more shows my dad told me to audition for a summer camp called Interlochen; I figured after that summer I’d have found a deeper appreciation for a fun hobby, but actually left back to Houston knowing that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Neil Yuzon

I picked up a camera in 2014, I had just finished x-ray school and started working as an x-ray technologist. Learning photography was somewhat similar to x-ray, just a different type of photo using radiation for exposure vs light with photography. I think 6 months into learning how to photograph, I got asked to help photograph an event and I got paid to do so. It sparked an interest of, “this could be something I do for a living,” But it wasn’t until last year that I took the leap to go full time freelance. Read more>>

Amy Hassett

It all started when I took a metal smithing class, in the basement studio of a masterful, patient, wise, generous Metal Smith Teacher in my small town of Hood River, Oregon. I discovered his classes on social media, and it seemed like a good place to explore art, get out of my head, and try something new. It was soon after the most extreme of Covid times, when people were permitted to venture out with masks. It was a time when every day life of the world as we knew it seemed to overnight turn into what felt like the plot of a science fiction movie. Compounding matters, there were impactful and significant events occurring simultaneously in my life that were presenting incredible challenge, loss, and change. It was a transformative time and l liken it to what a gem stone might experience when it is being formed and crystalized deep within the earth from extreme temperatures and immense pressure and as a result crystalizing into something of strength and beauty. It was during this time that the creative expression of jewelry artistry found me. Read more>>

Miss Trish

I’ve always known I wanted to speak publicly because I loved to read out loud. I always knew I had a knack from entertaining people, because I used to recover compliments about my voice. In school, art & English classes were my absolute favorite subjects because of the creativity aspect. I always thought outside of the box, because I loved being unique. Read more>>

Yasmeen Scarab

When I was around 7 years old, I began dabbling in learning about film. I knew that I wanted to make others happy and at a young age I’ve connected happiness with comedy shows/movies that genuinely made us laugh. I knew that thats what I wanted to do; to entertain others. The whole idea that I can be the reason that someone’s day was brightened just sat perfectly right with me. So that’s when I decided on a career path. As I became older, I started to go down the road to pursue acting. My whole purpose behind it was always to bring joy to others. Read more>>

Kirk Sloan

My mission is to capture the beauty and essence of the world through the lens of my camera, telling stories that inspire and evoke emotion. Inspired by a life-changing trip to Arizona at the age of 16, I have dedicated myself to the craft of photography, seeking to create meaningful and lasting images that resonate with people. I am committed to continuously learning, growing, and sharing my passion for photography with others, creating work that reflects both my personal vision and the unique moments I encounter. Read more>>

BEG1N

Growing up I developed my singing chops from my dad. He used to lead a lot of songs at my home church. I wanted to emulate his dynamics as a singer. I enjoy singing as well as dancing. What made me want to become an artist was watching Usher perform. He’s been my biggest inspiration. 8701 was the first CD that my parents bought for me as a youngin. Read more>>