Do you ever wonder what life would have been like had you chosen a more standard path? Does everyone have these doubts sometimes? We wanted to find out and so we asked as many talented artists and creatives as we could and have shared highlights below.

Nancy Hill

Well, I had a regular job for many years. At the time I loved the work, I was good at it, so it was very rewarding. I got into letterpress several years before leaving my old job. That gave me the time/opportunity to evaluate what I was getting out of each. It did not take me long to realize that printing was much more gratifying and I enjoyed planning and producing handmade work that is unique. I would not change a thing. There was and is continued risk in owning and managing a small business today but, it is worth it! Read more>>

Todd Debreceni

I think about this subject frequently. Every time I make a mistake, have a creative block, not be able to figure out a solution to a problem… I think some level of insecurity is the nature of being an artist, actually. Every time I walk onto a new set I feel like everyone is going to realize I’m a fraud. And then I lay down that first prosthetic edge flawlessly and the feeling goes away. But it’s always lurking in the shadows. I’ve been doing this for so long now, I’m not sure I’m employable in a traditional 9-5 job anymore. I’ve certainly had them – suit and tie every day, corner office. Read more>>

Glen Gauthier

I feel both luck and extreme gratefulness to be an artist/creative. It was a deliberate choice for me during my college years. I was in my first accounting class, wondering what on earth I was doing there. I was a business major because I couldn’t decide on a career path at the time. Art was second nature to me, but I had never seriously considered doing it professionally. I walked into the class on the day of the first exam, handed the class drop form to the professor in front of the class, turned and walked out. I’ve never looked back. Read more>>

Michelle Lamb

I’m lucky to have art be my regular job so that I can continually be happy regarding my work, albeit not so happy regarding its profitability. It is a quandary I often discuss with other artists and most recently with my daughter, a young artist who is wondering if personal art has to be a sideline gig while working for that steady “regular” paycheck with which to support not only one’s self but one’s art habit. Read more>>

Henry Bosak

When I am painting or creating any sort of art I am in my own world. Time stands still and I am focused on my art. I am utterly happy. I listen to people who are questioning their job choices or unhappy with what they are doing. I’ve asked myself, “What would you do if you didn’t paint or create art?” I have had regular jobs when I was younger. I worked in a grain elevator and I worked in a factory. Both were jobs that paid the bills but they were not what I wanted to do. In both cased, they were a temporary situation until I could find a job where I could use my artistic skills. I have been working as an artist/graphic designer/illustrator for over 35 years now and I would not change a thing that has gotten me to this point. Read more>>

Annie Dunn

In my previous jobs I kept trying to be creative. Not on purpose, it just came out. When I worked in retail I’d rearrange the products in some artsy way. When I worked in documentation I’d make pointlessly fancy charts. When I worked in IT I’d change all the icons and cursors and colors and such. When I worked as a programmer I’d compensate by coding on my own side projects. I’ve given the regular job thing a fairly thorough try, but I can’t turn this off. The creative impulse is always there. Read more>>

Nicholas Williams

Oh I’m very happy as a creative. I literally get off of work and get right back to drawing or designing. I do wonder what I could have done differently in life. Example: What if I stayed in the USMC and made a job switch to something I wanted such as Motor T or infantry. I recently got a call offer from the Army to rejoin (their age cut off is a lot older than the USMC so I was tempted). There are times when I’m working when I say to myself, Hey! maybe you should study IT or pick up a trade. Just in case this Design thing goes south. Usually when a company downgrades Marketing/Design employees are the first to be let go Read more>>

Mia Green

Yes, I’m very happy as a creative. I have had regular jobs and I know the pros and cons that they bring so I don’t think about what it would be like to have one. Honestly, I think about how blessed I am to not HAVE to have a regular job! Being creative allows me to use my talents to create content and products that highlight and support my business not someone else’s. I control my income. I control my intellectual property and determine its worth. That’s something that I was never able to do working a regular job. Read more>>

Katy Tartakoff

I absolutely love being a photo artist. It brings me tremendous joy while taking me all over the world. I began my photography career making portraits of children and families, generations, birth to death…. It has been an honor making portraits of people nationally and internationally – I get to meet some of the most amazing human beings on the planet. Over the past many years, I have added in more Fine Art Photography, including Milky Way, Moonrises and sets, Landscapes, Wildlife and Birds. Read more>>

Monique Layzell

Yes, I am happy to be an artist. I love that I can create such a unique style that is my own, and share my work for all to see. By showing my vision on what I see and feel and creating my art in a way that some will love and some wonder what they are seeing, I love that I grab people attention to look at my works. Read more>>

Kim Walker

I love “my job”! I have enjoyed being creative my entire life but to be a professional working artist is a dream come true. My son Robby was a child prodigy and to facilitate his educational needs I drove him first to a community college at age nine to take math and science classes as well as core classes and then to Arizona State University when he was just barely 12 years old where he ended up with a PhD in Computer Science and a minor in math. Read more>>

Brandon Young

I am very happy as a creative person. Especially that I have been able to create a living for my family be doing what I love. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a standard Salaried 9 to 5 job. There are great benefits to working for someone else, but in my opinion the the perks can be much more rewarding when working for one’s self. Read more>>