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.

Dain Kim

Even though it’s very hard to be a full-time artist sometimes, I never doubt my decision to have a career as a creator. When I’m going through a difficult time and lose all my confidence as a painter, I have asked myself: “Why did I choose such a difficult job?” It can be so lonely, and I have to take all the responsibility for whatever actions I make, even when I don’t really know if I’m doing the right thing. Read more>>

Joe Holt

I have that thought multiple times a day. I do in fact have a “regular job;” I work as a personal trainer. But even that has similarities to music: it requires self-promotion, and initiative, in a way that a salaried position wouldn’t. It is also inconsistent, just like music, and I have some excellent and busy weeks followed by dry spells. Read more>>

Giovanna Ferri

I am so much happier working as a creative than I have been in any other job. I used to manage a specialty coffee shop in NYC and although I loved the environment and my coworkers, I hated having to meet sales goals and having to be so focused on the numbers all the time, whether it was labor costs, cost of goods or upselling, it just wasn’t for me. I love promoting products that I actually love and use myself in my creative business because I myself am using them every day so it just feels very natural to me, vs at a sales based job having to constantly upsell people who have already told you what they want. Read more>>

Anna Cuffari

I am both a creative entrepreneur as well as a full-time corporate employee. For me, having a consistent income was important and necessary. After I graduated with my degree in Dance, I had no guidance as to how to live the life of a Freelance Dancer in NYC. Now I know that being a Freelance Dancer/Artist really means you are most likely also other things. Read more>>

Kathy S. “WhiteBear” Copsey

I’ve been working since I was 13 years old, starting with my own musical instrument repair and art businesses, and I’ve had many different jobs throughout the years. It wasn’t until about 4 1/2 years ago that I was able to switch to being an artist full-time instead of part-time, but even though I also recently restarted custom picture framing part-time as well due to financial challenges, I am grateful for the experiences I have had with all of my different jobs, Read more>>

Skye Livingston

I constantly wonder what my life would be like if I had a regular job. The clarity of a traditional career path with more straightforward tasks and duties, built-in routine and structure, the greater population generally understanding and recognizing what I do as actual work with inherent value, and of course regular paychecks and more financial stability are all incredibly tempting arguments for me to quit my creative work and sign myself up for a regular job tomorrow. Read more>>

Riccardo Gresino

Thank you so much for having me today. Yes, I’m really happy and I definitely feel that I live to do this. I always love adventures and challenges, which is the daily part of a musician’s life that works for the sake of art. After finishing high school, I was confused about what was coming next. In my first semester of university, as a geology student in North Italy, I decided to invest all of my energy and life fully in music. Read more>>

Conan Karpinski

It’s funny, that word “regular”… It sort of implies that as artists, what we do is special, and that other non-artistic professions out there are, well, not. They’re just “regular,” as you put it. I’m not singling you out; it’s a term we hear a lot in the industry: ‘Friends quit music to get regular jobs,’ or ‘When are you going to stop and get a regular job?’ or my favorite, ‘Do you have a regular job that supports your art?’ Read more>>

Holly Graham

Having held many “regular” jobs in my lifetime, I can honestly say that I have never felt more fulfilled than I do creating art for a living. That doesn’t mean that it’s the easiest job, or the one that is more convenient. It is definitely not either of those, but nothing can replace doing what your are truly meant to do. Read more>>

Serkan Altinoz

I embarked on my artistic journey with the belief that it would lead to greater happiness, but over the years, I’ve come to realize that true happiness comes from within, not from external factors like one’s profession. However, when it comes to why I became an artist, the answer is simple: it’s the one thing I’m truly passionate about. Read more>>

Olivia Spinazola

I am so happy being a creative. I LOVE living unconventionally because anyone can know who I am by looking at the aspects of my life. I live ultra-me. My life experience has transformed into breaking out of the ordinary that exists all around us. One thing people don’t realize about being an artist is that most people you come into contact with will try to steer you away from making art (mostly out of good hearted concern or because they just don’t get it.) Read more>>

Cameron Atkism

Now that I’ve been pursuing my dream for long enough, I can honestly say that there is nothing more freeing than living life as a creative. Furthermore, being able to make money and potentially paying your bills from your art may be the most validating version of work/labor that exists. As an artist who still has a 9-5, I see both sides of the spectrum. Read more>>

Fairy Tale Entertainment

We are definitely happier as artists. We all still work regular jobs in order to support our passions in creating art and music, but having an outlet that we can pour our thoughts, feelings, and full creativity into makes the jobs we work a lot more bearable. We express to each other often how amazing making music feels, and we believe that if we weren’t artists, life would feel boring. Not much would change, but there would be a lot less for us to do. Read more>>

LuvLi

What is funny about this… is that I LITERALLY just asked myself this question a week.. week and a half ago. The irony is.. I still have a “9-5”, so the question I had thought about was more like: What would my life currently look like/be like IF I did not write the single that put me basically on the map!?! I was driving, as I do, because the Sun finally broke and it reached the 50’s (you know any flash of heat… will have us outside talking about .. Read more>>

Ron Godfrey

I am happier with being an artist/creative. I am an actor. I don’t think about what it would be like to just have a regular job because I work a regular job in addition to being a working and paid SAG actor. I don’t have that thought because my ultimate goal is to be a full-time actor. Read more>>

Savithri Srinivasan

Yes, I am very happy being an artist and doing what I do. And Yes, I do sometimes think what if had a regular job? To give you more insight, I quit my job as an Assistant Vice President of an ITES company to pursue my passion. It wasn’t easy, as I did not get that kind of money to start with. But every time I have that thought, I realize that may be I would have earned a lot more doing the same old monotonous job that I was doing for years, with all those late night calls and meetings, racking my brain over escalations, madly chasing targets and timelines, Read more>>