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.

Heather Weller

believe that most people view creative people as happier and while that is the case for some, not everyone is the same. I wish I could lie and say I am a happy person because of my art and my choice to pursue creativity as a career but I am not. People don’t realize that this life isn’t easy. Read more>>

Alex Park

So let’s start off with this…I am very happy with what I am amble to create as an artist through food, as a Chef, my work is edible and delicious! I have been doing this for almost 20 years and wouldn’t bat an eye, I have done tech in the past, but that was boring and uneventful as far as getting my creative side out. Read more>>

Alex Weinstein

Am I happy as an artist? Easy one: Yes. I feel incredibly fortunate to make my own decisions and follow my instincts into and out of projects. That said, like anyone, I have a life filled with doubts and insecurities, failures and successes large, small and in between. I am consistently amazed that anyone is interested and/or supportive of what I do and that feeling is complicated. Read more>>

Nathan Owens

I couldn’t be happier pursing my dream as a comedian. When you first start comedy obviously you need other employment so I got a taste of the 9-5 working sales. I couldn’t stomach it. I realized then that a job that didn’t fulfill me artistically wasn’t going to work. I saw incredibly hard working people that were able to clock in and out, enjoy their co-workers, and support their family but that’s never been how I’m built. Read more>>

Kristin Thorsen

I am incredibly happy as an artist and can’t imagine doing anything else. Being creative isn’t just my career, it’s who I am at my core. I’m extremely Read more>>

Emily Kidd

It is a wild life, that’s for sure! At this level, in Nashville, you are so beholden to the venues and booking agents and sometimes you don’t know when or where your next gig is going to be coming from, but so many of us have discussed this and why we do it…we can’t explain it but we just have to. It’s just a part of who we are, being on stage is so painful sometimes, especially in Nashville where many people don’t appreciate the music we love anymore but it is something inside us and we can’t help but love it Read more>>

Hannie May

I am quite happy living my life as an Actress, despite the up and downs and always existing challenges. I guess I’ve always had this instinct as early as I could remember, that I could never take an office job for life. My mom worked in an office until her retirement and somehow I always had this feeling that I would not want to do that. So I decided quite early on that my career would not be one that needs to go to the same office space every single day. Read more>>

Chunbum Park

I believe that the path that I took as an artist is a gift to me, which is why I would not exchange my life trajectory with another person’s. My happiness as an artist comes down to three factors: whether I enjoy the process of creation, what is the quality or the outcome of the work, and how it is received or evaluated. There is no question that I enjoy the process of painting, photography, and modeling very much. Read more>>

Ron Placone

Yes. Definitely. I think of the concept of happiness quite often, actually. What does it mean to be truly happy? That’s a question that philosophers have pondered for centuries and there have been countless books about it so I’m not about to wax-philosophy on it too much here but the short of it is that I think about the concept regularly and each time I reach the same conclusion: Yes, I’m happy. Read more>>

Yuri Byun

Yes, I am happy as an artist. Read more>>

Paulann Egelhoff

Being an artist has its pros and cons. Sure, I don’t have a boss telling me what to do, but that means I have to figure out what to do on my own. Sure, I don’t have to sit through a performance review and hope for a raise, but that means I have to set my own prices and guess at what my clients will think is fair. It’s a lot of work. I typically put in a good 8 or 10 hours every day the same as I would if I had a regular job. Read more>>

Irina Madan

I have always admired artists who can create from peace of mind and those who do not lose themselves on the road of life. There are artists who create from peace of mind, and there are those who create from turmoil of the soul. I believe I feel more inspired and become more creative when I experience difficulties in life. Read more>>

Christopher Hancock

This question is interesting because I am both an artist and a full time employee. In my opinion, today’s economy forces a lot of actors to have a full time job while making time for their creative work. After graduating college, I started working full time and later decided to pursue a career in acting, which has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Having financial security allows me to focus on my craft without worrying about expenses/surviving. You need money to be an actor because it is not a lucrative career until you’ve made a name for yourself. Read more>>

Sharon Shapiro

I think about this reasonably often! I have moments when I feel it would be easier to be something else or do something else for work. But the truth is, I’m just not made that way. That doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes envy how some people can live perfectly whole and happy lives without making art. Read more>>

Dom Lay

As a creative I have always loved the idea of pursuing this passion for the arts. Initially it wasn’t something I had in mind, but over time, my path gradually molded into it. Overall I would say I am quite happy as a creative now, than I was during the process of becoming a creative. Mostly because of the amount of hours, struggle, and dedication put towards developing the craft. Read more>>

Ernest Tsosie

Yes, I am very happy as a performing artist in the mediums of acting, stand up comedy and motivational speaking. Read more>>

Pea Tota

Bend Read more>>

Mariah Seales

I am so happy with my life as a creative! Choosing to pursue a creative life has opened so many doors and so many opportunities outside of painting. This year alone, I’ve worked on an upcoming feature film as an Art PA, I’ve spent time as a personal assistant to one of my favorite R&B singers, I recently got back into live sound engineering, and next week I’ll be on hitting the road as the tour manager for one of my favorite singing groups. Read more>>

Zadra

It’s not easy starting your business in the music world. I’ve certainly wondered what it’d be like to have a regular 9-5 job before, as the start of this creative path is real rocky. Ultimately I just stuck to doing my thing until it finally smoothed itself out and as much as sometimes it feels like a lot of work, working crazy hours and extended periods of time, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Read more>>

James Hereth

Honestly, it’s always a struggle to be a creative. But I’m driven to it, and I wouldn’t be happy pursuing anything else. The feeling my creativity mostly instills in me is pride. Not everyone can do what I do, so it feels a little special. As a writer I want to be imagining, generating, and sharing stories with audiences as often as I can manage. Read more>>

Melanie Stimmell Van Latum

My parents both had what most would call a ‘regular job’. They both worked graveyard shifts and took a ton of overtime to make sure my brother and I had all we needed growing up. But when I look back, they were both really creatively talented people stuck in these non-creative roles. So when they saw my love for drawing – they encouraged it. When I said I wanted to go to art school they helped in every way they could and I’m so grateful for that. Read more>>

Melly Black

What makes me happy as a artist I get to express the way I’m feeling through music & to have people relate to my music makes me happy Read more>>

Ell Treese

As an artist, I’m happiest when I’m creating, but I’m also processing a lot of intense emotions while I paint. I think the happiness comes from being able to tune everything out and just feel no matter what comes up. It’s a very meditative process and a spiritual experience for me. I do find myself struggling sometimes with the life of an artist. Read more>>

Ashley Scherer

Being an artist, to me, is much more complex than gaining joy from capturing a beautiful image. The act of creating is a necessity, it’s a means of coping and processing through all of my emotions, experiences and traumas. It is a very dark, lonely moment of reflection when coming up with my conceptual designs. Read more>>

Erin Brown

I love being an artist. I do wonder what having a “normal” job would be like sometimes. The security and routine of a “normal” job sounds nice, but I love being my own boss and connecting with clients on a more intimate level. I do not see myself sitting in a chair all day. Read more>>

Debbie Onyibe

I find immense happiness and fulfillment in my role as an artist or creative individual. I believe that creativity is a unique and powerful gift, akin to the act of creation itself. In this sense, I see myself as a conduit for ideas and expressions that originate from a place of inspiration, much like the biblical figure Bezalel who was filled with the spirit of God to create. Read more>>

Anna Quach

I am beyond happy and grateful to be an artist and creative professional. I feel very blessed to be able to do what I love and have the opportunity to play a part in people’s lives by creating things for their homes or special occasions. In addition, my career allows me to collaborate with like-minded, talented, and passionate artists in the wedding, graphic design, and home design industries on a daily basis. Read more>>

Sarah Prescott

I find myself lucky to have the best of both worlds in my professional life. While working full time and remotely as a graphic designer, I”m also able to devote time to my art/small business. Personally I believe that this system makes me happiest and keeps me from burning out as a creative. I also find that this situation helps me feel less stressed overall as I’m not relying on my art form as my sole source of income. Read more>>

Sonja Kreisel

It’s an odd question being asked if I am happy being an artist or creative as it’s like asking – are you happy to be you? Yes, I am. I have always loved drawing, painting and making things. I just never knew that this could be a profession or even a career. I quit being a creative when I left school as I didn’t think I was good enough to become an artist or to pursue an artistic career. Read more>>

Octavia Cohen

I am really happy as a creative. I am happy that I can fully function in my passion without the pressure of a company’s policy and procedure of time management according to labor laws. I appreciate that time freedom and fluidity so that I am fully attentive to create. Read more>>

Vanessa Martinez

Overall, I would say I am happy to be an artist. Despite the doubt others may have in my career choice, going into this field I knew what was most important to me was doing something I am passionate about. Art is my calling, and having the ability to keep on practicing what I have loved doing since I was young is a true blessing. Read more>>

HADEE

That’s an interesting question. The short answer is no. With no disrespect to a career path that could be considered more traditional. The longer answer is, I think every artist has experienced some form of doubt in themselves. The ones who atleast have most likely used this feeling as fuel for continuing to further develop their skills. Read more>>

Luke Ryan

I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I do often think about my friends who have “regular” jobs. They have stability and a home base and routine and as soon as I begin to envy them I remember how lucky I am to have been brought into this world to create something so special, so meaningful, and so empathetic. I had a voice teacher that once explained to me how artists and creatives are living in a different world than the rest of the population.  Read more>>

Anastasia Borovich

I believe this is an important topic to highlight because more often than not, having “a regular job” and being a creative are viewed as mutually exclusive options, with the strong implication that if you want to be an artist, you have to give up everything else to be able to work on your craft, and, similarly, if you want to have any semblance of stability, you must focus solely on doing something “practical” while completely abandoning any creative pursuits you may have. Read more>>

Frances Hahn

I became an artist after working in interior designer for a number of years working for a architecture and then an interior design studio. I was lucky enough to carve a full time practice out for about five years before returning to a “regular” job after making the decision that it was a lot of pressure on my creative process to exist as a full time artist and single parent. Read more>>

Amber Costilow

Overall, I’m happy as a creative. My work is personally fulfilling, and I have a lot of authority and autonomy over what I do. I get to take power naps, go to the beach, work out, or run errands while other people are at their 9-5 jobs. If I want or need to take time off, it’s fairly easy to find coverage. Read more>>

Gabriel Sanchez

As an artist, I’m really happy being creative. Sometimes I wonder what having a regular job would be like, but what I love most is the freedom that comes with being an artist. It’s not just artists – everyone wants that freedom. Whether you’re starting a business or going your own way, we all want to do our best and set our own rules. Nobody likes others telling them what to do. Read more>>

Raquel Adler

I am thrilled and proud knowing I can call myself an artist. This year, I have dedicated more time to honing my craft as one of the many recipient artists of the new Creatives Rebuild New York program, offering thousands of artists grants and job placements within the artistic field for New York artists. I am eternally grateful to be given this opportunity for artists; it has truly changed my life this past year. Read more>>

Bernard Dellario

I am very happy as a artist/teacher. I had a full time career as a CPA and finance professional for almost 40 years. During that time, I developed my art and advanced as much as I could. Upon retirement I can now fully focus on my artistic development and have also gotten into teaching both in person and through online platforms. That has really opened up my exposure. Read more>>

Keiko Tanabe

A while ago I was having a conversation with someone I met at a social event. I had just started painting as a full-time artist so I introduced myself to him as an artist when he asked me what I do. His response startled me a bit because it was not what I expected to hear. He said, “no, no, no, that is not what I mean. What do you do for a living?” Read more>>