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.
Teri Adams-Fjellman
For the past 19 years, I have had my own creative business. Meeting the most amazing people. The Hospitality/Live Event industry at that time was very recession proof and thriving. Going into 2020, it was going to be the best year I have ever had. Events were booked solid for 16 months! My daughter decided it was the perfect time for her to officially become my business partner. On March 17, 2020 we were getting ready for our first live event of the season. We were prepping for an art experience of over 75 attendees. Read more>>
Wilfredo Collazo
I love being an artist and i love being a creative honestly. I’m not even sure who I would be if wasn’t those things but it’s even funnier that I didn’t even fully grant myself those titles until recently. I personally held those titles in high regard because I was comparing myself to other artists, no different than folks do on social media today. Truly finding and focussing on your own style and lane can be half the battle sometimes. As I got older and more annoyed with the social media expectations that come along with being a artist/creative in the internet age, Read more>>
Lexis Krieg
I’ve been balancing the freelance artist/business owner/stay at home mom gig for the last 6+ years. And I am still envious of the stay at home moms who are exclusively raising their children. I am envious of the working moms who get to leave all day long and go do their work. As a stay at home mom who is also trying to run an art business, I feel like I am straddling two worlds. I have friends who are home with their kids exclusively and I have friends who work full time. Read more>>
Amanda Marie Abram
I am extremely happy to be an artist. I LOVE what I do. Every now and then I will yearn for a regular job because it can be easy and I don’t have to make constant business decisions, but then I remember I like to make my own schedule and do things my way and on my time. Plus I get bored with repetitive work. Nothing is wrong with a traditional job, I’m just not a good fit for a traditional job. I have tried. I have never been able to keep a job for more than 2.5 years until I started my business. I love variety, change, and to constantly push my creative limits. Read more>>
Emilie Marchand
I love my jobs. Make no mistake. I’ve been officially, fully self-employed for several years now but have spent most of my adult life pursuing my creative dreams. Of course, I’ve had to supplement this pursuit with jobs in retail, service industry, house cleaning… you name it. I finally worked up the courage to cut the cord with those jobs in order to fully devote myself to my goals as a small business owner and performer and have never looked back. Well… almost never. Read more>>
Cari Coleman
Happiness is a fickle beast. It comes from within. If you have a baseline of seeking joy and appreciating the small things in life, then your job will affect you slightly less. That being said, no way, no how, would I ever be in a soul sucking, corporate, 9-5 job that stifles creativity. The American workforce is underpaid, unappreciated, and serves to only line the pockets of corporate fat cats and bureaucratic shills. In my profession, I make the rules. Read more>>
Andrew (Ana’ Alu) Hollimon
Am I happy as an artist or creative? Short answer: ”yes”. Longer answer: “Life has offered and granted me innumerable opportunities, creating art that will live well beyond my years is more than gratifying. From work in MILITARY INTEL (SIGINT, ELINT) with the reward of Top Secret Security Clearance, through the attainment of an MBA, through years as a Fortune 250 corporate Human Resources Manager, and the culmination of a rewarding life as a Business Administration Department Chair, I have experienced the best and worse in life. None of my pre-art experiences match the creation of an art piece that draws my closing thought….I like it. Read more>>