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.

Michelle Terris

For the most part I am happy as a creative. I get to work on projects with teams that inspire me, I make my own schedule, and I’m living the life I want to be living making art. I do find myself wondering, especially after the pandemic, what it would be like to have a regular job. It would be nice to know that I would be making a certain amount of money each year and it would arrive on time as scheduled. It would also be nice to have the benefits that come with a regular job. I wish there was more support for freelance artists. Read more>>

Paula Lauzon

I am extremely happy to be a Creative Artist. I began as an Actor in Hollywood, and built my foundation there, working my way to being a Film and Music Video Director as well as an Acting Coach and Casting Director. I don’t feel having a ‘regular job’ is conducive to someone in this Industry. We think, act, learn and do things MUCH differently than in the Private and Public Sector. I’ve had those jobs for well over thirty (30) years. Read more>>

CONSEQUENC3

My music is the thing I’m the most passionate about. I can’t compare the fulfillment making music gives me to anything else I’ve done in my life, it is definitely the reason I get out of bed most days, and the reason I stay out so late having fun. I’m about the furthest thing from a nepo baby so I still have a “regular” job that I work full time during the week. I’m lucky that my hours give me the flexibility I need to be able to pursue my music and stay creative. Read more>>

Emma St. Jude

There is a love-hate relationship with being ‘happy’ in the entertainment industry. As someone who got her degree in Music Business and graduated a short 4 months ago, a “real job” is always in the back of my mind. It is a constant battle between being happy and feeling outwardly successful, as I have found enjoyment in focusing on my music career out of college but always with the looming fear of if I made the wrong choice or if I will be able to financially support myself. Something that has made me find some real happiness is knowing there isn’t a specific path when you graduate out of college that you must attain. Read more>>

Soul Tayshi

I personally believe that doing what you love for a living is one of the best things ever. As a creator i’m my own boss and that allows me the creative space and freedom that I need to be successful. A downside to this is your passion now feels like work instead of fun sometimes but if you truly enjoy what you do then you don’t mind it. I’ve had regular jobs before and I still have to pick one up from time to time which sucks because I’d prefer to be at home doing what I love. Read more>>

Joy Veluz

Are you happy as an artist or creative? Yes, I can’t imagine my life not being able to do what I love; teaching movement is all I know and I realize the privilege I have being able to do that. Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a regular job? For context, I think of a regular job as something corporate as in a 9-5, sitting in an office, etc. I think about this about 10,000% of the time (hah!) For people that know me well, I often joke how I would be the one in the office that is super distracting (e.g. talks too much, always fidgety, the first to ask to leave for lunch and/or happy hour). Even though I ruminate about a regular job, I always think back to how much I enjoy choosing the work I want to do and also being really proud about figuring out how to make things work logistically and financially. Read more>>

John Martinez

We have found our success comes from within. We’re a fully independent band that’s put ourselves on the road from coast to coast, recorded produced and released all our music ourselves and played well over 100 shows all well only being together for the last two years. We know we have what it takes to play and put on a show and we’re trying to elevate and push ourselves to make it our day jobs. Read more>>

Brad A. Kinnan

As a freelance film director, producer and photographer, I find unparalleled joy and fulfillment without having a quote on quote, “normal job”. I was fortunate to begin my journey as a creative working on working on some incredibly inspirational projects that encouraged me to stick on the road less traveled, namely Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, ‘Lost River,’ right after graduating college. The individuals I met on set spurred me towards Los Angeles, and since moving here I’ve contributed to several Hollywood productions and founded my own production company, DYNMC Creative. Read more>>

DongHyun Han

“Fuck the man, until we are the man.” I was 16 when I heard that phrase. It was when I quit school and did not know what to do with my life. Most of my time was spent digging through articles online and in magazines. I was looking at clothes, thinking, “I could probably make something better than that.” That’s when I learned there was a profession called “Designer.” Read more>>

Maddison Bullock

In the realm of creativity, the quest for happiness is a profound and enduring journey that I’ve had the privilege to embark upon. One of the most intricate challenges that both I and many of my esteemed colleagues face is discerning when to detach from our art and when to pour more of our very essence into it. It’s akin to a delicate dance between passion and pragmatism, a balance that every creative soul strives to master. For me, the true joy lies in navigating these intricacies, in the exhilaration of solving this ever-present conundrum. Read more>>

Sylvia Cohen

I have always known I would be an artist. I did however take on a few full time positions before committing to being a full time artist. after my BFA in Visual Arts, I realized I would need to make a living doing something other than painting. I got a degree in Fashion Design and worked as a fashion designer for many years. This was a good compromise for still doing something creative and getting a salary. So I don’t have to wonder what it would have been like to have a full time job. I did wonder throughout my career what it would be like to be a full time artist. I took the plunge ten years ago, and never looked back! Read more>>

Christopher Catalano

This is an age old question for me as an inspiring musician. I was just joking with a friend, “Why couldn’t we have just been into cars?” The answer is yes and no. Over the past year and a half I have been on a new career journey. Last year I quit my day job at a hotel to become a full time musician and freelance camera person. For anyone who is a freelancer i’m sure you know it is not the most lucrative job in the beginning, its quite the opposite. SO I find myself in a place a lot of creatives find themselves in, which is unhappy, broke, tired and filled with cold brew. Read more>>

Aaron Kim

As individual an endeavor this is, I realize there is an inherent responsibility tied to being a creative. A peer I met during my time at UCLA once told me something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. She said no matter what—keep painting and keep creating, because this world will do whatever it can to beat it out of us. Hearing that completely changed the way I looked at art—MY craft and MY passion. It’s not about me! Calling yourself an artist is an act of defiance and many aren’t willing to take the risk. Those who do, then, become solely responsible for the preservation of creativity and interpretation, of the human element. Read more>>

Tanielle Childers

I am most happy as an artist and creative. It’s the lifeline to my most authentic and happiest self. I also work part-time as a graphic designer, and while I do find enjoyment in design, my heart is most at home creating art and writing poetry about my life journey. Read more>>