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.

Ed Irmen

There are days as a self employed creative that I have absolutely no idea where my next paycheck is coming from. And that is incredibly frightening and sobering. I work as a Mural Artist but I have a background in production and art handling, which gives me a little more leeway in finding jobs or gigs. I am happy to answer to myself and hold myself accountable, but at the end of the day the thing that is most important to me is that I can set my own schedule. Sure some months are busier than others, but I don’t think I could ever go back to job where someone limits the amount of time I have to be at the job. Read more>>

Brycen Zolnick

I couldn’t be happier! I’ve found a love for DJing and performing that compares to nothing else. Aside from that somewhat obvious answer, the thing I love most about it is the ability to change and adapt what I’m doing. If I see something new I can do in my performing or in how I’m running the business I can implement them when and how I want. One of the most frustrating things from the regular job was never having the freedom to make these kings of changes. Read more>>

Brooke Stevens-Patrick

HA! I pretty much feel like I want to throw in the towel and get a 9-5 job every year. Running a small business is a lot of work. You wear many hats. Work longer hours than you want sometimes. You find out what kind of perfectionist you really are with some things and how personal everything becomes. You want to make sure every client is completely pleased with not only their products but their experience. You cringe at the word taxes. You put a lot of pressure on yourself. It can all be exhausting! Then you create something that brings your client to tears of joy or make a 17 year old girl feel beautiful for maybe the first time in their life and it is worth all of it. Read more>>

Meagan Boyd

I worked very hard to get to where I am and built my career as an artist from the ground up. I treated my career as a painter with the same tenacity and dedication one would put into a nine to five. But, it’s the only thing I could pour myself into fully. I was not made to serve a corporation. I am definitely not in my element working in an office setting. I am the kind of person who literally cannot work without a deep sense of purpose. Usually in the “regular job” situation, I end up feeling anxiety around simply being myself. It’s hard for me to censor myself all day in a work environment. I’m also happiest in work flow that is 100% creative and require a lot of time to rest and think and get inspired. Having too many restrictions is very difficult for me. Read more>>

Andy Mandujano

I am very happy with my advance thru the year, I never stopped. Event with the pandemic was really hard to go thru it, but we found a way around it. We dropped around 4 albums in pandemic. Read more>>

Jackson Heaton

Life in the entertainment industry is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. It has it’s ups and downs. There are days where you wake up feeling confident about your life decision and there are others where you question everything. Do I ever think about what a regular job? Hell yes haha. Most men in my family have been physicians, my brother is in finance, and my wife is in insurance. Stable careers for all! But would I ever trade for any of those? Never in a million years. Read more>>

Rudy Malinao

I’ve always pursued my passions even when I had a regular “day job,” but the day I decided to leave that job and work for myself full time is something I’ll never regret and always remember. I’m much happier doing what I love for a living. That cliche’ is true, even though it can be tough at times but I figure you’re going to suffer either way. I’d rather grind everyday and “suffer” at something I love doing, something that is my calling, than for someone else’s benefit or profit in most cases. I’ve never doubted my abilities, but it wasn’t until I quit that job that I realized I can really do this. That being said, it’s not for everyone. But for me, I knew what I was meant to do. Read more>>

J Bell

I am happier in being a creative because I work on my own time. I love having that freedom and time. Furthermore, I like getting paid to do what I love. I only challenge is if I don’t work I don’t eat. A lot of times you will have to depend on bookings, or shows to get paid. However, I look at it as the drive that keeps me going. I could never work a regular job because I know I have too much talent. It’s draining to do something an waste time sitting still. I think that’s how people lose their passion, by sitting behind that desk or be drained by that job they hate. Read more>>

Eurydice Eve

I was born a creator. I made icons of saints on driftwood as a toddler. I taught myself to read at age two. I lived in my imagination and communicated with Nature in psychic prelingual ways. So I have had no choice but to create all day every day. But I find that at every step of my path, I get tempted by success to fit in and repeat what I just did. The marketplace rewards and monetizes what it can name and put in a category, and Art is Unnameable, Prophetic, Futuristic, constantly changing along with the zeitgeist as it accesses the human condition decades ahead. Read more>>

Dyl The Killsmith

I’m an enigmatic type of artist. I graduated with a bachelors degree, which I never used. After college I have a 10+ year experience professionally in sales. That said, between my day job and building my music brand, I work 2 full time jobs. I am VERY MUCH happy as a creative and music artist, and I know I will be THAT MUCH MORE happier once I am able to dedicate to the craft full time. However, I am not naive enough to think I can live a successful lifestyle with my art until I’m making over 50K/year annually. Read more>>

Tony Wilson

A “regular job” is subjective, at least to me. Any job can be a regular job really, hell, I always thought an artist was a regular job. I’ve never been into “traditional jobs”! No nine to fives, clock in and clock outs, no hour logging or suit and tie wearing stuff. I’ve never thought of having one of those kind of jobs, I’ve always wanted to do something that allowed me to have the freedom to create what I want and to love what I create. Only once has there been an actual moment where I thought about settling for a traditional job, and that was in a moment of frustration and weakness. Read more>>

Mystix Mercury

In 3rd grade I decided that I wanted to pursue music and art, that is when I realized what makes me happy. Coming from a single parent house-hold with a tight budget, I realized I needed to be involved in school extracurriculars to get ahead. I became active with the Chorus club, Art club and classes. I sang for Spanish diplomats at Miami International Airport when their flight touched down with my chorus club. I got chosen to go to the Miami Beach Art Conference in 2002 with my Art Teacher. I was so fascinated with this music and art world I never thought of regular jobs. I only thought of ways I could become a part of that world. Read more>>

Chai Appling

I’d certainly say I am happy to be an artist. Utilizing one of my greatest skills as a human being gives me so much fulfillment in life, especially because of its effect on others. I am delighted that so many people have told me my art makes them emotional, or that it resonates with a specific part of them. I have often thought about what it would be like to have a ‘regular’ job. I think, for the most part, all jobs are special to those who specifically love their career field. For example, while a dentist may be considered a ‘regular’ job, perhaps there’s someone (or several people) out there who absolutely love being a dentist. It’s not regular to them, it’s something they love. Read more>>

Savannah Welch

I’ll answer with this: I don’t think I could have a regular job. As a TV reporter, my day consists of a million responsibilities, a number of hoops to jump through and a thousand fires to put out. Whether it’s running around the city, anchoring at the station, preparing a weathercast or memorizing facts last-minute for a live hit, my days are regularly chaotic. I’m a challenge-seeker, and I love it. Read more>>

Klara Chavarria

Yes, I am very happy to have chosen the creative path and my passion of being an artist & designer. With all it’s challenges, it is what I love the most and I feel I was born to do. Sometimes I do wonder If I had chosen another path, how would that be, but don’t we all? It is part of the journey and questioning all, but as a professional working artist, you also have to manage and take care of all the other sides of the business, as with any other job or company, The administrative and marketing side; adds a nice balance to my art career. Read more>>

Tanner Schmidt

Constantly learning & being able to express myself is what allows me to feel free and empowered. Although still working a “regular job” I always find time to satisfy my curiosity & explore new paths of creativity. I think that everyone should have creative outlets to let themselves free and explore skills they never knew they had. I’m still transitioning to a full-time creative artist I guess you could say and have become more and more motivated to move away from the conventional lifestyle of working a 9-5 and even living In one place. Read more>>

Rainey Rawles.

Absolutely. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve worked in the art field for the entirety of my professional career. I frequently have this conversation with other creative professionals, and ultimately we all come to the same consensus: we couldn’t imagine working a “regular job”. Deep down, I don’t think I could feel fulfilled if I wasn’t doing this kind of work. It’s just part of who I am. I’m always going to be a maker. Read more>>

Andrew McKee

I love having a freelance career as a creative, but it’s definitely not without its challenges as most who are honest about it would tell you. Having a regular job does cross my mind from time to time – steady income, hours, and benefits/retirement all have a strong allure when the number of projects on the horizon is thin. I’ve seriously considered this path as recently as a few months back towards the beginning of the year – I think most freelance musicians will tell you that January/February are “light” months for work as it is, and I just had 3 wisdom teeth removed so I couldn’t even think past the pain for a couple of weeks let alone work. Read more>>

Rebecca Proenza.

I have always been a creative person. I started writing my first book when I was 12 years old, but I wanted to pursue a career in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Big difference, I know. When I took Chemistry in college, I realized that I lost interest in pursuing Astronomy as a career, but I never lost interest in outer space. I love writing my stories and working on them with people. When my editor friends at Sphere of Compassion edit my books, it’s always a joy when I see that they’re enjoying my stories. Read more>>