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.

Alexandria Scott

Ever since I can remember, making art has been my main hobby. More often than not, my parents could find me drawing a picture with my crayons or dabbling in watercolors given to me for Christmas. Creating has always felt less like a hobby and more like a way of life for me— something that I could never live without. Read more>>

Cathy Newman

I’ve had “real” jobs. Office jobs, assistant jobs, side-hustles like house and pet- sitting and they are all fine, and I appreciate the income and some sense of stability, but they are kind of soul-sucking.

The times when I’m most fulfilled and at peace are when I’m working on new material (or re-visiting old) for auditions and ultimately booking and doing creative theatre work. Read more>>

Angela E Blaha

I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this very question, and for me, the answer is clear: I’m happiest as an artist. The moment I pick up a brush, I’m in my true zone of genius. It’s almost like stepping into a different world—one where time doesn’t exist, and I can fully channel energy into something tangible. I don’t just paint; I open portals. It’s like I tap into this flow of energy, and that energy transfers directly into the work. My paintings are far from just images on canvas. They’re portals—windows into other realms—that can shift the energy of a room, a home, even a person. Read more>>

Sam Eli Snyder

I am someone who has experienced mental disability since I could remember, I’ve hallucinated all my life and this is what I believe to be a core factor in how I was shaped as an individual. I was a great student on paper until my high school career and suffered from parents who moved us around almost yearly – and we weren’t military. This left me to fend for myself as the oldest child of three as I grew, I had a significant lack of peer connection even though I tried. I was raised in multiple school systems so I saw everything, from the worst to the best, like students fighting and dying in the bathrooms I hid out in the day before, to being greeted by a trio of girls in the library, a scene straight from a YA novel and my dream friend group. My high school career ended in a mental care facility home for youth under 18 and still went back to graduate, next to my cousin in a small town in Kentucky. Read more>>

Jill Skousen

There are definitely days I wonder what it would be like to have a regular 9 – 5 again. I got my degree in interior design and worked at a respected design firm for a while before I decided to take a leap and start my own creative business. It was a scary, but exciting choice. Honestly, it was one of those “choose your hard” moments. The structure and consistency of a salaried job was comfortable, but I craved more creative freedom and flexibility than it could offer. Read more>>

Megan Lagueruela

I’m in year 7, fully self-employed and wake up grateful every day. I am in a unique situation of still maintaining a relationship with my former corporate employer and often do contract work for them. It’s a win/win as I have a (smaller) steady income stream and the freedom to create my own work. Read more>>

Elin O’Hara Slavick

Is anyone really happy? At best, we have prolonged moments of joy and euphoria. Our hearts fill with pleasure from love, or we are satisfied by an exquisite meal. I can’t imagine being anything else other than an artist. I am compelled to make things all the time – from daily collages, sometimes paintings and drawings, books, videos, and always photographs. As a photographer trained in the darkroom, I used to carry my cameras with me everywhere I went – all over the world and even to the grocery store. Now, we all have iPhones and social media has become an instant gallery. I have over 57,000 Instagram posts (not that I am necessarily proud of that) that I do in the spirit of making as a generous act of sharing visual pleasure. Read more>>

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I’m definitely happier as a creative. Being an artist is not just something I do—it’s who I am. But yes, there are moments when I wonder what life would be like if I had taken a more conventional path. One moment stands out vividly.

I was working as a Scenic Artist on the Hollywood sci-fi series Sense8, and I had been tasked with painting an image of Jean-Claude Van Damme on the side of a van that was being used as a prop. It sounds glamorous—and it was exciting—but behind the scenes, it was grueling. I was under pressure, with time ticking, heat blazing, and a team relying on me to make that artwork pop on camera. Read more>>

Kendra Chantelle

I am truly meant to be a creative/entrepreneur. I get really stifled doing the same thing every day and I love a forever changing work scape.
Some weeks, I teach many voice lessons and work on some affiliate marketing content. Other weeks I do recording sessions and sing on records for major artists or film a performance video or have a show. Some weeks, I do all of the above! Some weeks… none of it falls. I thrive in the variety and I never feel bored. Read more>>

Astrid Preston

I always drew and painted, but only realized when I graduated college that the only thing that would never bore me was making art. Over time I realized that I was not happy unless I was being creative and that the challenge of engaging with visual ideas, feelings and the history of art was essential to that. Read more>>

Olga Denisova

Being an artist is the hardest job I know — if you can live a normal, stable life with a regular job, do it and keep creativity as a hobby! But some of us, like me, are just too far gone. I can’t live without creating, even if that means forgetting what a steady paycheck or predictable schedule looks like. The last time I imagined having a “normal job,” I laughed, then cried a little, then went back to editing photos at 2am. So yes, I’m happier as a creative — tired, chaotic, but happy. Read more>>

Emma

I’m really happy as an artist. The only regular job I’d like would be in a writers room. And I suppose that wouldn’t be all that regular, it would just be in an office setting. Right now, I’m really enjoying working random jobs to pay rent and doing what I love for most of the time. They say do what you love and the money will follow, and I definitely think there’s truth to that. No one’s going to pay you to do something they haven’t seen you do. Get good, put in your hours and people will want to hire you. Read more>>

Riley Burke

I am very happy with being an artist/creative. I’ve tried to hold down steady 9-5 (regular) jobs, and while I am able to do so in spurts, I have learned in my twenties that my personality and wiring are better suited to trust the uncertainty of a freelancer’s schedule and ebb-and-flow workflow. This lifestyle has definitely come with challenges that still surface in waves from time to time. One of my friends describes this type of career as a feast or famine endeavor, which has definitely been true, especially when I finally decided to take the leap and choose this route. At the same time, the flexibility and risk taking have paid off personally and professionally. Read more>>

Jenny Tam

Art and creativity feel like oxygen. It keeps me alive, thoughtful, and connected to humanity and myself. I love the feeling of being challenged as a creator and actress. I enjoy how it makes me feel and I can only hope that it evokes the same sense of connection for audience members and loved ones who take the time to witness my process and art. It keeps me youthful, imaginative, and yes, happy. I have had ‘regular jobs’ and am still seeking ‘regular jobs’ to sustain myself financially, but I can not give up art– not in this lifetime. Read more>>

Jocelyn Padilla

Without a doubt, I’m happiest when creating—whether it’s through acting, working as an intimacy coordinator, or coaching someone on reconnecting with their sensuality and joy. I’ve wanted to be an actress since I was a little girl. I still remember being completely enchanted by Tim Burton movies—there was something about his characters’ whimsy, weirdness, and emotional depth that made me feel like there was space for me in that world. That magic pulled me in and I never let it go. Read more>>

Alisha Jones

I’m the happiest and most anxious I’ve ever been and I believe most creatives + freelancers will say the same!

I thanks my stars regularly, but I’m happiest when I get to collaborate with fellow mongers, artists, and other creatives. Many moments of joy come from brainstorming new pop ups with chefs (unleashed from their kitchens and ready to play/cope during the pandemic), talking about color + composition with photographers, and advocacy + justice with florists. The life of a creative is one of the few paths (that I can think of) that allow the mind to meander and permit adults to play. Read more>>

Howard Lew

I’ve had regular jobs, and even when the jobs were decent, I was frustrated. Anything that was time away from my creative practice frustrated me. That being said, my advice is always to take every opportunity to learn your craft. A saving grace of a regular job can be having the chance to learn some aspect of your craft…whether that’s technical skills, teaching skills, or even just organizational skills. Read more>>

Agent Method

I am absolutely happier as a creative—but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. There are days when the idea of a regular 9-to-5 with a stable paycheck sounds like paradise. In this industry, consistency is rare. Even when you’re working with top-tier companies, nothing is guaranteed. You’ve got to be able to do a little bit of everything—sound design, content creation, video editing, voiceover, hell, even marketing and admin—just to piece together a livable income. And even then, you’re often flying without a safety net. Read more>>

Ayana Bey

I am happy as an artist/creative. I feel like it’s my God given purpose to be a creative. The arts fills me with so much joy and I in turn hope to do that for other people with the things I create and the works I get to be apart of. I have been in the arts and entertainment industry for 17 years and have thought about getting a “regular job” many times. I have never got a “regular job because things have always turned around just when I thought I had to go in that direction. Has it always been easy financially, no, but the piecing together of income has been worth it to me because I am in control of my own time. Read more>>

Euseon Song

To be honest, yes!!!! sometimes I do wonder. Especially when a project ends and the silence feels too loud, or when I face rejection after rejection during auditions. As an international student in LA, there are moments of deep uncertainty and loneliness. Read more>>

ADREANA

I have to say, there was a moment in my journey where I stated out loud, “I’m completely done with music & I do not want to sing. I only want to write & deal with production.” I knew very much so that was a deflection from not being able to handle the hardships & rejections that came with chasing the dream of music. In reality, I’m much happier, blindly chasing a dream out of pure faith, than I’d ever be resting in the safety of the outcome of never trying. My regular 9-5 job is even attached to my passion for writing & being able to connect through literature. I’ve been a 7th grade ELA teacher for 8 years now. Read more>>

Lauren Cohen

I’m super stoked to be an artist—it feels like it’s the only path I could take! When I moved to New York, I realized I had to get creative with how I approached my work. So, I started turning my part-time day jobs into raw material. One of my favorite projects so far is “Gallerina,” which was inspired by my time working at an art gallery in Chelsea. Before that, I had a pretty wild gig as a cue card girl for Saturday Night Live. Read more>>