Is it natural to wonder what life would have been like had you chosen a different path? Is it common? We asked many artists and creatives from all over the country if they’ve ever wondered about whether they should have pursued a more standard career path to see what we could learn from their stories.

Natalia and The Hills

I am filled with joy and fulfillment as an artist. I live in a wonderful city that provides so many different opportunities and of a high caliber of artists and creatives. On the other side of that is the struggle to make enough money to live in this city. Read more>>

Anh Lê

I am content with the personal and professional growth I’ve undergone, and I am actively working to assert greater ownership and confidence in my creative endeavors. Read more>>

Clara Bach

I wondered if pursuing an artistic career was the correct choice for a very long time. Although it was safe, would it be the right decision? I wasn’t encouraged to pursue artistic interests in the educational system I was raised in. Read more>>

Xingze Li

I’m happy about the choice I have made to be an artist. But being an artist is perhaps not the best career to have if I want to stay happy. To me being an artist mostly is trying to solve all kinds of problems in the process of making art, and I am constantly concerned or worried if things go wrong or won’t turn out to be what I want. Read more>>

Yan Gu

Though I am at the very beginning stage of my career, I can say that I enjoy freelancing more than having a regular job. Being a freelance illustrator takes a lot of courage because the income can be very unstable compared to regular jobs. Read more>>

Siyan (Camille) Ji

As an artist, I find joy and fulfillment in expressing myself through visual art. It’s an enriching experience that allows me to explore my creativity and share my perspective with the audience. However, I believe art creation is inherently intertwined with society and the realities people face every day. Read more>>

Tiffany Brooks

I am extremely happy as an artist! It allows me to bring all my crazy and creative thoughts to life and think outside the box ! Read more>>

Kairis Rivera

As much as I love acting and performing, I have felt utterly low when in-between things. I am fortunate to have loved ones who believe in me when I struggle to do so, but the hard truth is that this has to come from within. Read more>>

Berto (Aranya) Borroto

I thrive most beautifully when I’m in a creative space. I have always felt that my calling has always been to be a storyteller. My passion is to create stories, art, performances, and to share that with my audiences. Read more>>

Graziano Molteni

I’m extremely happy with my job, largely because it started as a hobby and has evolved into a profession that supports me financially. It’s fulfilling, but unlike traditional employment, it doesn’t offer the same daily certainty or future security. Read more>>

Giselle Tate

Absolutely, I’m overjoyed as an artist! It’s true, there are days when the unconventional path of an artist can seem daunting compared to a regular job. But then, I remember the days when I was in that ‘regular’ job and I realize how much more fulfillment I get from being an artist. Read more>>

Justin Williams

Wouldn’t say happy, maybe more like content? I used to build swimming pools with a family run outfit. There ain’t nothing like busting your a*s for a 50 hour check that wouldn’t even pay for the yards you’re working in let alone a pool. Read more>>

Samantha McRae

I have constantly pursued “regular jobs” since I was 15. There was a part of me that was drawn to the security and predictability of a 9-5. I would romanticize the office life. I worked several service industry jobs, on and off, and I even went to Italy as an au pair. Read more>>

Alex Tully

I have had regular jobs before. I’ve worked at a preschool and a local organic food business, I’ve been a dog walker, and a legal secretary at a law firm. I enjoyed each of my jobs and am grateful for the experiences, luckily I had kind bosses at all of my jobs. Read more>>

Abigail Murphy

I’ve been an artist my entire life, first drawing with crayons and markers and pretending I could play Fur Elise on my keyboard; then into video making on cassettes, writing stories and plays, acting, directing, designing, cosplaying, and most recently into content creation and business. Read more>>

Robert Jackson

This is such a funny question but I think it comes from the movies portraying an anguished artist staring at a blank canvas, puffing on their cigarette, and sighing. I suppose I have certainly met my share of disgruntled artists over the years, but for goodness sake they should get another job and see how fortunate they are. Read more>>

Gisele Joves

Yes I am happiest as a creative. I have had many”regular jobs.” I have realized every time I have had a regular job it’s not as fulfilling as working on my own music and or acting roles. Read more>>

Cameron Busch

Frequently, like many creatives, I doubt my abilities, yet I always reaffirm that I wouldn’t want it any other way. As a self-taught ceramicist, I took the plunge into full-time entrepreneurship after just a year of learning the craft. Read more>>

Bonnie Quintanilla

Absolutely! Creativity has been a common thread through all of my career choices, from teaching third grade to starting and managing a successful marketing company, and now to embracing art completely as a fused glass artist. Read more>>

Kevin Krieger

First let’s make a clear distinction between being an artist and making art for money. I do both (most creatives do), but making art for money is intrinsically rewarding because you know someone is paying you to do it. Read more>>

Sofía Élan

I do think I would be way more successful in other fields. I am hardworking, detail-oriented, and possess a natural sense of leadership and teamwork, making me wonder if I chose the wrong path. Read more>>

Rán Flygenring

As I grew up, my parents ran a tiny architecture studio from home. To a seven year old me, their job seemed rather tedious: hunched over black-and-white line drawings while drinking excessive amounts of coffee, having lengthy discussions on window frames and their proportions, alternatively hosting work meetings or going on field trips waving their measuring tapes like magic sticks. Read more>>

Tia Daubas

Committing yourself to being an artist isn’t for the faint of heart, but it also isn’t a life you choose so much as it chooses you. Being a creative isn’t about what medium is used or the volume of work produced; it’s a profound way of life – a relentless pursuit of meaning, an endless quest for truth, and the magical act of bringing forth something from the void. Read more>>

Devin Dugan

I am very happy. I get to play make-believe for a living – how great is that? It’s amazing. Improv and comedy have given me so many wonderful opportunities and I appreciate every single one of them. Read more>>

Waifu

I graduted university with a degree in Engineering, and I worked as one for a while. While I enjoyed the job security, something always felt like it was missing. Read more>>

Doah Lee

I am currently doing both so I can pursue my music the way I want. Like anything else, music is same as starting a small business. You need capital and funding. Read more>>

Kevin Helm

Whenever you get to do what you love doing, it usually leads to lots of happy moments as a creative. There will always be ups and downs, that is just the reality of being a creative. Read more>>

Sirjarrette Sabän

As an artist, I’m pretty content, like a sketchpad on a lazy Sunday. Sometimes, though, I daydream about a more regular gig – you know, where coffee breaks are more common than creative blocks. Read more>>

Annie Griffeth

I love being a creative and would not trade it for any other job in the world, but being an entrepreneur and making that your career is a hustle that is not made for everyone. Read more>>

Kelson Thorne

I think most artists would admit there are times we question if the struggle that comes with being a creative is worth it. Especially in moments of adversity, but at the end of the day a creative’s soul craves the ability to do creative things. I could not imagine myself doing anything else, art was something I feel like I am meant to do. Read more>>

Mélyna Leclerc

As an artist and a creator at my core, I find immense joy in bringing my visions and ideas to life. It’s more than just a personal endeavor; I believe I have a responsibility to share my creativity with the world, as if I’m channeling these ideas for a greater purpose. Read more>>

George Ellzey Jr

I am now content. For years, I have struggled with finding fulfillment in my career based on external validation. I would tell myself, “If I got into this festival, made this accomplishment, connected with the right person, or received this award, I would be happy because everyone else would see my genius, and I would prove to people who doubted me that they were wrong.” Read more>>