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.

Michele Romeo

Working as an artist and musician is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my life. Admittedly, the path can be challenging at times. When you create your own work, producing new music content and working as a freelance musician, each day is unique. However, it sometimes takes a while to see the final results. I believe I can do what I do because I am very patient. Frankly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Making music and working in the music industry deeply motivates me. Whether performing, recording and mixing, or teaching, I strive to make a living and hope to eventually focus primarily on my own music project. Read more>>

Dan Spiffy Neuman

I have tried many times over the years to have a more conventional career. It has never worked out. I always end up coming back to music and ministry. I worry daily about things like being able to pay bills, being able to buy a house, but somehow everything has always worked out. The biggest issue is time. There are only so many hours in the day and creative work takes up most of them, plus just the administrative side of dealing with your creative content. Read more>>

Heidi Catherine

I think about having a regular job all the time! The thoughts range from “thank goodness I can go to a dentist appointment at 12pm on a Wednesday” to “wow, I really gave myself 5 jobs when I started a business, huh?”. Happiness is such a complicated emotion! For me, the battle for happiness is always financial stability vs. personal fulfillment. I’ve never been happy working a normal job doing the same thing, at the same place, at the same time every day – but knowing how much money I could count on every month was comforting. As a business owner, I get to choose exciting projects, change up my schedule as I please, and express myself through art every day – but all year I am thinking of the winter months when I will have next to no income.  Read more>>

Marcelo Maccagnan

I feel that being an artist is exactly where I am meant to be. I see many people and friends that either have a full time job or have been artists at one point and then given up to work as an accountant or something very stable, and I believe that is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, for me, I want to do one thing in this short life, and that is to do what I love. I am extremely blessed and privileged to be able to make money and survive by just working with music. Of course if I had a full time job I could be making much more money than what I am now, but I can’t never let go of the fact that this life is the only one I have, and I don’t want to get to the end of it not doing what I love. Read more>>

Rose Thor

Sometimes I question my decision to pursue my creativity as a means of income. I’ve always been a multiple-job person, perhaps because I entered my working life right after the 2008 recession, and building just one reasonable income from multiple jobs & gigs was the necessity for me at the time. Finding that I could make even a small amount of money off my creative projects was both a thrill and a tease. Selling a few self-published books to friends felt so far, though, from selling to strangers and having a reliable income. Over the years, I have had a couple “regular” jobs, and I’ve been so unhappy then. Read more>>

Parish Mandhan

I’ve never been happier than I am now, being an artist and doing what I love every single day. Working for myself is an incredible feeling, it’s empowering, fulfilling, and allows me to channel my creativity without constraints. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the path of a creative is far from easy. Making a living as an artist can be challenging, and finding your place in the industry takes time and perseverance. But the journey is absolutely worth it, no matter how long it takes. Read more>>

Dara Jendayi

I Am happier as a creative because that is what I Am meant to be. I am also navigating being a newly diagnosed Audhd (Autistic & ADD) adult, after being aware of my divergence since young. I work regular jobs on and off as I move around, and I have worked since 12years old. I have no issue working – I always say, I am a great worker but a bad employee. As an entrepreneur I am a brand developer and business systems creator; so I literally help people create systems to more efficiently take their ideas and brands to a level of organization where everything runs seamlessly. Read more>>

Ellerieh Lin

Two years ago, I left a regular job in order to become a singer-songwriter. I had been an educator for over a decade, and while I love working with students, there is joy in creating work that gives voice to my ideas. In recent years, I have become increasingly aware of my mortality and have realized that if I don’t pursue certain goals in the present, I may never get a chance to in the future. So I’ve given myself the opportunity to see how far I can travel along the path of a creative. I have no regrets. Read more>>

Jeremy Foley And Sara O’reilly

Sara: It’s funny because we actually just made a short film called My Little (818) Heart that asks this very question. It’s about a filmmaker who has lived in Los Angeles for ten years and her life is not what she imagined it would be. She’s been hustling and grinding away, but hasn’t achieved her ultimate goal of being a successful filmmaker. So she decides to “break up” with Los Angeles. And her best friend takes her on a magical adventure around the city to remind her why she fell in love with it in the first place. But at one point, she daydreams if life would be easier if she had a regular job. Read more>>

Elizabeth Conway & Frankie Maclaughlin

This question is really interesting, because we both work two full-time jobs; our jobs as creatives and our day jobs. If there’s anything we’ve learned in the past seven years of creating together, your full time job as an artist is trying to find a balance between making the art you want and making your rent. You’re always going to be working a million jobs to make ends meet, you’re constantly going to be searching for the perfect balance between flexible/financially sustainable, and you’re inevitably going to be working nonstop, all hours, for very little money to make the film/show/sketch/content you want to! Read more>>

Ningjia Zhai

For me, becoming someone involved in the arts feels like the best fate could offer. No one in my family works in the arts; they’re all in finance or other professions that are highly regarded in Chinese society. Growing up, this gave me a lot of pressure about what career I should pursue. However, my family has always given me a lot of freedom, especially by respecting my wish not to attend any art training classes. Read more>>

Oberon Zell

I have been happy as an artist and creator my whole life. Indeed, nothing make me happier! I have held several other jobs over the years, and they have been OK, but my heart and soul yearn to create! And so that’s what I do. Read more>>

Riley Swann

Being in a band like Blackheart Gypsy makes it VERY easy to be a creative, we have a “what if?” mentality with the songwriting process – basically that means that everyone is encouraged to put out the wildest ideas you can imagine. Personally, that’s what I feel like life is all about: expressing yourself creatively and honestly without any rules. It makes you a more well rounded person, I think. As for the idea of leading a “normal life”, all of us do that while being a part of the project. Some of our members are still in school, and some of us work full/part time to make ends meet… sadly, that’s the reality for most creatives! Read more>>

Ecenur Renkmen

As a director and cinematographer, I’ve often pondered this question. The pursuit of creativity brings a sense of fulfillment that’s incomparable, yet it’s not without its challenges. Being a creative means embracing uncertainty and living with a constant push to innovate, which can be both exhilarating and exhausting. I used to have a full-time 9-to-5 job, but it wasn’t the kind of job I wanted to have in my life as a creative person. After a few years, the job became monotonous and stifled my creativity and passion. I tried, but I realized I couldn’t work a regular 9-to-5 job. For me, being a director and cinematographer isn’t just a profession; it’s a way of life. Read more>>

Sabine Quetant

In 2021, I left a six-figure associate director role in the creative media landscape. While it was absolutely the right decision for me, there are some days when I think, “What I wouldn’t give to have that big corporate check in my account.” Most recently, I was up late after finishing a client proposal and sending follow-up emails to prospective clients; my next task was pulling together some social media posts to stay engaged and top of mind with my audiences—basically wearing all the hats at once, and I was just done.  Read more>>

Kira Shine

I’ve been on stage since I was 6 years old. I always liked performing on stage, receiving the energy of the audience, making people happy. After graduating from university, I got regular jobs: in a printing house, in a casino, in a restaurant. She worked as a real estate agent and earned very good money. But all this work was not for the soul. I always did any job well, but I was not completely happy.Therefore, at the age of 26, when I suffered a serious illness – I had a tumor in my head – I decided to go back to show business and do what I loved. Because when you do what you love, you don’t work. You are enjoying life. I really love creating music, images, content. I love making this world more beautiful.

Yura Sapi

Yes, my life’s purpose is an artist and creative; living in this purpose brings an endless well of happiness. After graduating with a theatre degree as an actor, I tried to go down a somewhat “regular job” path, getting another degree, this time in performing arts management. I worked in the office space of renowned theatre industry companies including The Public Theater and then Actor’s Equity Association. While I found the ideas of the work engaging, I quickly realized that the 9-5 office life wasn’t fulfilling for me, even within the arts and culture sector. Read more>>

Chloé Arnold

I am happier as a creative person. I believe I was born for this. Being creative in every aspect of my life allows me to express myself and my emotions as cliché as it sounds. It has always been hard to verbalize my feelings, especially in a comfortable setting. Feeling out of place, the black cat, if you will, in almost every environment and space I have been in takes a toll on you. When it came to the dance space and any environment centered around being a creative outlet, I instantly felt at home, peace, acceptance, and comfort. It took me a while to truly embrace where I belonged; it is almost as if the place where I knew it fit like a glove still didn’t feel like I belonged there. Read more>>

Vinlisa Khoeum

At this moment, I am navigating between working as an artist while also working a regular job. While I’m on this journey with music, I do have to be realistic about the challenges that come with pursuing a creative career. Having a regular job has been a motivating factor for me to work harder on my music since it constantly reminds me I’m not where I want to be. If anything, I see my regular job as a placeholder until I can make music my full-time focus. Read more>>