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.

Bianca Daher

A question I’ve contemplated with other creatives — and in our conclusion, yes I am. I’ve recently graduated from University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and I’m surrounded by friends, family, and colleagues who have also graduated and quickly began working. More often do I find myself questioning my decision to become an artist and a continuing scholar, seeing how others have relatively stable jobs with steady income. But it’s difficult imagining a life where I can’t dedicate majority of my time and energy towards creating. Nearly every career requires a level of problem solving day-to-day, and I have to remember that art is the same way. But in addition to that, I feel like being an artist full-time has allowed me to see the world differently. I find that I notice more, feel more, empathize more. And that alone allows me to see that I made the right choice: becoming an artist. My dad is quick to remind me that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. And when I think back to the countless hours I’ve put into creating, all I remember is how the time would fly, and how I wish I could’ve worked more. I’m grateful that my family supports me, and that I come from a place of both privilege and hard work to be able to pursue what I want, rather than have to get a job in just anything. Read more>>

Malayka

This is a fantasic and moving question. Honestly? I think about it all the time. The nature of being an artist is that it’s a whole lot of effort with zero reward in exchange for the – anticipated but not guaranteed – massive reward later on. You have to be very mentally resilient to engage in this kind of relationship with your career. I like to think I’m an intelligent and capable person, and my friends and family would always tell me that if money was my dream I’d have no problem getting rich. But that immediate reward was never what I truly wanted. I want to squeeze the lemon, and live a rich life (rich in experiences, truth and expression). I sometimes wonder where I would be financially, even mentally, if I just pursued law or psychotherapy, which were options I was considering when I started thinking about my future in highschool. I just had a phase this summer where I had decided I was going to get my Clinical Counselling degree starting January and do that alongside music. My mum, bless her, is the one who saved me from making that decision. Because I was going to make it out of fear and self-doubt, and she reminded me that a career like that is available for me whenever I decide I want it. Seeing through my artistic calling will not be an option forever, so I have to make sure I don’t miss that train. It’s not over yet (I released a song about this very thing in July). Read more>>

Noah D’castellano

We artists are also human beings. We grumble, we love, we feel, we blame, and we complain, but in spite of that, we work twice or maybe thrice as hard. This is because from a young age you became a source of money to help your family, as it happens to many of us. It may sound trashy, but eventually we understand that it’s a good thing for both you and your relatives. I feel that as an actor-model and now fashion endorsement figure, I have no regrets about what I do, as I know that each of us who are already connected to the realm of artistic life (actors, models, singers, painters, and now Influencers or content creators) love what we do despite the problems or barriers we face throughout our careers. In 2020-2021 I tried to connect my career with social media, put my life and what I do in the spotlight – But as I received criticism or unpopular opinions from many netizens, I reached a point where I was no longer myself, I was trying to appear something I was not, then I stepped away for a year, because I wanted to be an “ordinary or normal” person but I did not feel quite right with myself as I undertook and tried other actions and other projects that did not reflect what I as a person really liked to do. In 2022 I decided to relaunch my career, use new outlets, learn more about the industry, accept partnerships with brands and take for granted everything that came my path, now in the entertainment field. Read more>>

Halima Afi Cassells

I’m deeply fulfilled and constantly challenged by my life as an artist. I love creative problem-solving, the freedom to think outside the box and the ability to shape most of my waking hours. It’s been over 20 years since I transitioned fully into freelancing as a practicing artist, and every day brings something different. My work shifts throughout the year, often including hosting community arts events and workshops, collaborating with other artists, working with children, researching, hauling equipment to photoshoots, delivering lectures, sketching, collaging, experimenting in my studio and presenting pieces in galleries and museums. I enjoy tapping into different parts of my brain and sharing pieces of myself in a variety of ways through my art. Alongside my work as an artist, I have another role that’s truly 24/7—being a mom, which is the most important to me. Parenting continually teaches me, especially by giving me the chance to see the world through a child’s eyes, experiencing wonder, awe and the joy of discovering new things. Read more>>

Xinyu Liu

Before fully committing to art, I worked as a product manager at an omnichannel company in Shanghai. My life was steady but a bit monotonous, centered around the usual nine-to-five routine. During lunch breaks or time off, I’d often find myself looking at online and offline exhibitions, admiring artists who could dedicate themselves fully to their craft. Though I had stability, I couldn’t shake the desire to make art the center of my life. Lacking any formal art background, I decided to come to the U.S. as a student, pursuing an MFA in Fine Art at the School of Visual Arts in New York. These past two years in school have been incredibly freeing and full of creativity. But as graduation approaches, I’ve realized that the reality of an artistic career isn’t as simple as I once thought. I may still need a stable job to support my creative work. Read more>>

Jackie Rae Daniels

I have this thought often these days. What would it be like to have a job that makes a good living? To be able to have something that resembles financial security has always been a pipe dream to me. I knew from the middle of my high school years that I didn’t have any interest in pursuing a “normal” or maybe just common lifestyle. I knew music was a driving force in my life and I wanted it to be the beacon that I followed no matter what. I felt compelled to give my life to music and create a romantic, nomadic, and artistic lifestyle with all else falling to the wayside. I did this, I’d say, pretty successfully. Right out of high school my best friend and I travelled through Europe willy nilly for 3 months after working at Domino’s Pizza for a couple of years saving up for this daydream of an adventure. So at 18 years old I showed myself how I can make a literal dream come true. That was a total “bust the seams wide open” event in my life. Read more>>

Cory Mabry

I have a regulator job outside of my artwork. It can be a hard balance to maintain at times, but I also think it is beneficial in it’s own way. While I would love for my sole source of income to come from painting and drawing all day, I think the time I spend away from creating makes me enjoy it much more. I’ve had spans of time where I’ve pushed myself harder to make being an artist my sole profession, but I feel like my artwork starts to suffer at a point and some of the enjoyment starts to fade. Especially with the way social media wants to you market yourself in a rigid and calculated way. For me, I prefer doing things at my own pace and following whatever creative venture interests me at the moment. One week I may want to create an illustration that’s meaningful to me, with lots of detail and imagery drawn from various interest of mine. Another week, I might just want to paint a character from one of my favorite horror movies. I also find there’s a certain value in having time away from creating to daydream and be a little bored. There’s moments when I’ll be working or driving, and random sparks of inspiration will start rolling around in my head. It keeps me excited to create my next piece, instead of feeling like I’m just making art to make money. Read more>>

H&b Creative Development Hannah Dimemmo & Bella Danca

While the idea of having insurance, paid time off, and a stable income is definitely attractive, the idea of either of us sitting in a cubicle all day is almost comical. Neither of us would trade working as a creative and pursuing our passion for the security of a nine to five. We truly believe that with great risk comes great reward. Although a lot of our friends have untraditional schedules due to touring or studio time, we also are friends with those who have “regular” jobs. Both have their ebbs and flows, so we decided to take the risk and put our time and energy into our creative endeavors. Read more>>

Anastasiia Tupikina

I think we live in a time when it’s challenging to define your line of work, especially as a creative, because there are often multiple projects happening simultaneously. That’s certainly true for me. I define myself as an artist because I’m involved in photography, I’m developing myself as a director, and I also explore personal projects like performance and painting. Choosing this path, however, often means committing to the freelance lifestyle, which can feel like a roller coaster. You embrace the highs and lows, knowing that stability isn’t always part of the deal. There are definitely moments when I think it might be nice to have a steady, conventional job. In fact, I tried that at one point, but it never felt quite right. The last time I had this thought was over the summer. The filming season was quiet, work was slow, and most people had gone on vacation. It seemed like a perfect moment to finish up side projects or dive into creative work that felt personally meaningful. But a steady job, with its promise of routine and consistent income, did cross my mind. Read more>>

Evangeline Shepard

This question is so complex and could have so many different answers. I think as artists, there is always going to be a moment of “am I doing the right thing?” Or “Will I be happy if my dreams don’t come true?” It’s really tough because I know I find my joy in film, acting, and storytelling and sometimes I despise how society has made it not as “respectable” as being a doctor or a lawyer. So then therefore it feels impossible to make a career if you already don’t have a foot in the door. When in reality, everyone needs art in their lives. I think not a lot of people, including myself, don’t show the really tough moments. The moments where jobs are few and far between or how when it comes to auditions, you will hear more “no’s” then “yes” and that is a reality that we as artists have to be ok with. We hardly see how most upcoming artists and creatives, especially working actors, have to get multiple jobs. For example I’m a pilates instructor AND I work in luxury retail AND I do my acting gigs. We don’t see how it’s harder to find your path in life because we didn’t chose a 9-5. Read more>>

Kristopher Anderson

Yes I am happy as an artist. I think in the beginning when pursuing your passions in the arts you feel high, all the ideas constantly going and you’re enthused. The key is to never let that passion die. Through my joinery I’ve had many great success but one thing that has kept me going is the vision I have and passion behind the vision. I cannot unsee it, it lives so brightly in mind and imagination more vivid than physical reality at times. Being an entrepreneur let alone an artistic entrepreneur is THE most challenging thing Ive done in my life, but in a good way. The level of perspective, perseverance and confidence and peace that I’ve gained through my journey of becoming an artist is immense and I would not trade it for anything in the world. I think every entrepreneur had those thoughts that it would be easier to have a normal job rather than pursue your ambitions but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Everything Ive been through is worth it. At the end of the day no matter what I may encounter in building my own businesses I will take it. I rather go through wavering emotions creating my own thing than have the emotional roller coaster be for the benefit of someone else and something I can never own. Read more>>