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.

Ross Severson

Being happy as an artist or creative, I think is a struggle everyone faces. Self-employment can be such a freeing experience but the drawbacks can have an extremely negative impact on your mental health. I have two children and a wife to support so financial health is constantly on my mind. Making art for a living means droughts in pay, no work related health care and that nagging question of if I am spending my time wisely. This is when the thought of should I just get a regular job arises most frequently. Losing faith in what you are doing can truly become a burden if you let it. I’ve found that consistently showing up to do the work is the best solution. Treating everyday like you are going to a job and focusing on the tasks at hand rather than getting drowned by self-doubt. Learning to accept failures and artistic blocks is all part of the process and helps lead you to new places. At the end of the day I would choose being an artist over any regular job. Read More>>

Byron Risdon

I definitely have days more challenging than others but I am definitely happy as a creative. I see a home as a safe haven and place of peace and comfort. I enjoy being a part of creating safety, comfort and beauty for others. Interior design can transform how you feel as well as the space you’re in. Read More>>

Milton Pitts

So I actually have a regular job. It’s cool to be stable, I don’t want anyone to think you can just jump into photography or any art media and money just pops out. That being said, being a creative is something I enjoy more that anything in my life

Like it’s to the point I have days where I sit at my desk and just stare for 20 minutes plus. I have thought’s like ‘” I didn’t like x photo edit, what more can I add” or “what series should I work on next? Where is my next location? Who can I hit up to get a shoot with?” This is EVERYDAY, also 8 hours on my 8 hour shift. Read More>>

Scott Ingram

I am very happy as an artist, but I also wear other hats in my community. I am a visual artist first, but I also manage a studio building called the Temporary Studios, and I produce The Temporary Art Center, which is a large-scale curatorial project. My studio practice allows me to get my hands dirty and create on a personal level. The Temporary projects allow me to engage my community in a meaningful way, which is also very important to me. So, in many ways, I have created a “regular job” for myself which allows some structure that I really crave but grow to hate quickly. I just need to swap hats for maximum happiness. Read More>>

Kandee Kwok

Do I think about having a regular job? All the time—actually, even today.
The idea of a stable life, a steady paycheck, and a more secure routine crosses my mind more often than people might think. Deep down, I know that path isn’t meant for me.

What I really want is the balance that so many creatives chase: a stable income with a flexible schedule. It’s not impossible, but it’s definitely hard to build. There are moments of doubt—especially when income fluctuates or when I feel pulled in too many directions—but I still choose this life over a 9-to-5 every time. Even with the uncertainty, I’m happier as a creative. Every day brings a new challenge, a new opportunity to learn and grow. When I think about a typical 9-to-5, it feels like I can see the end of the road, the ceiling of where that job might take me. But in the creative world I’ve built, the path is wide open. Read More>>

Jana Crenshaw

This is the current question running through my life and affecting me on a daily basis! Am I happier as an artist? No, not really, though I suspect I could be, and I do know that when I’m not doing anything artistic I feel less like myself. I have been a happy artist in the past, when I was much younger, and performing full time in a show and with a regular schedule and salary. In my current iteration of this profession, I’ve come to feel that being an artist supplies me with a long list of great ideas that I don’t have enough time, skill, or resources to act on, and which often seem to exist only to endlessly frustrate me. Lately I wonder if I gave up being an artist, would I feel more of a sense of peace? Would I be able to actually relax? Do nothing? Read books that aren’t relevant to some project? It sounds peaceful, but I know that every time I’ve given myself that kind of space, I get depressed. I’ve done much self-reflection and soul searching this year and decided to try a new rhythm that gives me some space but isn’t just quitting everything forever like the tantrum my inner 3-year-old would like for me to throw. Read More>>

Fahteema Ervin

I’m genuinely happy being a creative and an artist. It feels like such a gift to have built a life around something I love, especially in a world where so many people never get the chance to do that. Modeling and working in such a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry has given me experiences and opportunities that I never would have had otherwise, like travel, connection, expression, and a deeper understanding of myself. But I’d be lying if I said I never question it. Sometimes I wonder if I should be doing something more practical, something that leaves a clearer mark. I think about impact a lot. Read More>>

Samar Hussaini

I’m happier as an artist. I spent fifteen years working as an associate creative director in New York City advertising agencies, building online brand campaigns for major pharmaceutical companies. It was a demanding, fast-paced environment, but it taught me a great deal — how to position and market myself, how to discuss my work with confidence, and how to think strategically about creative ideas. Read More>>

Amun Uddin

I absolutely love being a content creator because not only do I get to do what I love, but I also get to share it with the world. I have had moments before where I think about how my life could be different and even more ‘secure’ as some would say. After graduating, I could have gotten a typical 9-5 corporate office job, but honestly at the same time, the sound of that was never that exciting to me. Repeating the same exact schedule for the rest of my life, wasn’t something I wanted for my future. So yeah, social media might not be the stereotypical career choice for many, but it’s perfect for me. I’m able to have fun and have unique and different experiences everyday. It doesn’t feel like i’m in a loop, and that I have the same routine everyday, nothing new and exciting. Instead, I’m able to build relations outside of an office setting and connect with people who are passionate about the same things as me. I also have more creative freedom with what I do, and am not restricted with what I can and can’t do. And the best part of it all, I have a life outside of work. I have always loved traveling, and while being a creator, I’m able to travel the world whenever I want, for as long as I want, and discover new places and cultures. So to me, my life as a creator is a dream come true. Read More>>

Ash Duskwood

I was fortunate to be employed immediately after college and fell into a “regular job.” While the job had been a creative one, creativity in corporate environments is not the same as being creative for yourself. Toward the end of my time there it really started to weigh on me, especially because I had little energy to create for myself after a full day of work. Read More>>

BROOKE JAMES

Overall, I’m relieved to be a creative! I would be desperately unhappy in a 9-5 job with the stress, pressure, and deadlines. Society tells you that being corporate is the only way to live a stable life, which, on the one hand, is mostly true, but it entirely negates your happiness. I’d rather be inspired, working on something I truly believe in, than miserable. I’d be lying if I said I had never considered it, though! Read More>>

Morgan Dingman

I ask myself, every time I find myself in a lull, if I would be happier with a “regular job”. I find that when ideas are coming to me freely, I feel on top of the world. I’m high on it, riding a painting out for days. However, when I feel in a rut and there are no ideas left, I catastrophize quickly. Suddenly, there’s pressure in my chest and my mind is reeling with “Maybe, I was never meant to be an artist!”, “My new work is a dull reflection of my old expression of self!”, “What I am working on is a waste!” And finally “I wonder if I would do better with a regular job?” Read More>>