Are artists born or made? To help answer this question, we asked some of the most artistic folks we know to tell us about how they knew they were going to pursue an artistic or creative path. We’ve shared highlights below.

Vicki Lynn Smith

Music, being a creative has been a part of my life since I was small. I’ve played an instrument, written little songs my whole life. When it came time to pick a career in high school, between my parents and guidance counselor, music wasn’t a viable career so they led me to music’s partner, math. Read more >>>

Johana Mendoza Rodriguez

I think the moment I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally wasn’t just one instant — it was a series of small moments that kept leading me back to art. I’ve been drawing since I was a child; it was how I understood the world around me. Read more >>>

JODI Reeb

At the age of five years old, I realized I wanted to be an artist. My friend and I spent an afternoon making crayon drawings of animals on large sheets of newsprint. The drawings were the largest I had ever made and I decided to try and sell them. This was the 1970’s when door-to-door sales were prevalent, so why not me? Read more >>>

Alexandra Janowski

Art has always been something I’ve naturally gravitated toward a space where I felt genuinely encouraged, even from a young age. Growing up, I faced challenges that made it difficult to stay grounded. A learning disability, frequent moves, and ongoing instability often left me feeling like I was always a step behind everyone else. Read more >>>

Karl Obermeyer

My mother had me in church and school choirs from a young age. I always enjoyed singing with the choir, but never felt truly challenged singing with the group. In my Junior year of High school my choir director chose me to sing a solo for one of our upcoming concerts. Read more >>>

Louis Grau

I always went back and forth, and still am, between wanting to persue a career in scientific research and the arts. The decision to start in fashion and costume design came in my final years of school – believing that if I wouldn’t do it now it would be harder for me to convince myself to do so later in my life. Read more >>>

ursula XVII

Honestly, I didn’t always know I was setting myself up for a creative or artistic path. It wasn’t a clear, cinematic moment—it was more like slowly waking up to something that had been true all along. At first, I was just trying to be good at what I was doing. I was focused on the technical, on the precision—on proving I belonged. Read more >>>

Lorie Karnes

At 18, I was in a terrible car accident that ended my dream of becoming a dancer. While I was trying to figure out a new “life plan,” I took a job at a makeup counter just to pay the bills. I enjoyed the work, but selling lipstick and chasing sales goals never felt like my true calling. Read more >>>

Joyce Ho

Though I have always been interested in fine arts during my childhood, design came to me in at a very young age to create purpose through artful expressions. Graphic design, especially, carries a strong goal-oriented approach in communicating not only visually but also effectively with intention. Read more >>>

Yang Liu

The first time I really knew was back in my first year in SCA. I had always loved movies and music, but I didn’t connect that passion to a career until I started working on a small project of my own. Read more >>>

Minghua Liao

In the fourth grade of elementary school, I began my journey in learning music. The first instrument I learned was the guitar. I have to say, learning the guitar was a real struggle for me back then—I could never quite press the strings correctly to form the chords. Read more >>>

Rachel Grant

As long as I can remember I’ve had a paintbrush in my hand. I spent my childhood drawing anything and everything I was interested in, but my main inspiration has always been from nature. Read more >>>

Parker Savage

Honestly, it kind of snuck up on me. I was the kind of kid to doodle in the margins of homework, generally more interested in animations, drawings, and videos than whatever assignment was in front of me. But for a long time I didn’t think of it as something I could actually do professionally- it was more like a hobby that I couldn’t put down. Read more >>>

Marsela Glithero

I got into the event industry first, working with an old friend. I quickly moved up to manager as we did bigger projects like our own independent EDM festival, and I got my first glimpse of what I now recognize to be a creative director. After the festival, we got the opportunity to work with VS1 Studios in Atlanta for our first fashion event. Read more >>>

Miriam Bennett

All my life, I’ve been intrigued by music. The beautiful melodies; the different patterns have always resonated with me. When I was younger, I always went about singing random things and coming up with little tunes on the piano. It was like my dream escape. Read more >>>

Tara Radosevich

I can not really recall a first time. I just remember drawing and coloring so much as a little kid and throughout my childhood and into my young adulthood. It came naturally for me as breathing. I loved my art classes in school and I always loved learning about art and the historic artists you typically learn about in school. Read more >>>

Lala Mackay

The day I knew I wanted to do whatever it took to be a drummer lives on repeat in my mind day after day. I was three years old when I had decided I wanted to be a drummer. Read more >>>

Bruna Rodrigues do Nascimento

I know everyone says that, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an artist. Since I was a child, art has been the language through which I understood the world. I was endlessly fascinated by movies and music; they felt like windows into something larger, something deeply human. Read more >>>