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.

Jarrell Greene

I’ve always been around music. My house was filled with it. My dad curated the music for any and every family gathering so the feeling that music gave me when with loved ones effected me greatly. I played instruments early like the Tuba, Baritone & The Drums. The summer going into my sophomore year in HS a friends father randomly showed me a tape of DJ Jazzy Jeff. I believe this was all God because it was at that moment I knew this was what I wanted to do. Read more>>

The Vizhionary

Respectfully, I have always had a creative mind. I tend to enjoy artistic ventures. I feel as if I’m well rounded. I create fashion clothing for males and females. However, I have a creative directing side that I utilize to bring my visions to life. I’m a Sagittarius, so we tend to always juggle many hats. Read more>>

Meesh

8. It was one moment in particular that I discovered Music for myself. On Christmas Eve I opened one gift that kept giving because I received a pink cassette player that played tapes too (I’m dating myself) but was the first time I heard “I Wanna Be Down” by none other than Brandy Norwood and fell in love with Music. Read more>>

Hassan Elamragy

I love creating content since childhood. At an early age she started learning sports, kickboxing, martial arts and movement until she reached an advanced level. From here, I said that I want to do something different and amazing for the world, to integrate sports and art into artwork, and one of my most important art projects is the movie “We will die warriors” and I have other hobbies I love playing and composing music. Read more>>

Ashok Manick

I have always been interested in visual storytelling. I use to watch lots of movies and question myself why they chose certain lenses for this scene and the technical decision behind the scene. It intrigued me to read more about cinematography and the person behind the camera. I started to read blogs and interviews of famous cinematographers and photographers I was totally into it, and that’s the point where I decided to choose an artistic path professionally, but that was not an easy path I understood that I have to start with basic knowledge of handling the camera and their technical aspect to tell a story because telling a story in a 2D form is a little complicated compared to cinematography. Read more>>

Aaron Nelson

The first time I knew, or the first time I wanted to pursue? Because those are both different instances. I’m just joking. I have to say, honestly when I was a kid. I had this vivid, weird imagination that only comes from being an only child, you know? Thank God the energy translated to art and creativity And, my grandmother used to take me to Broadway plays and small theater shows, alike, and I realize now that those instances shaped me. Read more>>

Aaron Lee

During My k-12 school years, I always had more ambitions towards the creative hands-on classes. It felt more natural and interesting. When deciding to pursue a college decision I switched from Business Administration to Art Studios. I was reading a book on planning a creative career. I can remember the goosebumps all up on my back and arms. Tears started to fall and I knew at that moment I wanted to be a creative! Read more>>

suzanne metz

I have always loved to draw. I always did. At school I chose art as a subject and then I knew I wanted to pursue it in some way further when I matriculated from high school in 1974. I went to the Johannesburg College of art and enrolled in Interior Design. It was a 3 year diploma and after 2 years of experiencing a very rigid course, I had to leave knowing I definitely wanted to study Fine Art. Read more>>

Julie Umberger

When my mother introduced me to the hot glue gun at our kitchen table when I was elementary school age. The moment my coloring pages expanded to include beads, string, and confetti, I was hooked. I would spend what seemed like hours assembling beautiful items together to create my personal masterpieces that became everyone’s Christmas and birthday gifts for years to come. My medium has changed throughout the years, but my desire to make something hasn’t ever left me. Read more>>

Lauren Arnold

Since I was a young girl, I have had a wild and vivid imagination. I would twirl around in princess dresses and picture myself as the main character. I often watched movies as a child and wondered what it would be like to live in a world of that particular story – to escape from everyday life and the bullies that constantly picked on me for being myself. I never knew that one day that dream of transporting myself to another world could come true every single day. Read more>>

David George

I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment business when I was three, although I really didn’t know exactly what that meant. I was watching a Notre Dame football game with my father when it was half-time. The marching band took the field and played as the drum major marched out in front with a giant baton and furry hat. I told my father I wanted to be him! I don’t think he was pleased that I didn’t want to be a fullback. (I did play football in high school, however.) Read more>>

Eric Jones

It was 1999. I was a drama director at a local church where I was volunteering. I did have a day job as a Health Professional (PHARMACIST). I was given an opportunity to have a local interview for a Christian Television talk show. I had the opportunity to discuss. the pleasures and pain of being the leader of a drama ministry. The Emmy winning actress Jeanette Cliff George who was the artistic director of the Regional A.D. Players Theatre was also a guest. She was a very busy person and was going to leave before I went on the air. But after a brief conversation, she decided to stay. Read more>>

Katie King

My earliest memories of baby Katie are her dancing, singing, & voguing as hard as her little self could, especially in the presence of my beloved, late grandmother. She is secretly the key to my success. She was always honest, hard working, and seldom reprimanded me for acting out in childish ways. Whenever I would visit her home she would paint my hand and press it against a door along with the date so we would always remember and cherish these quality times spent together. Read more>>

Keyonna LaShawm

I’ve have been apart of creative-performance extra curriculars all throughout grade school. Throughout that time, I knew I enjoyed doing it. It was a great way to connect with my community and my kin have always told me they enjoyed watching me. My community has always uplifted me, especially from a poet stand point. My transition into college was when I knew a full time artist was what I wanted to be. I auditioned for a number BFA programs and my heart chose Morgan State University. Read more>>

CienTell

Performing and entertaining others has always been a passion of mines ever since I was 17 years old. After graduating from Oak Park High School in 2003, I went on to college to study dance and traveled to New York to study at various dance studios. I pursued a professional dance career at 22 working with ArtLabJ Dance Company, based out of Detroit, Mi and with artists such as Aretha Franklin, as well as a touring dancer for Tunde Olaniran. Read more>>

Dorimar Ferrer

I started to love the theater at the early age of 7 in Puerto Rico, and from that moment, the theater became a part of me. My theater teacher allowed me to participate in my first play to celebrate the history of Puerto Rico. Since then, I have loved acting. Read more>>

Jeanie Phimmasone

I love getting my nails done. However I have eczema and sometimes that makes it hard. So by the 3rd day I’m ripping them off and cutting them down due to the acrylics irritating my skin. Birthday week came and of course I had to get my nails done. So I went to get them done with a friend that recently got certified doing nails and I’m all for supporting small business. Read more>>

Coco and Ilia

Coco: I knew at a very early age that I wanted to be in the arts. I thought that path was going to be through music, I LOVED to sing when I was a little kid. I used to hold “rehearsals” at my house where my brother would have to listen to me belt out various songs, I was really only comfortable singing in front of him. Read more>>

Carlos Barrientos

I’ve always loved and enjoy music of all sorts. I’ve always had a way of enjoying music differently more in depth by paying attention specially to the sounds and instruments used, therefore making me want to learn and ask questions such as how did they make that sound? Or what kind of instrument were they using in that specific part of the song? I truly was captivated by it. At the same we have quite a few musicians in our family. Mainly with the use of acoustic guitars which is my favorite instrument. Read more>>

Dominique Ayers

I knew from a young age I never wanted to have your typical 9-5 job, I’ve always lived for freedom. Traveling, exploring new places and meeting new people was a priority for me. I see so many young people losing their youth to working, having to miss out on life changing opportunities due to X amount of time off etc. my goal for creating my business is to have a balanced life of working hard, but also living life to the fullest without being held back. Read more>>

2Floody

After my last season playing high school basketball I started making music and from the jump it was something I wanted to do at the highest level. I knew it wouldn’t happen overnight so I stayed consistent and year after year I got better and gained a following. Read more>>

Akiva McClam

I knew I wanted to pursue writing and directing stage plays in 2013, shortly after my stage play production Cain & Abel. After all of my expenses were paid for, I made enough to have paid six months of my mortgage in advance. The thought went to the waste said once I lost my Contracting job supporting the Federal Government. Read more>>

Omar Thomas

I will never forget, I was at the boardwalk at the Jersey shore and saw an artist airbrushing. He had like 20 airbrushes and was so accurate and precise. His colors where so vivid and eye popping. I watched him for hours oblivious to anything else around me, that was the moment I decided I wanted to be a professional artist. Read more>>

Brian Mock

I’ve always loved creating art, and I think I’d always dreamed of a creative profession, but the course of life steered me towards following my father’s footsteps into the printing industry. I didn’t jump into the professional world of art until I was in my thirties. I think I realized that my creative itch still hadn’t been scratched, and my passion certainly hadn’t been fulfilled, so maybe it was like my version of a midlife crisis, but after having some success selling my art as a hobby, I decided, in my forties, to try doing it full-time. Read more>>

Deondre Holloman

To be honest, there really hasn’t been a time in my life when I didn’t want to be an artist. I was always the kid in school that would get caught drawing on the desks or inside textbooks. To me, the drawings didn’t look good, but it was just a way of emptying out the imagination in my head. When I got my first camera phone, I would always take pictures of random stuff/events I found interesting just because it looked cool or may have that potential of being “the first of many”. Read more>>

Dr. Jasmine Leigh Morse

Surprisingly enough, when I was in middle school, I knew I wanted to be a creative writer. I read lots of books and wrote poetry on occasion. I also found solace in expressing the multi-layers of creativity through dance and other art forms like drama. I thrived in creative spaces because that’s where I felt the most freedom of heart, mind, and expression. From that point on, everything I did was in service of feeding my need to spark and engage my creative mind. Read more>>

Latina Unique Hair

I’ve done hair as a side job to make extra funds my entire life… I decided to pursue it full time when I realized I really enjoyed it, I was working in Corporate America in my early 20s & a light just hit me lol Totally cliche for sure, but hairstyling for so many wonderful people I have the pleasure of creating hair art for gives me a sense of purpose, and I love the joy & excitement surrounding it all, it’s definitely a fun job to have majority of the time. Read more>>

Violet Vonder Haar

I have always had an inner knowing that music would be a big part of my life path. In first grade, I was asked to list three things I wanted most. My wish list was: 1) Dance Lessons 2) Singing Lessons and 3) My own room. I eventually received 2 of those three wishes. I could still use some dance lessons. Fast forward to my senior year of high school, I was trying to decide what I wanted to study in college. Read more>>

Stefanie Todd

All my life I wanted to do everything that was creative such as become a singer or artist but recently my passion has also wanting to model and have as my full time career. What really got me into pursuing my modeling was back in 2021 when I was at my lowest and darkest head space. Due to a horrible breakup it broke me down so bad I couldn’t function for months because of it. But I believe god lead me to do this. In a way modeling saved my life and it kept me going to have a purpose. Read more>>

Rachel Schut

The lecture nearly lost me to my own dreams when something caught my ear and reeled me back in. I didn’t know at the time the stages of artistic development theory might haunt me and open the floodgates to my own childhood experience and development. One particular stage, the period of decision, overshadowed the rest and harnessed my fixation. This is a period of hyper criticism when a child decides for themselves if they believe they possess artistic abilities or not, usually between the ages of 11 and 13. Read more>>

Kathy Wingert

I fell in love with the guitar when I was just a tiny kid. I begged my dad for access to his hi-fi (I date myself) and promised him that I would only handle the records by their edges. I know I wasn’t yet five because I remember the house we were in. I was especially crazy about Joan Baez because of the simple beauty of her killer soprano voice and solo guitar accompaniment. I was very taken with the picture of this beautiful woman in the field of wildflowers with a pretty little Martin parlor guitar. Of course, I had no idea about the details at that age, I just knew I had to play guitar. Read more>>

Carmen Jefferson

I first knew I wanted to pursue this path when I made my first mask after the pandemic hit. In the beginning, it was just a hobby and I dabbled in small projects such as little dresses for my daughter. But, my interest and drive grew to create more than just masks. When we were on lockdown, I found myself wanting to create clothing that actually fit my body, which was short and curvy. I am a wife and mom, so curves come with this territory. Read more>>

Robert Diaz

Well I’ve always had a love for music but not just one type of genre almost every type. I first wanted to become a dj from always seeing my two mentors Dj Ruben and Dj Birdman djing at various bars across San Antonio. Just being able to see the crowd of people dancing and having a great time not having a care in the world was always fascinating to me. All because the dj had control of them having a good time cause their favorite song was playing. Read more>>

Marqita Delgado

I knew I wanted to be an actor since I was a child. I would create my own shows and setup a stage and make all my cousins the cast and perform it for our family. I had a first grade teacher who have me my first role in a class production of “The Princess and The Pea”. I did musical theatre all throughout junior high and high school and ultimately whenI was in college focused on studying acting for film and television. Read more>>

Yxng Ched

Really it all started back when I was having my kindergarten graduation. All my classmates were required to speak into the microphone and provide their answer to “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. Most if not all of my classmates gave pretty common answers, “Doctors, Astronauts, some even UPS drivers. But when I was called up and asked what I wanted to be, I did not hesitate to yell out: Read more>>

Amy Gabbitas

I always knew that I was a musician primarily because that is just what everyone in my family did. Practicing was, and still is, fun for me. It’s also an outlet and form of meditation. Rehearsals are a great excuse to hang out with friends. My first exposure to chamber music (my primary performance focus) was at a 4th grade assembly. put on by the San Diego Symphony. We were introduced to the various instrument families of an orchestra. Read more>>

Toni Wendel

I have always known in my bones I was an artist. The creative side of my brain has always been hyper active and every source of accomplishment and fulfillment has been deeply tied to creation. However we are completely conditioned in this society with the “starving artist” narrative… that somehow artistry does not hold value- which I realized after reflection is preposterous. Think about your most joyful and pleasurable moments in life and I guarantee it took some sort of art to create. Read more>>

Qur’an Watson

I knew I wanted to pursue my path to helping people smile when I first fixed my teeth. I had a chip tooth for most of my childhood, when I finally got it fixed I was about 19 years old. The new confidence and esteem boost I had made me want to give others that same feeling. Now that I’ve started my own business in literally brightening peoples smiles, I think that I’m definitely on the path of my calling. Read more>>