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.
Daniel Johnson
I knew I wanted to make music the rest of my life, when I went to my first music festival called buku. I was sitting there with my brother and I was amazed by everything that was going on. Im from the country and we never had anything close to that where I was from. Soon after getting home I started to make music and I have never looked back since. Read more>>
Poohnana Brown
So this goes back to the year 2000’s era 2003 when American’s next top model premiered. That show itself gave me the guidance and the motivation to become a model in Los Angeles. Like my eyes would be glued to the television every Wednesday night light up from all the beautiful designers, challenges, go-sees, and abroad destinations they would travel to. Read more>>
Gerian Johnson
I was about 7 years old before I moved to Memphis and one of my elementary school teachers laughed at something I said and said “he should be on tv”. That was something alot of people said abput me but it was then that I asked myself “why does everyone say that” hmmm maybe I’m meant to be a comedian. Read more>>
Nicole Stubbs
I started taking acting classes in November of 2021. At that point, I was burnt-out from being an Emergency Room (ER) nurse during COVID, while my Air Force husband was deployed. Before that I had went years of being a mom, wife, and nurse with no creative outlet, no hobby. Acting initially started off as something fun to do and I loved it. Read more>>
Zach Grear
It’s funny, the word “professional” never entered my consciousness. I just knew that, in my early 30s, I’d ticked a few boxes that–supposedly–were the keys to fulfillment: climbing the ladder in my retail career, new title, getting salaried, getting benefits, etc. However, I also knew that I was angry and anxious all the time at my job. Read more>>
Micah Wickstrom
I began building cheese boards as a sort of therapy to help myself through one of the more difficult years of my adult life. I was the kind of depressed where you are too depressed to even realize you are depressed…or maybe you realize it but you just do n0t have the energy to get yourself off of the couch and do anything about it. Read more>>
David Caploe
I grew up in a musical home. My dad is a musician, so I was lucky to be exposed to so much great music at a young age and to have access to instruments. My dad tried to reach me how to play guitar when I was really young but I didn’t really pick it up for myself till I was in middle school. I feel in love with making songs on the guitar and in the computer, but felt strongly that I didn’t want to pursue a career in music. Read more>>
Tiesha Williams
I have always known that I wanted to pursue a creative and artistic path professionally. There wasn’t a time in life where I didn’t know that about myself which is insane because who knows at ages 4,5 and 6 who they want to be and then actually becomes that person as an adult?! As a child I was always fascinated with Artistic abilities; singing, makeup, drawing, coloring, fashion, acting, you name it. Read more>>
Frank Campagna
I always knew I wanted to be an artist of some form but was unsure of what area I would work in. The norm 9 to 5 or commission gig just seemed out of step with my upbringing. My mother was an actress who played on Broadway starting at age 6 and my aunt and uncle were professional dancers who headlined Radio City Music Hall so it just seemed natural that I too would throw my hat into the ring of creativity but a proper medium was needed. Read more>>
Camara Hamilton
Growing up I was not the most confident child, I was bullied and teased on a daily basis. However as I got older and grew into myself things drastically changed for me, all of a sudden I was receiving positive attention but the years of being laughed at still played a role in my mind. So although I was getting complimented I still didn’t feel beautiful to me. Read more>>
Keenon Jordan
I realize that my voice spoke to people in way that they felt familiar with, from there I was about to talk about certain topics that touched the people personally and respectfully. And once I saw the support and response I got from my community I was able to put my podcast in full throttle. Read more>>
Aaren Clemente
The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was in high school. I had a hard time finding who Aaren is at that time. As we all know, that is a time where most kids are trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do. I was into so many different things, but one day a teacher of mine had asked me one day “what makes Aaren happy?”. Read more>>
Keemorah Simon
From as far back as I could remember, I didn’t have an interest in becoming a cake artist professionally. While in high school, I completed a full course in cosmetology, in which I had to express my creative side artistically when I had to design hair and nails etc. Read more>>
Brandon Weinert
The first time I recognized I wanted to play music professionally was relatively recently, a few years ago even. I was playing a local festival with a friend. Our first show together. A small pop up stage, and the maiden voyage of this little festival. Read more>>
Ronan Wind
There have been several points and all were very gradual. Since I was a kid, I was always kind of an exhibitionist in that I would sit in front of my stereo and sing along to tapes that my parent had lying around; Queen and Aerosmith amongst them. Read more>>
Zai Sadler
When I was 10 my mom submitted some of my poetry to an online competition and didn’t tell me. She was my first audience. When I would finish a piece I’d run into her room and exclaim, “I wrote a new poem Mom!” She would stop what she was doing and give me her undivided attention. Closing her eyes and listening to me work through a new piece, once done she would provide feedback and always encouragement. Read more>>
Jessica Artice
I got a BFA from Texas State University in Communication Design. I spent a decade in graphic design, but it never spoke to my soul—you see, photography was always there – I just got so good at ignoring it. Oh the excuses…there are too many photographers, I can’t afford a nice camera, I am a graphic designer…am I good enough? will I be good enough? Read more>>
Jonathan Marchant
I always knew I wanted to pursue music professionally, but there were a lot of things holding me back: Other people were telling me it wasn’t worth it, seeing how some famous musicians were treated and how the fame got to their head, could I even make it in the industry? Did I even want to be apart of the industry? Besides just singing in my own room as a teen, I really didn’t do any sort of professional music. Read more>>
Cat Palmer
When I was 15YO (1995), I picked up a camera. I had to take an elective in high school and thankfully I had an amazing photography teacher (who taught at a college level), M. M pushed us, would take us to Los Angeles regularly to explore, would let me eventually write my own curriculum, and was patient as I spent most of my senior year in his dark room. Read more>>
Ryan Minter
I think I knew from a really young age that I needed to pursue something creative. I was never really artistically or musically inclined as a kid, but I always hated the idea of someone having authority over me. I remember I always hated having to turn in doctors notes in school. For some reason that specifically really pissed me off. I’d be like “I wasn’t at school, the damage is already done. I don’t need to prove where I was or wasn’t”. The same idea carries over to career stuff. I realized I needed to be able to do what I do best on my own terms. Read more>>
Franks been Dead
Art has always been in my family from painters, Doing ceramic work, architecture, and also Cooking it kinda runs in the blood but I ended being the only photographer and I love this field of work ever since I use to shadow my bro Daniel Cruz he taught me a lot and it took me to 25 years of age to finally go for it on my own. Best thing to happen to me since Read more>>
Fati Fernández
I realized that I wanted to be an artist when I was 9 years old and I had the need to get on stage. I strongly believe that the stage performer needs to tell a story and finds a way to do it. I started out singing at school events and then competed at national music festivals. Later I decided to study theater, at the age of 12, and there I found my true passion. It’s been 17 years of giving myself completely to this art form and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Read more>>
Cat Chickering
The first time I knew I wanted to become a piercer and in the industry was right after I got my ears pierced at 15. Then I went and got them stretched and my navel pierced. I was all in at that point. I immediately fell in love with the art and wanted to be a part of helping people decorate their bodies. It is a very complimentary feeling to be able to have customers trust you to help them express themselves. Read more>>
Laura Walsh
I knew I wanted to be a professional artist pretty much my whole life. As a kid, I spent all of my free time drawing- on placemats while out to dinner with my family, in the margins of my notebooks during class (we’ve all been there), and when my family got our first computer, I’d stay up until the wee hours of the morning getting my first taste of digital painting using MS Paint. Read more>>
Dana Musso
I could go on and on about how many careers I envisioned pursuing, and how there is so much that sparks inspiration in my mind’s eye. Every time I got really interested in a new subject, whether that be marine science or art history (two subjects that I could talk about for days) art was how I connected to it. By drawing out animals or recreating paintings, I learned so much and felt more connected. Read more>>
Kurt Telzrow
I always admired actors since I was a kid. I loved how they brought a story to life. In the summer after 3rd grade I decided to try an acting camp at a small school in New England. I remember how magical it felt to be on that stage. I was telling story, being part of something larger than myself. I was so compelled to be part of the experience that I changed schools in the fall so I could continue on this journey. Read more>>
Whitney Fair
The first time I saw a live theatre performance, I was around 6 years old and was completely awestruck. I was fascinated that these actors were bringing out emotions from the audience and transporting the audience into this magical fantasy world. Read more>>
Megan Rose
I knew at a young age how important it was for me to follow my passions and find a career that could fulfill me. I was always a creative kid; interested in skateboard and surfboard art, graffiti art, and filling up notebooks with sketches. I didn’t know how this love for art would transition into a career, but I knew that I wanted to find a career in creating. Read more>>
Astrid Montalvo
When you first start off as an artist, you are taking that risk and hoping you are good enough. I was working as a personal stylist and sometimes I get the pleasure to style a musician and that is when the fun would really start for me. I got to really branch out and create a more interesting look and call it my own. Read more>>
Molly Gallegos
Well, I’m a Leo so I love being the center of attention but really it was the first time I walked through the doors of Su Teatro. I saw people who looked like me on stage and in the audience and I felt immediately at home. I don’t exactly remember what show it was, it was quite a long time ago, but I knew immediately I wanted to tell those stories too. Read more>>
Jennifer Heinser
I have known I wanted to be part of the creative field for as long as I can remember back in childhood. But it wasn’t a clear path, as most creatives know. Read more>>
Marcela Pinilla
My first official performance was at the age of 5 and at age 14 I become a full time vocalist, it all kind of happened naturally although I though maybe at some point I would do something else on the side as well. However I was staying so busy with shows there was no time for much else really, And then it happened, I was 20 years old and I was performing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and I heard a singer scatting for the first time, there and then I fell in love with the voice as an instrument and I knew singing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Read more>>