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.

Storm Stylez

I grew up in an artistic household so, art and music has always been in my blood. I wrote my first song at 11 years old and I knew from there that’s what I wanted to do Read more>>

Jennifer Carson

I suppose in some ways, I’ve known I wanted to be someone who “creates” most of my life. In high school I really wanted to go to art school, but wasn’t encouraged by many. I didn’t have the confidence to say, this is what I want to do. Read more>>

DaeJona Gordon

Having a passion that drives you and the skills to sell yourself and your work is not exactly common. I’ve always known that no matter if it was me selling my art alone or my art being used for advertisements or being installations, that my art would be the thing that provided. I knew that I had a certain message I want to convey and that eventually I would I would find my tribe and they would appreciate my creativity and it would provide for me. Read more>>

Juan de Dios Mora

When I was kid, I used to make mud houses and my curiosity for the arts began. I started my studies in Mexico but the ones that develop my skills were in my college years. In college, I studied the masters and artists that made an impact in the art world. I wanted to accomplish the same things regarding the quality of work and portray messages that represents my Latinx community. Read more>>

Hang Him to the Scales

Like many other indie bands, we started off as a regular weekend hobby, practicing once a week while everyone else worked full-time, except for Yena, who is currently pursuing her doctorate degree. Read more>>

Lauryn Nichole

I’ve always known since I was a little girl that I wanted to pursue the creative arts. I started dancing at age 2 and it’s been history ever since. My mom says she’d turn on a show called “So You Think You Can Dance?” And said I used to walk around on my tippy toes while watching the dancers on tv. Read more>>

Monica Joy

For me it was quite early on, and it’s amongst one of my earliest and happiest memories. I was probably about four years old, and watching the show that I, like most children at the time, absolutely worshiped, Spongebob. After what felt like the millionth episode, I for once, stayed still and watched the credits. Somehow in that moment, my tiny, impressionable mind made the connection that real human beings had made and designed the world and the characters I loved so much. Read more>>

Jared McCloud

I think it was just how it was going to be- not that I decided anything. I was bored in school and held plenty of jobs that really didn’t do anything for me other than pay bills, so they usually didn’t last that long. Art was all I ever wanted to do, and a bunch of different styles as well. Painting, tattoo, songwriting, sketching, graphic design… believe it or not they all sort of go together. Once I started to figure out how to make a living do what I liked I never looked back. Read more>>

Laetitia Prince

I have always been very creative since I was young, I have always had a big passion for music, art and cinema. I started by making art for myself, and using it as a form of therapy, drawing mainly on my sketchbooks. In 2019 I started making art more regularly and I participated in a couple of small art exhibitions, which jumpstarted my desire to pursue it more seriously. But it was only in December 2022 when I decided to pursue art and my creative passions professionally. Read more>>

Priyanka Batra

The earliest memory I have of creating art was when I started a little magazine called “Cool Fashion” when I was 8 or 9 with two friends. I was the “editor.” We were supposed to take turns being editor but I think I hogged the position. The “magazine” was a single sheet of paper quartered with little slits to make the pages. I drew all the drawings in it and the “cool fashion” that the models were wearing. Read more>>

Trey Calloway

The son of a preacher man, I grew up singing in church and was a seasoned performer by the age of 10. Southern and contemporary gospel were my first musical loves, but I was instantly mesmerized by the sounds of country music after hearing songs from the Garth Brooks Greatest Hits album that my parents bought me. This music inspired my artistic journey and changed my life. Read more>>

Dez Begay

I was in college when I first realized I wanted to pursue a creative career. Even though up until this point in my life I had been financially supported by my facepainting. I thought my facepainting was a hobby. It turned out to be a vital talent that helped future theatrical makeup designs. Not only have I used facepainting in my theatre career but I still facepaint for events and for fun on tik tok. Read more>>

Ted Hajnasiewicz

I was VERY young. It was before I could play an instrument (though I was plunking out melodies from songs on my grandma’s piano – “Star Wars” theme vocal melody to “Rhinestone Cowboy”, etc.). I used to make up pretend songs, and sing them into our cruddy little tape recorder device, tapping on it to keep a beat. I made up fake bands and albums. For years before I ever owned an instrument or learned to play, I was a rock star in my mind. I don’t know that I’ve ever outgrown that. Read more>>

Megan Strachan

I guess in a way, I have always wanted to pursue an artistic career professionally. I have always been a creative person, in all avenues, however, it never really seemed like a realistic or viable dream until I started making and posting my resin jewelry. I got a ton of support online, and I started getting custom requests. That was the moment it kind of clicked, like, hey? I could do this full time one day? Read more>>

Amber Paige

In 2018, I was a brand ambassador for a clothing brand based in Colorado. In 2020, My job was shutdown due to COVID . It gave me more time to think about what i really wanted to do. I knew I wanted to pursue modeling professionally after joining The Model University with Model Coach Lola Chél. I learned so much about the industry and the different types of modeling. Read more>>

Ellie Kelly

I can’t think of a time when I didn’t have a few creative projects in progress. I love experimenting with different media and have taken several classes in oil painting, acrylics, watercolor, 3-d art and ceramics, drawing, and mixed media over the years. Until around 6 years ago, I always made art as a hobbyist. While I still maintain a full-time career in the nonprofit sector, I started selling art on a very small scale a few years ago. Read more>>

Brandon Hodges

I discovered my passion for pursuing a creative and artistic path professionally while I was already deeply immersed in a corporate career. Initially, I juggled my art and creative endeavors as hobbies alongside my professional commitments. However, as time went on, I began to realize the immense fulfillment I experienced through my artistic pursuits. Read more>>

Kalvin Bryabt

It all began in college, when I was consistently watching America’s Next Top Model and saw that Tyra Banks included males on cycle 20. At the same time, there was a modeling team active at my university so I took my chance to audition. My process wasn’t easy first starting out, but what propelled me was when I joined my first modeling entertainment troupe in the Competitive Modeling Federation. Read more>>

Alicia Ross and Christi Harris N/A

Alicia: Looking back, I didn’t grow up as an artist. I didn’t really have access or exposure to the arts as a kid so I never imagined it becoming my profession. I don’t think I realized that I wanted to pursue an artistic path as a career until I was already in it. I was an athlete growing up, and started dancing in high school. I chose to dance in college because that’s what my peers were going to do, Read more>>

Liz McBryde

Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to play music professionally. Both of my parents are professional violinists and growing up in a musical environment, I knew it was meant for me. Some of my earliest memories were being babysat in the greenroom of the performing arts hall where my parent’s would have rehearsals and concerts. I think when you are around a musical environment from a young age, you are bound to have deep roots that will somehow come out creatively. Read more>>

Jalesse Heath

I discovered I wanted to be a beauty and fashion influencer while modeling years back. I was introduced to the beauty and fashion world at the age of 18. While pursuing modeling I ran into makeup artists, photographers and creators which opened my eyes into the beauty and fashion world. That’s what ignited my passion for the beauty industry Read more>>

Marilyn Bradley

I don’t know if there was ever an “AHA!” moment of realization. I have always been creative and loved drawing. I don’t think I even remember a time when I wasn’t elbow deep in paint and crayons as a kid. There have, of course, been a few detours along the way working in “regular” 9-5 jobs, but I’m very lucky to have parents and close friends that have always encouraged me to follow a more creative path. I started to take making art my career more seriously in my late 20’s and slowly made my way into more creative spaces. Read more>>

Kai James

I’ve really known since I was a little kid, I would say about eight years old. I was always a musician (violin), but I really loved to sing and had a deep desire to do so. For some reason I was just afraid to share my voice; if somebody was listening I would stop. In 2019 I realized I was a gifted writer and that this was something I needed to pursue. Read more>>

Tam The Viibe

I always knew ever since I was a kid. Discovering BET, MTV, and VH1 opened up my mind beyond my small town world. I listened to everyone and anything. I watched just about any all music videos that came out. I always had a song in me as a kid. I was always humming something or making up my own words to songs that were already on the radio. I realized that I could rap when I started writing poetry and then I just immersed myself from there. Read more>>

Izaac Bacik

I first knew I wanted to pursue houseplant care professionally when I realized it was a field that involved daily learning. My first job working with plants was watering at Lowe’s and as I cared for the pants and was asked about them I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could. Life learning is important to me and knowing I was finding footing in a career where I could learn something new every day solidified my place in the houseplant industry. Read more>>

Marc Thaddaeus Suess

I remember the moment my creative entrepreneurial journey started. I was 8 years old, and after spending days working on my first comic book – a 12-page masterpiece – I wondered what to do with it. It was the first time I didn’t just play, but were proud of something I had done creatively, and wanted to share it with the world. I smashed my piggy bank and took my pocket money to the copy shop. I remember the excitement and how nervous I was, the smell of the printer ink and the stack of warm paper in my arms. Read more>>

Dave Wheeler

Growing up I was lucky to be surrounded by creative people. My father was a poet and artist in his free time, my mother was a crafter and handy in making anything you could think of, my brother a budding artist and my extended family a bevy of crafts people. I knew from the start I wanted to draw for a living. I might not have known what the proper title was but I wanted to create for a living. Read more>>

Nina Naval

The arts have always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I used to play the violin as a kid (before I quit because I was frustrated over not being able to play well), and after that I danced ballet before I started getting injured due to my hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I loved to sing, to act, to play dress up and play pretend. Read more>>

Susan Fox

I think I always knew I wanted to figure out a way to transform my creative and artistic skills into a professional career. As a child, I spent many Saturday afternoons taking various drawing, painting, and metalsmithing classes at Cranbrook and the BBAC. I always loved making things and collecting interesting “tchotchkes”. I took apart all sorts of objects: Read more>>

Mi Young Lee

While I was pursuing my graduate degree at the University of South Dakota, I had a chance of showing my paintings at a sólo exhibit. I had great reviews on my work and one of the critics has encouraged me to show my paintings to a larger crowds Read more>>

Kaitlyn Blade

I have always been fascinated by the arts and the idea of being a creative. However, I didn’t always believe that it was possible to be a professional artist full time. I was always drawing anything I could from a very young age, but during the last 2 years of high school I felt a little lost. The societal pressures of the future were weighing down on me as I believed I needed a “good paying job” instead of believing that art could be my future career. Read more>>

Ashlyn Cavallier

Th is is a really good question. I think the answer is always. I’ve been creating art for a long time now, my earliest memory being around K5ish. And I know that sounds silly, but I remember the exact memory where I fell in love. The question was always how. It took a long time for me to figure out the best way to get my art out there, but sill be secure financially. I finally have the set up mentally and financially to do what I want to do. I’m very blessed that I’m able to live my life exactly how I want. Read more>>

Lola Kovanda

My whole life I have known that I wanted to do something involving music. When I graduated high school I was on track to go to college for musical theatre and environmental science, I thought that I had to double major because I had people tell me that it would be too hard to do something musical. I went to college and wasn’t happy with what I was doing so I left to figure out what I needed to be happy. Read more>>

Rashad Ali

Growing up in the 80’s and early 90’s I was a fan of Soul Train, Arsenio Hall Show , Video Soul and Club MTV. back than I would watch the show consistently not realizing that I would have my own entertainment platform. I was good at basketball and baseball but music became my calling I had a local show in elementary school 5 days a week called “Kids At Work” from 1992-1994 it was very popular school program. Read more>>

Jillian Schmuhl

When I was a little girl I got my first camera and quickly fell in love with capturing the beauty around me but it wasn’t until I lost my father that I truly knew it was something I wanted to pursue professionally. It had always been a hobby and my father really encouraged me to use my gift. He insisted on being my first customer back when it was just a hobby. Read more>>

Kim Roa

As a solo travel content creator, I discovered my passion for creating content while I was travelling alone for the first time in Japan back in 2016. At first, it was just a hobby, something I did for fun while I traveled. But as I continue to create and share my content, I started to receive positive feedback and encouragement from friends and fellow travelers. That’s when I knew I wanted to take content creation seriously. Read more>>

Josh Bradley

I don’t think I actually knew if I wanted to be an artist to be honest. At first, drawing and painting became an escape from my anxiety and loneliness. Anytime I picked up my pencil it felt like I was in a different world, not caring about anything else. Growing up as an only child, my pencils and paint brushes were my first friends. The more I got into this artistic dimension, the more people started to noticed my talents from the outside world. Read more>>

Joey Botello

I would say, when I first noticed that I could hear sounds differently than other people. Most people will either say “ i love the beat” or “the lyrics are catchy” but to me it was so much more than that. I could see the sounds through various colors. I could feel every emotion conveyed through both the music and lyrics. That’s when i knew that I wanted to make people feel the way music made me feel. It’s a very powerful thing. Read more>>

Mike Goldberg

It all began as a 12 year old at summer camp where I was originally introduced to art. I entered a light filled room filled with huge blocks of clay, kilns, canvases on easels, giant tubes of colorful paints and an array of brushes fanned out across the tables. I was hooked. I had no idea this even existed. I was exposed to all of these incredible resources and quickly became obsessed with shaping clay with my hands and applying paint to canvas with brushes. Read more>>

Lukas Arnold

Maybe 4 or 5? I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t strongly drawn to the performing arts. I did loads of plays and musicals through school, studied as an actor in college, spent time as a voiceover artist before going a full time comedian. There’s never been anything else on my horizon, nothing that interested me even half as much as acting, performance, and comedy. Read more>>

Jakob Prolog

My first realization that I could pursue art as a career was watching cartoons as a kid. The network of choice was always Cartoon Network, but I loved tons of shows on Nickelodeon, Disney, and Adult Swim. Outside of the world of television, there were tons of animation happening on the internet that really caught my interest early on. Homestar runner, Albino Blacksheep, and Newgrounds were all huge hubs of art, animation, and flash games. Read more>>

Anthony Edwards

I first discovered my passion for the creative arts at a young age. Throughout my childhood, I found immense joy and fulfillment in expressing myself through various artistic mediums. Whether it was painting, drawing, or even writing stories, I was captivated by the ability to communicate emotions and ideas visually. As I grew older, I realized that my love for the arts was not just a fleeting interest but a calling. It became clear to me that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally, Read more>>

Raul Rivera

For me this creative path came out of necessity. Its my way of digesting reality. This is how I see the world and I feel the need to create something every day. I’ve been doing it since very early in life and it has just become an outlet for my emotions and my view of the world. Read more>>

Jason Lythgoe

I spent my 3rd-8th grade years as part of a Children’s Theatre group in Southern Ca in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I truly fell in love with being onstage during that time. I had great roles in some classic musicals and developed life lasting friendships. I had spent a few years having fun and enjoying what I was doing, but it really hit me then…I wanted to do this forever. Read more>>

Becky Vang

I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path in the beauty industry after I started getting my lash extensions done. I realize the time I can save during my rushed mornings and the enhancement it does to my eyes. It’s was the extra confidence boost I never knew I needed. Read more>>

Marqevius Barnes

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally when I was little. I always knew that I loved music. I was surrounded by it with my grandmother, aunties, and mother were in a local family gospel group. I am not a singer by no means, but the inspirations of music always been with me. I tried to figure out ways I could express my interest in music and starting a music podcast/radio show was a great avenue to get my foot in the door in the music industry. Read more>>

Crystal Gix

I knew I wanted to pursue being a creative professionally when I was a child. I have always been the person gravitating to do what I love. Any time I do any thing that I do not care about, it is always short lived, so I try not to. As a little girl, I drew pictures, sang, danced, and did all sorts of creative things. Although I excelled in many areas, I always preferred to do things that didn’t feel like a chore. For me, that was creative and artistic things. Read more>>