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.

Armand Arnould

I’ve been wanting to take my music to a professional level since I started honestly. One thing I’ve always dreamed about is to just be heard. I’ve always wanted to travel the world, and I feel like my music will take me there one day. To be more specific on the question though; I believe I was about 13 when I really knew that this is what I wanted in life. Read more>>

Yi Lin Zhao

I’ve always been creative since a young age. Growing up in an Asian household, I was enrolled in many hobby classes to explore my potential and interests that might be turned into a specialty skill for the future. I took classes in piano, ballet, and tennis, but I showed the most promise in classical fine art. The other classes were dropped to make way for weekend art classes, a commitment that continued until high school. Read more>>

Jennifer Howell

At the age of 12, I had a near fatal horse accident. It ended up that my jaw was broken, my ear drum busted and severe skull fractures. My mouth was wired shut for nine weeks and the recovery was absolutely brutal. My parents told me that I could watch any movies that I wanted in order to try and give me something to look forward to during this trying time. They would go to Blockbuster Video and rent anything that I requested and I began devouring films. Using art as a form of distractive therapy probably was born into my being sitting on that couch and watching those movies. It did not occur to me that the direction of my life would follow this path but the seed was planted. Read more>>

Mila Sketch

The beauty of Scandinavian nature impacted my early imagination. I wanted to paint what I saw around me. I dreamed of becoming an artist as early as I could remember. I entered a regional art competition at nine, and my work “Halt in the Arctic.” won a regional art award and is now permanently placed in the Murmansk Regional Art Museum. I was reassured by my first success, even though my parents were against my dream. They insisted I pursue academic studies and science before approaching art full-time. The fight with my parents was ongoing throughout my childhood, and even today, they sometimes question my career choice. Read more>>

Oriana Cognata

The most vivid memory I have of knowing this was my path in life was when my sister’s friend, and local unicorn, Nicole Alvarez of KROQ fame invited me on stage to introduce legendary So Cal band, Bad Religion at a Weenie Roast. This moment completely changed the direction and trajectory of my life. I’d never seen so many faces at once, you really get to experience what it’s like to be in a community when that many people come together to see you perform. Spending time with Nicole that day, especially backstage while she interviewed bands, gave me a better understanding of the job an artist does. It’s really not just sitting in the studio and creating art. There are so many moving parts to being a successful artist. Read more>>

Regan McCreight

I have always loved creating, but I did not have the goal of becoming a professional artist until two years ago. Painting was always a meditative outlet for me to express myself, it’s not always easy with words. I would gift my art to my friends and family and eventually people started reaching out for commissions. Once I started getting encouragement from my community and believing in myself, I decided I owed it to myself to pursue my passion professionally and it’s become one of the most fulfilling decisions of my life. Read more>>

Andrew Hooker

I was 10 years old. My older brother and I were watching Robert Plant and Jimmy Page on TV performing at Knebworth Festival. This was the reunion show they did in the early 80’s. I was mesmerized by Jimmy Page’s guitar playing. I knew from that moment on, that I wanted to be a musician. Read more>>

Larry Winn

There wasn’t ever a lightning bolt hitting me saying, “Hey! You’re going to be creative.” It’s the 10000 hours practice rule. I began selling prints out of my VW van, became an art publisher, an art director, and a creative director. Like most things in life it was a process that took many years to be good at. My story really begins in 1974 when I was a stockbroker in New York. It was a great learning experience from both a sales point of view and understanding financial aspects of the world. I certainly didn’t hate it. I was reasonably successful , but knew I wanted something else for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Nathan Roscoe

When I turned 18 I tried stand-up comedy for the first time after watching George Carlin and Louis C.K for many years. I admired their ability to make a living by saying and doing what they want, and I always wanted that for myself. I was also an ROTC cadet who was set to be an Air Force officer – which was a radically different career path but I really tried to make both work. By the time I had became an Air Force officer, I had been doing comedy for almost four years, and then before I was able to receive my first assignment. Then soon after I parted ways with the Air Force after making some inappropriate jokes on a comedy podcast. This situation made me realize that I cannot live two different lives, and that being a creative is what I was meant to do with my life. Read more>>

Jun Kuang

Everything can go back to 2007 when I first watched John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath. It is one of these magical moments in our lives, you know, it hit me, it hit me hard, and it made me realize that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to make movies. Read more>>