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.

Melody Minasian

My passion for baking started from both my grandma and my mom. Growing up, I’d see them baking different cakes and pastries for loved ones and saw how much enjoyment came from just a single slice of cake. Read more>>

Chris Taylor

I’ve always been fascinated with music production. In High-School, I used take hip-hop acapellas and instrumentals and mix different ones together. Read more>>

Trinity Stenton

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a life as a singer/song writer was when I created my first song. I was 16 years old and began to write lyrics and piano accompaniment with a song called “I’m Standing”. Read more>>

Luke Thayer

I grew up in Indiana, which feels like a different planet than showbiz. Sure, there had been a few famous comedians from Indiana such as David Letterman and Jim Gaffigan, but they were generations ahead of me. Read more>>

Kfir Gov

I already knew that I wanted to pursue Music from a very young age. I had an unusual upbringing growing up between Italy, Germany, France and Israel which opened my horizons to different languages and cultures very young. Read more>>

Rachel Dawn Lauver

It took me a long time to start selling art. Throughout my career, I’ve often dreamed about leaving my corporate job to live a slower life, create meaningful art, and support myself in a way that feels authentic and fulfilling. Read more>>

Nick Castillo

After being in the workforce for over 21 years, you definitely learn a lot about yourself. For example, I left Virginia Tech with a Computer Engineering degree, Read more>>

Marisa DeMaria

I wrestled for years discerning if art was meant to be private in my life, something just for my eyes only. About a year ago, a friend and I had a combined art show at a local coffee shop, Solstice Roasters. Read more>>

Makeda Smith

As a young girl, my passion for art was undeniable. My parents still fondly recall the days of constantly repainting the walls because of my drawings—a testament to my early creativity. Read more>>

Seymond Perry, Sr.

Hello, I’m Seymond Perry, and I’m thrilled to share my journey with you. From a young age, I’ve been drawn to creative expression, fueled by a deep desire to share the wisdom and teachings of the Word of God. Read more>>

Kevin Poelking

My career began as a beginning band and orchestra teacher in the public schools just north of Washington, D.C. In between fixing broken strings and preparing lesson plans for the ultimate performance of “Hot Cross Buns”, Read more>>

Matthew D’Abate

Professionally, probably not until true adulthood. But personally, I was reading by 3, on my way to my first short ‘story’ by 13, and then long form narrative fiction by my late 20’s. Read more>>

Tasveer Badal

I knew when the burning desire inside of me to become something greater than a job title. Everyone has a creative outlet and some haven’t found theirs yet which is completely ok. Read more>>

Isa Condo-Olvera

I have always had a deep longing to perform. Whether it was pretending to twirl through the hills of Austria as Maria Von Trapp or prancing around pretending to be a Jellicle cat (I embarrassingly, non-ironically, still love Cats), I had a sense that this is what I wanted to do since I was around three. Read more>>

Andrea Castillo

It’s something that I knew was always there inside of me. I think it really struck me in my early 20s when thinking about getting an MFA and considering art was something that I really wanted in the forefront of my life. Read more>>

Tanisha Marshall

Several years ago, I went through a rough time in my life, and it was around that time that art was reintroduced to me. When I was younger, I loved singing, drawing, embroidery, and teaching myself the piano, Read more>>

Laura Mendes

I was a very active kid. Growing up I used to be a swimmer before I was a dancer. Being physical has been the most tangible way to understand that I am a living being. Read more>>

Chelsea Housand

I was a child who was always very into the creative process, and really excitable by art. My parents and teachers alike encouraged this in whatever forms possible, and I was really determined to earn the praise I received. Read more>>

Callie Beaulieu

I love that we’re opening with this question! I knew pretty early on that I was going to be an actor. When I was a girl, I was always acting out songs in front of the mirror with a hairbrush and wearing a tutu (to this day, I love the Billy Joel Stranger album which was my favorite to act out). Read more>>

Rachel Rocky” Jackson“

I am happy to be here, what a blessing to share. I knew it from the age of 5 from my participation in Creative and Performing Arts Training Programs and summer camps. Read more>>  

Hilary Paul McGuire

Having been teaching math in Jr College for 15 years, I was out hiking one day and came across a pile of junk iron and steel used by an AD1900 homesteader. Read more>>

Kendle ‘Grant Sounds’ Bramble

I was unemployed after a large corporate layoff from a nonprofit organization in late 2019. I then transitioned into education, working with kids in early 2020. Read more>>

Harriet Bridgwater

The moment I realised I wanted to do this was when I was 11. I did a school production of “the lion, the witch and the wardrobe.” By C.S Lewis, playing Lucy. Read more>>

Robert E. Coppage III

I was working as a boys home facilitator in Wyandotte County. It was a tough time for me mentally and financially back in 2018. My acting career was finally gaining momentum. Read more>>

Erik Nordgren

I grew up playing music and spent a lot of time as a teen exploring both classical work and modern styles, but there was a particular period of time in the early 2010s where the concept of becoming a film composer and working on the sound for motion pictures & television really crystallized into a goal. Read more>>

Melina Farahani

For much of my life, I felt a pull toward creativity, yet I hesitated to fully embrace it. I’ve always pondered the question, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Read more>>

Bailey Jackson

My life has been filled with challenges before I even came into the world. I was diagnosed with congenital Hydrocephalus, causing a need for a VP (ventriculoperitoneal ) shunt to be put in place for my survival. Read more>>

Krishna Patel

I knew that I wanted to pursue a professional path in the creative industry when I was in high school, but I always felt in my gut since childhood that I leaned more toward an artistic path. Read more>>

Coda Girvan

From a young age, I always expressed interest in visual and performance art. I knew by age 13 that painting was a positive influence in my life and was necessary for my existence. Read more>>

Camille Uribe

Ever since early childhood, music was woven into the fabric of my upbringing in many ways. My mom was my first piano teacher and both she and my dad instilled a love of music in our home. Read more>>

Anthony Telles

Ever since I was young I always wanted to pursue a creative and artistic career. In third grade I had a teacher and her name was Ms. Olsen where she motivated me to draw and always encouraged my creativity. Read more>>

Pooja Taneja

In the Summer of 2019 is when I reintroduced myself to the art of healing . I used to create a lot of art while I was in school and won interschool competitions. Read more>> 

Georgia Shore

I figured out pretty early on that I wanted to pursue a career in film–age twelve, to be exact. I fell in love with movies when I took a film analysis class in sixth grade, where I was introduced to classics like Rear Window, Singin’ in the Rain, and High Noon. Read more>>

Jennifer Lynn O’Hara

I’m one of the lucky ones – I never had to make the decision to choose between an artistic path or a more traditional path – I just always knew I would make my life in the creative and fine arts. Read more>>

Shaunt’e Lewis

I always had a knack for creativity from a young age. Painting my bedroom walls and upcycling old clothes were things I loved to do. Read more>>