We asked some insanely talented artists, creatives and makers to tell us about when they know they were going to pursue a creative career.

Braiden Cheatham

It was right at the beginning of 2021 when I decided I was going to go into a creative profession. Up to that point I had been majoring in Computer Science and Engineering but the pandemic had put a lot of stress and tension on my ability to focus on my degree. Read More>>

Jacqueline Lynch

From a very young age, I knew I was born to be a creative. Even though my Caribbean family encouraged me toward the medical field—because to them, it promised stability and guaranteed work—I always felt called to something different. Education was non-negotiable in my household, so I pushed through, earned my bachelor’s degree, and proved that I could take care of myself. Read More>>

Jeremiah Pearson

Growing up I always loved music … I had a fascination with Martins life on his TV show, and Jamie Foxx TV show. I’d listen to RnB music growing up and finding samples and going back to the original. Read More>>

Gilberto Aguayo

The first time I realized I wanted to pursue art professionally was when I was around 14 years old. I remember sitting with a pencil in my hand, sketching for hours without noticing the time passing. Every line felt natural, like something I was supposed to be doing. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion I couldn’t ignore. Read More>>

Emmy Hunter

From as early as I can remember, I have pictured myself in a creative field. Some of my earliest and fondest memories started in the kitchen. I loved, and still love, baking. My grandmother had a knack for it. She made beautiful wedding cakes as gifts for family and friends.  Read More>>

Stephen Wilkes

I was encouraged by my parents to pursue an artistic path from a very early age. My mother would brag that my drawings of Superman were full-bodied while other kids my age were still drawing stick figures. Both of my parent were supportive of my artistic endeavors. Read More>>

Dantrell McClain

Acting was something I’ve always wanted to do, it just took a while for me to realize that I could do it professionally haha. My first acting experience was in elementary school when I was in the play A Christmas Carol. Read More>>

Jasmine Garvin

Wow, where do I start? I’ve been singing since before I could speak. Well, that’s what my mom loves to say. Music has been my blood flow since I was little. My dad had a small music studio in the basement and I would always sit on his lap during sessions. Read More>>

Kylee Genovese

Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted some type of artistic career. When I was about 10, I wanted to be a fashion designer. Then when I was about 12, I wanted to be an actor. A few years ago, I was having a rough time in life. Read More>>

Rio Jade

As a kid I loved to sing, dance, and paint. Being creative was something I always leaned into and enjoyed. Even from a young age I wanted to be a singer. I went to guitar lessons I wrote music and sang in a choir but never thought it would go beyond that. Read More>>

Kaylee Harrison

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally goes all the way back to middle school…long before I had any real technical training. I still remember walking into tryouts for my school’s dance team with zero experience and absolutely no idea what I was doing. Somehow, I made the team. And something lit up in me that day. Read More>>

Noah Spade

I’ve wanted to pursue comedy since I was 10 years old. Growing up, I was always the “comedic relief”—which is basically a nice way of saying I’d shoot my mouth off when I probably should’ve kept it shut. Read More>>

Michelle Pedone

From a young age I always knew I wanted to be a visual artist. I got my first camera when I was eight and naturally proceeded to direct my friends how to pose for my lens. I studied art throughout middle school and high school experimenting with painting, paper mache and collage. Read More>>

Katherine Sharpless

I had an art teacher who told me, ‘this part of you that wants to make art never goes away’. Looking back from where I am now on my childhood and adolescence, it is clear I always was going to have a career in the arts. Read More>>

Kate Endle

I didn’t really ‘know’. Or, I always knew? I was drawing full faces with earrings, eyelashes and lips around 1.5 years old (I still have the drawings). Around 4 years old, thanks to my father’s collection of Playboy magazines, I was drawing nudes. So, I kinda sorta came out of the womb drawing. Read More>>

Curve The GR8

Instead of trying to pinpoint one defining moment, I’d rather talk about what actually shaped my artistic path: human enthusiasm, revelation, and the way creativity becomes a catalyst for transformation. What influences me most as an artist is the way humans use art to transmute experience — how a song, a story, or a visual can shift someone’s orientation toward themselves, society, or the world. Read More>>

Kathleen Waters

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, my sisters and I used to pretend that we were the Supremes. There was a shoe shine stand outside of our house and we would get up there and sing and dance. At my elementary school, we would read books and act them out as short plays and it really started from there. Read More>>

Simran Shah

I never had one dramatic moment where the universe whispered “you’re an artist now.” It was quieter than that. It grew slowly, like a feeling that kept tapping my shoulder until I finally turned around and paid attention. When I was studying architecture, my days were full of model-making, drawings, and long nights that smelled of glue and burnt-out laptop chargers. Read More>>

Tiago Raimundo

I realized very early that creativity would be central to my life. Growing up around shipyards, I was fascinated by how design shaped both function and beauty. As a teenager, I explored painting and drawing, from murals to surfboards, which deepened my passion for visual expression. Read More>>

Joshua Lay

The earliest memory of wanting to be a comedian is from when I was about four or five. My parents were typically busy working multiple jobs to make ends meet, which left me either under the watch of my older brother and sister or alone entirely. As a result, I was pretty much allowed to watch whatever I wanted, age restrictions be damned. Read More>>

Kori Celeste

Since a very young age, I was always encouraged by my parents to follow my passions and chase anything that brought me joy or lit my creative spark. Read More>>

Michelle Su

I’ve been drawn to the arts for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was completely captivated by cartoons like Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob, Arthur, Pokémon, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Fairly OddParents, and The Simpsons — all of which shaped how I saw the world through colour and imagination. The show that impacted me the most was Art Attack. Read More>>

Donye Burns

I knew I wanted to pursue my path when I first performed in front of my high school crowd! Read More>>