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

Monique Mccoy

Since a child I always knew I would pursue a career in either music or public speaking. However, during the pandemic, after years of dreaming and working a 9-5, I was pushed into my greatness as a poet. While most of the world was in a frenzy I decided to pivot. I began writing again after years of writers block. Read More>>

Dannie Erwin

I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path at ten years old, sitting in front of the television watching The Cosby Show. Now let me be clear, my family dynamic was not the Huxtables. I grew up in a low-income, single-parent household of three. We didn’t have the brownstone. We didn’t have the degrees on the wall. Read More>>

Zion McThomas

I began this journey in 2014 as a poet in college at Alcorn State University. I did shows for folks throughout campus and by the time I graduated in 2018, I had already done shows across the south. However, it was still just a hobby. Read More>>

Tatiana Rugers

One of the biggest impacts in my childhood was one of my art lesson, when my Art teacher showed the techniques of blending several colors. It felt like magic to me. I still remembers that moment – she painted autumn leaves in art class. She was 8 years old. Read More>>

Brianna Davis

When I look back at my life, the signs were everywhere. I was always making something. I’d stay up late drawing, cutting up magazines for collages, and rearranging my room like it was a living installation. My parents graciously let me paint my bedroom walls four different colors and redesign it however I wanted. Read More>>

Trudy Price

There was never one exact lightning-bolt moment – just a constant yearning to be doing something I am very passionate about on a full-time basis and that has never gone away. Read More>>

Eliza Singerman

I don’t think there was one dramatic moment where I suddenly decided to pursue art professionally. It was more of a slow realization that art wasn’t something I just did but it was how I understood and related to the world. I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. As a kid, it was a way to escape and process. Read More>>

L. L. West

For whatever reason, my mother was obsessed with buying things from those ‘As Seen on TV’ infomercials when I was younger: the ones that were usually 19.99 plus shipping and handling. She bought this steamer, ‘The Tobi’, that was such a piece of garbage; all it did was get your clothes wet. Read More>>

Anthony Ellis-Gill

So i started extreme calisthenics training in 2015, and started competiting in local competitions. Not only was this challenging for my body, but it provided a challenge for my mind as well, the anticipation, preparation, and anxiety to perform on a platform. From this competition it sparked me to compete more, and then eventually create and host my own events for future athletes to experience. Read More>>

Diana Quetti

I think I must’ve been four years old or so when I “got bit by the bug.” I was in ballet class at a local dance studio, and we had our end of year recital. Read More>>

Neverne Covington

I have always drawn and painted since early childhood, even in my high chair, so I am told. All children love to draw or paint, I just never stopped. It is my passion, then and now. Drawing or painting what you see makes every moment feel alive with a profound sense of presence and purpose. Fueled by a relentless curiosity, Read More>>

 Jessica Wan

I’ve spent my entire life straddling multiple worlds, so I’ve always been an Ampersand (a term I coined) – a musician & a business leader. In college, I double-majored and earned a BA in Music & BS in Product Design. As I continued singing, I pursued a marketing career in tandem – starting out at a design firm, then at the San Francisco Opera. Read More>>

 Azalea “asália” Segura-Mora

I have known for a long time that I wanted to pursue a music artist path. I feel like I soft-launched it in my head when I was in high school. I grew up being shy, but I loved singing so much and admired everyone who would put themselves out there online with their music talents. I would spend hours watching YouTube and Instagram creators such as Grent Perez, Chloe Moriondo, and UMI who would share music covers of songs I loved, then eventually released their own original music as indie artists to their online communities. Read More>>