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

Noah Hunton

Ever since I was young I wanted to do music And never stopped believing in my dream. About 2 months ago I quit my full time job and now 110% all in on music. From playing gigs all around central FL ,Traveling back and fourth to Nashville to record and work with some amazing artists music. Music takes up alot of my time now but I wouldn’t want to do anything else! Read more>>

Zach Cornell

I had always played the guitar and sang a little. I’m talking cowboy chords and singing at church, not much more. When I was in college in Wichita Falls, Texas, I started getting into songwriting and playing around town in local dives. It still wasn’t much more than a hobby at that point. I loved playing and singing, but it was just a pastime. In my mind, I had to get through school, get a job, and start a family. Read more>>

Eddrick Davis

Going back to my freshman year of college, I always wanted to pursue a creative/ artistic path professionally. I came from a family that use to make home videos with old camcorders and document every single little thing. This was before vlogs were a thing. So, being both behind and in front of a lens has always been embedded in me and always been “my thing”. I go based off of the motto “If you look good, you’ll feel good!” The clothing / fashion aspect of my life has been a part of the journey as well. I always loved the aspect of looking my best and getting dressed allowed me to enhance all parts of me. Read more>>

David Bernhardt

I believe I first knew that I wanted to work in a creative path when I was like 10. Of course back then, I didn’t know what that meant for me. I didn’t know what I wanted to create, but I always knew that I liked making things. At the time, the only job I knew of that made things and was cool was a blacksmith. I think that’s because I had just left a renaissance fair. I thought it was really cool that it was somebody’s job to play with fire and metal all day. I honestly had no idea what else was involved. Read more>>

Leah Wells

I knew from a very young age that I was creative. Drawing/singing/dancing/musical instruments all came very natural to me and I truly enjoyed each and every one. What I did not have was confidence, or a mentor in the arts. I always expressed myself in small ways while growing up but never pursued a creative path and I will say that I definitely felt stifled. I did not realize, however, that the voice inside of me would stay with me until I was ready to acknowledge it and do something about it. Read more>>

Callie Leinbach

When I was two years old, my mom enrolled me in ballet/tap at our local community center. I was super excited to perform for my family at my recital. I said hi to all of my family members when I stepped on the stage. It was evident that I loved dancing, so my mom enrolled me at a dance studio. After a few years of dancing recreationally, at the age of five I was invited to be on the competition team! I took the opportunity with so much excitement. Read more>>

Don Garrett

I’m originally from Virginia. Back in 2015 I attended a Memorial Day gathering at the home of my friends Lena & Jon. I had everyone at the gathering cracking up. All of my friends, at the gathering, encouraged me to pursue standup comedy. I figured they were just being nice. Needless to say, I didn’t take heed to their words. I move to Charlotte, NC later in the year. I was working as a Claims Adjuster upon moving to Charlotte. I would make my coworkers laugh and they said I needed to pursue standup comedy. I finally took heed upon hearing 2 different groups of people tell me the exact same thing. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Read more>>

Sam Arjes

Music was a pretty constant presence in my household when I was growing up. My dad and grandfather owned classical guitars, which always fascinated me as a kid. I’d sneak them out of the rooms where they kept them and try to figure out how they worked. My mom also loves to play piano, and kept an upright in the house. I remember her teaching me to play “Heart and Soul” when I was about 5 years old and I would sit and play it over and over. Read more>>

Cherlyn Antolin

Since I was a child, I always had a passion for dance and performing; however, at the time, I never thought of it as something I could do for a living. Like most Asian kids growing up, there was a great amount of pressure to do well in school, so I could get a stable job that paid well. My mom and dad grew up in the Philippines with little money, so I understood they only wanted the best for me. My parents nurtured my passion for dance, but never would have approved if I said I wanted to do it as a profession. They are both nurses and wanted me to follow in their footsteps. Read more>>

Seth D

I’ve been rapping since I was 9, so I’ve always loved music. I decided to pursue music professionally after I put out a series of freestyle videos on Facebook when I was in high school. I received a lot of views and great feedback from my friends/family, so things just went up from there!! Read more>>

Ron Evans

I knew that I wanted to pursue an artistic path about the age 10. Drawing was the first artistic talent I discovered. Being drawn to anime, preferably Dragon Ball Z or action/fighting like characters. I enjoyed bringing to life and exploring those charters outside of television. I enjoyed them so much that I wanted to become an Animator at that point in life. As a kid, drawing was my creative outlet. Drawing was my escape. Drawing was also a way I connected to other artistic kids like myself. Read more>>

Daniel Stewart

I was a senior in high school. I had recently purchased a karaoke machine and I had just started creating original songs. So, the people I would feel comfortable with, I would let those people hear what I was creating. Back then it was tapes lol After I would record my lead vocals and Dubs by switching the tapes back and forth it would sound staticky but I was so excited that I would still let people hear. Read more>>

Cathie Muschany

I first began drawing when I was 13, laid up in a Florida hospital on vacation with apendicitis, drawing pelicans and palm trees with a pad and pencil the occupational therapists brought me. When I was released from the hospital, stranded in the condo “taking it easy,” my parents bought me some paints and I copied all the paintings that were on the walls in the apartment. I was hooked from that time! But it was my first sales at the local mall art shows when I was in high school that ignited the desire to pursue a creative path. Read more>>

Floyd Grant

When I was 13 years old back in 2000, I knew that i wanted to be a professional recording artist. When I witness the influence in my voice, the way people moved, the way people reacted to my gift, the imprint that it left, the impression that it gave and even to this day people remember the first time hearing me how they felt, I knew that God gave me something that was and is special. I knew that there was an anointing a different kind of power that only GOD can give. It started in Church when I would sing, Read more>>

Catalina Williams

My passion for art ignited when I was pretty young. I knew that I wanted to pursue a creative path the moment I first saw a painting hanging in a museum. I was no more than seven years old, but I was moved by this beautiful abstract painting. It was only made out of black lines and triangles, but there was something so emotional about it. Later that day, when we returned home, I tried to imitate it using my crayons, but I couldn’t. I was drawing the same shapes, but something was missing. Read more>>

Caleb Woods

As a kid my dad taught me how to draw and paint. Drawing was, of course, what I did the most of starting out. Once I realized that everyone would ask me to draw stuff for them and I deduced the insane profit margin from putting pencil to paper, I was sold. Although, my mom was really the hustler. As I got older my mom helped me cultivate different ways to turn my art into cash. Ever since I’ve been on a mission to build my skill and my business. Read more>>

Moschè

When I was a kid, I saw a Michael Jackson concert on TV. I was standing there with my mouth open on the floor, thinking to myself… This is what I want to do. This is what I want to be. Read more>>

Miguel A. Rios

well i have been doing music for almost about 15 years now… I first went to my first rave back in 2007 which where it all started for me when it comes to what i do now for my career and passion in life which is Dance Music. i had always been into music prior to that…but its when i got into dance music where it kinda changed everything I knew about music and how I viewed music as a whole. Shortly after attending my first rave, I began having a interest in what the DJs where doing when I would go to these events. Read more>>

Hannah Taylor

I knew I wanted to pursue music when I was 11 years old. Taylor Swift had released her first album back in 2006 and I had BEGGED my dad to get the CD for me. I remember opening the booklet and seeing that she wrote her own music, and in that moment something just changed for me. I had always had such a love of music, but I hadn’t tried to pursue much in my own, and I wasn’t sure where to start. So, I started performing in local theatres around Indiana, both community and professional, while still writing songs in a notebook that I carried everywhere with me. Read more>>

Caffery Wu

It was a sad story but me and my ex had a puppy together and shortly after that we broke up. I was really missing my puppy and decided it was a good plan to start putting my emotions into music and release them. Been working hard on producing and DJing since then. I also want to take the time to thank my mother for always supporting me since I was very young. I remember her asking me if I wanted to go through music school when I was around 6 and I turned her down because I didn’t know what life would be like if I did. I’m glad I finally decided to give music a shot and see how far I can get. Read more>>

Sarah Cash

I still remember the first time I picked up a paint brush and painted a wood bead. At the time, I had no idea hand painted wood bead jewelry would be what I would build my entire business, Sarahfide Creations, around. I started creating jewelry while recovering from multiple surgeries. I was creating jewelry more as a hobby and to occupy my time, while I recovered. I had no real interest in making it a business but I fell in love with it. Read more>>

Libby Williams

I feel that the creative field choose ME. My background was in sales, management & customer service. I experienced a a disability in 2009 that caused me to have memory issues. I felt undervalued & deflated. It was during this that my nephew, Jarvis Matthews asked me to be a body paint model in his fashion show. My career was born by utilizing the ONE opportunity presented Read more>>

CJ Porter Born

I have always been captivated by the world of coffee. From the very first time I set foot in a coffee shop at age 12, something drew me in and made me want to come back again and again. There’s a certain energy in the coffee shop that’s hard to explain until you experience it, especially for a young kid trying to find his way in the world. Read more>>

Lindsay Purvis

My first realization came in high school and into college where I attended ECU’s art school. Unfortunately, I lost that goal for about 20 years. It came back a couple of years ago after making several breakthroughs in my mental health journey. I had also discovered a new way of making mosaics, one that would help me stand out from other artists. Now, I spend my days with one goal in mind, making my art business successful. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Read more>>

Jason Reyna

It started when I would share my dining experiences with friends and them wanting to have the same experience. Words have a lot of meaning but pictures say a bit more in my opinion. So I started my page to showcase the many places I would eat at. This also started my passion for photography. I do my best to let each picture to tell a story. In doing so, I hope this entices each person looking at my pictures craving to try the food for themselves.. Read more>>

Miguel Lopez

I became a professional artist in the summer of 2018. Prior to that I had created art just for my mental well being. This year was particularly difficult for me, both in my military career and personal life. I found myself drowning in my own thoughts, fighting mental health issues and art became my scapegoat. After experiencing how much it helped and I decided to share it with the public in hope that my creation will bring a glimpse of light into the lives of those battling this desease. Through my work [visual and written words] I wanted to inspire and uplift others and let them know that even though life it’s hard, eventually everything will be ok. Read more>>

Lightskin Bobby Sweeting

I first knew I wanted to do music as a profession when I was 2years old and I saw the response from my family when I would dance and sing in front of them. The feeling it gave me still runs deep in my soul today and I believe why it was inevitable for me to become who I am today. Watching Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Marques Houston and immature, Bobby Brown and New Edition; all the way to singing Usher Raymond songs in talent shows and winning gave me the confirmation that being a artist and performing was my calling. Read more>>

Tracy Ngo

It started with a parrot. It was a colorful parrot that I drew with soft chalk pastels during an elementary school art class. My teacher was impressed by my work and gave me one of those art ribbons. When I brought it back home to my parents, they were so proud that they displayed my parrot artwork on a magazine rack at a small convenience store they owned at the time. It was such an incredible moment of validation for me. After that, I “worked” at my parents’ convenience store by making little drawings and selling them for $0.25 to $1 to random, kind strangers who wanted to encourage a little girl. Read more>>

Haylee Amparo

I can remember the feeling from as beginning as kindergarten. I went throughout my school years knowing I wanted to be bigger than most people my age had planned. For one project I remember I told my class when I grew up that I wanted to sing and be famous on tv shows like Hannah Montana, and my entire class started laughing. It was in that moment that I realized how separate I was from other people my age. My parents always walked in on me giving concerts on my bed to my stuffed animals. Read more>>

Hannz Mulligan

I knew from a very young age that I would be an artist, but I waited to specify working in animation until my senior year of college. I was first inspired by Red Nose Studio to design and sculpt characters to be photographed for a children’s story, but when I photographed them, I wanted to see my characters move. I studied animation earlier in college but switched to sculpture and soon combined the two and focused my degree in Stop-Motion Animation. Read more>>

Brandon Owens

Growing up, when I listened to music I would always sing and hum the instruments and never the lyrics. I always had an interest in music as a whole. At age 12, I got my first instrument, an electric guitar. I got into playing guitar because I loved the game Guitar Hero and I wanted to learn how to play the songs on an actual guitar. I taught myself how to play with the help of some YouTube videos. After a few years of playing guitar, I felt like I could do more. My interest then grew into DJing. Read more>>

Jalen Coleman

This is one of my favorite stories actually. I was in 2nd grade and my teacher Ms. Anderson gave us a homework assignment to go home and write a story. For some reason, I remember being super excited about this so I went home and immediately did the assignment. The next day Ms. Anderson was going desk by desk reading everyone’s story. The other kids wrote a paragraph, maybe two. As she went from desk to desk she was saying some of the same things over “Good job” or “Good job but you misspelled this word” and blah blah. Read more>>

Tiffany Lyn

I always had an artistic flare, a way with words that could draw people in. When I was younger, the words danced on pages creating poetic moments. And with time the words evolved into stories, some of my own and others of the imagination. More recently I’ve given an audible voice to my words as a means to inspire and encourage. The gift, or passion if you will, has always been there. However, this past year revealed to me the importance of making a shift. I lost someone very dear to me unexpectedly. Read more>>

Nguyen Ho

I would describe my journey as an emotional rollercoaster ride. One that started with my social anxiety, more specifically my fear of public speaking, which then allowed me to find my passion for filmmaking. Moving from Vietnam at the age of 12, the language barrier definitely affected me. It made communicating with other students and my teachers so much more difficult. I got bullied, harassed, and called all sorts of racial slurs because I had a heavy accent and struggled to speak the language. Read more>>

StarBunny

When I was a young child I always knew the creative path was for me. I came up with so many ideas , and my mom would say I’m ahead of my time. I would create “business” plans, write up mission statements, and design things before I even knew what I was doing! Fast forward to community college, where I was truly figuring out where I wanted to go in my life, I definitely decided on being a creator as my life path! These decisions helped me to become the person that I am today! Read more>>

GLAM Nashville

Jillian and I knew we wanted to pursue an artistic path at a very early age. I (Martha) attended Paul Mitchell the School and became a licensed cosmetology right after high school. Jillian attended University of Tennessee and graduated with a BFA in drawing. We worked some jobs before meeting at a popular salon in Nashville. We worked together for a few years as lead makeup artist and lead hair stylist. We than discovered the demand for on-location traveling artist in Nashville and surrounding areas. That’s when we decided to start GLAM Nashville in 2015. We love what we do and love making people feel and look their best on their most special moments. Read more>>

Morgan Frew

I’ve always known that I had to do something creative with my life to be happy, but it took me a while to come to terms with being an artist myself. Both of my parents were artists. My mother was a painter and my father was a printmaker and art professor, so I grew up in an artistic community and household. My parents always encouraged and supported me to do anything creative or artistic. Because of the careers they chose, I knew how difficult it was to be a working artist from a very young age. Read more>>

Carol A Guy

I fell in love with the mystery book genre when I read my first Agatha Christie novel at the age of 16. As I read several more of her books, I knew that a writing career was in my future. Of course, at that young age, I had a lot to learn about crafting a story. I joined my high school newspaper, which gave me some experience, but fiction was my first love, so I read as many books as possible and learned about different styles of writing and how plots were constructed. Read more>>

Darwin Gardner

I have always had a love for music and the creative process involved. When i realized I had a story worth telling I wanted music to be the outlet. My goal has always been to get my music heard and to date im closing in on a million streams as an independent artist. My stage name is Poe the Passion. The biggest recommendation I can give to any artist is take time to understand the business side of music. The better prepared you are the better you will do. Read more>>

Stephanie Dillon

Six years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer, they say that we have two lives and the second one begins when we realize we only have one. It occurred to me that after years of elevating other peoples creativity that I better get started on my own. I went to a second hand store and I bought used paintings and started painting over them, little did I know that a year later I would be asked to have a three month show at the Hewing Hotel thus starting my career as an artist. Read more>>

Chev Guthrie

For as long as I can remember I could always rap and write really well but never took either seriously. When I got to college I was looking for something to do that wasn’t party related and joined the poetry club. The Club President thought I sounded pretty good and entered me in a slam they were having… I had no idea what a slam was. Read more>>

writers’’ BLOCK

It was January 15,2017 when we had the opportunity to participate in a life changing experience. Let’s rewind, a local poet hosted a writing workshop and we attended (Karimah and Newlee). She had a special guest poet from Phoenix, AZ. He spoke about the Spoken Word community in Phoenix and an open mic he had hosted for 7 years, called Home Base Poetry..We performed and he was blown away. We exchanged contact information and we told him we were going to make it our mission to come to Phoenix. Read more>>