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

Jazmin Jimenez

For starters I always knew I wanted to be in beauty, and wellness. As long as I can remember I was playing with makeup, learning new techniques, and making the best out of it. Tilll one day, I went to do my hair this vibrant blue like the rockstar I am, and my hairstylist basically learned my life story as the hair process to almost 10 hours. She was the one to suggest, well if you’re already in love with beauty and makeup, why not add hair to the roster. Lightbulb! It was almost too perfect to think of bringing all the things I love together, and also making it into a living. So in reality I always knew I was going to be a creative, just didn’t know how to project it unto the world. Read more>>

Akanksha Yadav

I have always envisioned myself as a creative person and was always interested in creative work. I tried various places but was not getting any opportunity to pursue my creative dreams. So I thought of starting my own social media channel, and started creating content using just my smartphone. Initially it was more of a Trial and Error, but over the period of time I started understanding how social media works, how to connect with the audience and provide value for them. After I had my second child, I was going through postpartum depression, that time creating fun videos for social media helped me immensely. It not only gave me a creative outlet but also helped in improving my mental health. I suppose you could say that’s when the creator in me really came to play. I slowly started teaching myself various editing techniques to create more fun and interactive videos. Read more>>

Katia Diamond

I left my home and family at 11 years old to come to the United States to live with my uncle. My mother and stepfather got divorced and my mother didn’t have the means to care for both me and my younger sister. Being the older sister I volunteered to go since my sister was much younger than me and I knew she really still needed to be with my mom. Unfortunately life with my uncle was not what I had expected. He was demanding, incredibly restrictive and abusive so my expectations of a happy future quickly disappeared. The 10 years I lived with him brought me to the lowest point in my life and any dreams I had as a child started to fade. Then one day when I was a teenager, my uncle’s friend somehow convinced him to allow me to go see an Argentine Tango show with his daughter. Read more>>

Kaylon Baker

Honestly, I don’t think there was a first time. I feel like it’s one of those things that gradually happened. I’ve always had a creative background. I dabble in a few different art forms, starting out with drawing and painting in grade school, photography in college, which led to modeling a few years after, and now acting. Some time in college between the transition from painting to photography, I participated in an art show and sold a painting. Perhaps at that point was when that trickle effect began. Actually, prior to any of this, as a kid, I do remember selling old drawings in 5th grade for like two bucks, so maybe it started there. Read more>>

October Rose

LEANNE: When I was a child, my parents took me to see “Cats” on Broadway, and it was my first experience in a live theater. It was magical, and I knew that someday I would be on stage too. After performing on stage in school, college, and community theater, I realized that I could make money singing, so.I joined a wedding band. After that, I was bringing my own show to senior centers, libraries, and festivals as well as recording my own original country music. DEREK: I had always played guitar and written songs as a kid, but never thought I could do anything with it. Then I was listening to country radio and heard a song by Cole Swindell and thought, “I could write a song like this.” Read more>>

Joe Perry

Originally I never thought I would be in a band. I started off in my grade school years looking at joining the military (pretty laughable now). Once I got into high school and thought all my plans were set, wham, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I thought I had lost out on what I had planned but it turned out to be the biggest blessing from God. I eventually ended up in the small rural town of Seguin, Texas to attend college at Texas Lutheran University. I thought I would never find anyone cool there or interested in my growing love of music, but I was proven wrong yet again. In my preliminary college years I met Jonathan Kerr (rhythm guitarist) and Ryan Hannasch (drummer). Read more>>

Patrick Moss

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally as Black Santa was after I posted a pic of myself as Santa the first year I donned the classic red and white suit. A year prior I took a pic in a Santa hat and full beard. It was so well received by family and friends. I knew then I may have been on to something. Read more>>

Roberto Berrios

I’ve been doing tattoos for almost 40 years piercing for about 20 years now after leaving the military I traveled a lot throughout my life working at different shops learning all sorts of different techniques from all many artists meeting great people and just never could phathem my life to be anymore rewarding than to leave my work on hundreds and thousands of great folks over the years. Tattooing became my world and lifestyle Read more>>

GOZ

When I was growing up, I quickly learned that I had a vast imagination. And the foundation of discipline set by my parents along with my creativity is what stirred my true love and pursuit of a career in music/media. Before the media though, music was my 1st love. I played the drums for 7 years, between the school band and private drum set lessons as a kid/pre-teen. This background definitely built my ear for music, along with my Mom’s singing in the church choir. Read more>>

Murrille

I really didn’t know that I was gonna do music professionally, it’s just something that I love to do. if I never made a dollar from doing music, I would still do it. Read more>>

Errol Ajanie” Williams”

My creative spirit started when I was child growing up on the beautiful island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Very often my brothers and I were at my grandmother’s home and there is where I would learn how to be super creative. As a kid I loved to draw, create art, and make music. My grandmother’s home was like a tropical adventure and had everything I needed. From roosters in the front yard, to Iguanas in her backyard, all types of fruit and tropical trees were in her garden. So, I would draw every chance that I could, because her home made my imagination run wild! Either I was drawing my favorite superhero from a comic, or I was play fighting dragons in outer space. Read more>>

Gillian DeVaal

Growing up I never saw myself as someone who could be confined to one space or one dream. Although I admire the happiness that many other people are able to find in non-artistic pursuits, I can confidently say I don’t think that would ever fit me. Everything I do, I hope to do authentically and passionately from a place of truth. If you feel a fire burn within you, life is way too short to snuff it out for anyone or anything else’s comfort. I have felt drawn towards Art for as long as my memories go back in time! I still know that for me, to try any other pursuit would be a lie. Read more>>

Josiah Persad

I grew up in the islands of Trinidad & Tobago where I developed my interest and love for creative storytelling. As a child, I was fascinated with the natural wonders and beauty of my islands: lush landscapes, serene seascapes, floral and fauna, tropical rainforests, and fiery sunsets – There was never a shortage of  interesting subjects to shoot with my camera. Being raised Trinbagonian also meant that I lived engulfed in a cosmopolitan environment, rich in diverse cultures, heritage and history; a place where many races and ethnicities merge and co/exist. This is where my inspiration to create came from – I grew up surrounded by art. Read more>>

M’ria Swire

I have always created things since I was a Kid, I loved to paint on things and put things together with out of the box materials. When I was little I remember I painted on all the wooden furniture in my room, I was so proud. When I came home from school, They had been washed off the furniture, and shortly there after I was enrolled in a local studio. Since then life, as it does has taken me on a wacky upside down roller coaster. As a visual Artist, Art has always been the method by which I can most accurately and fully express myself. Sometimes words just don’t encapsulate what I feel or want to express. But color and texture completely get me. Read more>>

Persis Johnson

The first time I knew occurred very early in my life. I started drawing when I was in elementary school. It started off as a hobby until I received a lot of praise from my friends, teachers, and family members. This was one of the first things that motivated me to keep making art. My teachers told my parents that I had a talent for art and should be encouraged to pursue a career as a professional artist. When I found out, I accepted and had no problem with choosing this path. I knew I wanted to be an artist and I was happy to start learning early. Read more>>

Kinadee Haley

This is a great question, when was the first time I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as a creator /artist? Honestly, now this current day and age. Art has always been one of those hobbies in the background for me since I was maybe 4. I was always drawing. Even throughout my teenage and adult life, I’m always doodling in class or at work or even painting on my down time. Along with art, doing hair was a hobby that I have been doing since my first Kenya doll at age 6, retwisting peers locs in college, and giving quick cuts to the community and my family as well. Read more>>

Michael Mancuso

I can’t pinpoint one moment of my life where I decided “Yes! I am going to be a professional musician!” It was more of a slow burn, and one that kind of started when I was very young, because I’ve been involved in music in some form since I was a very young child, so I’d say I knew I wanted to be involved in music since I was really young. But I think if there’s any moment I knew I would probably be doing music professionally was when I transferred colleges when I was 18. I went to East Carolina University to study construction management, for some reason. Read more>>

Matthew Kurtyka

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative path in my mid 20’s. I had graduated university, and honestly left more confused than I went in. I studied Entertainment and Arts Management, as I had been convinced that it was way more reasonable and lucrative to study the business side of “entertainment”. Even though I had always been a creative, society’s judgments about thriving as an artist had turned me away. About one year after I graduated, I started working at iHeart Media, and for about 9 months, my life was literally drained from my body. Read more>>

Edward Wallace

Hello My Name is Edward Eliesya J Wallace. I am originally from Brooklyn NY. Born to a Model Mom that graced the runway and front pages of magazines in the 70’s in NY. You could say my love of Fashion and Modeling was inherited. I first new I wanted to pursue a creative path in 8th Grade. I was raised in the south, NC, but I went home to NY every summer after we moved. I had my favorite ripped up Levi’s from NC and my fairly worn Louis Vuitton sweatsuit from NY. I loved them both but they were falling apart. I took the LV Monogrammed part and put them in the rips and holes of my favorite Levis. The pants were an instant fashion success. Read more>>

Chenxi Gao

I had been making drawings since I was a child, but I always saw myself as a self-taught art lover. Becoming a professional artist, or even majoring in art was more like a dream. It was in the community college where I became more confident about my artistic skills, thanks to the support from my professors. It started with the thought “I have the ability and I am going to take advantage of it.” However, toward the end of my senior year in college, I realized that art is more than image-making to me. I can reflect on my personal experiences, talk about difficult topics, and cope with the struggling associated with changes in my life. From this point on, I know that I want to be a professional artist. Read more>>

Tia Busby

I wanted to pursue a creative path when I first realized that there is no limit to what I can do professionally. There are so many ways to be a professional in all different parts of life, and career paths. It ultimately comes down to what you choose to be. I knew that there was so more in me when I discovered dance. It constantly motivated me to become a better version of myself, in every way. From there, I fell in love with all types of art. From the history, to the way it simply captivates you. Music definitely sparked something in me at a very early age, and this introduced me to ways in which music complimented so many different forms of art we see today. It was beautiful for me to realize how important it was to have in my life. Read more>>

Penny Treese

My family tells me that before I even learned to write my name, I was in love with the paintbrush. So in many ways, my work was inevitable. The early part of my career made perfect sense at the time. I earned a degree in art and graphic design, married my high school sweetheart, landed a great job in advertising, and had two beautiful babies. It was as if I had created the life that I had painted in my mind since I was a young girl. And then, in an instant, that picturesque existence was ripped away. I had been betrayed and fooled. I felt unequipped to heal, seeing that everything I trusted was a fabrication. I was alone, with two small babies who needed me. Mentally, emotionally, and financially, I was broken. I thought, “Penniless. In every sense, I’m Penny-less.” I was cracked to my core. Read more>>

Eyeno Ethio

I took really serious in 2014, I would book long hour studio sessions and record any where and any chance I could get . I remember finally releasing on SoundCloud and felt that this was it, but I came to realize I needed to get every where on all platforms and take it up a notch . During that time my music wasn’t where i wanted it to be but it wasn’t bad so I kept developing and by 2019 I compiled and album of everything I made from 2014 to 2019 called “Eyemotional”. I would say its everything every emotion I went through my vulnerability became more known to me being more of singer and a rapper . Early COVID’ time 2020 I had released my self titled album “EYENO“ it’s a album with just everything I became interested in from hard raps to singing and harmonic music . Read more>>

Ketriana Yvonne

I had always had a passion for the creative arts first majoring in Fashion Design in high school & then Marketing Merchandising in college after working in retail as an assistant buyer and management and marketing for over two decades. I then had the passion to become a makeup artist and later an esthetician then became a laser technician doing hair and tattoo removal and was content having pursued my goals, I then decided to start a business One Woman League to help woman start their own businesses, while pursuing this new journey I somehow had my life changed by almost not taking a class Poetry to Image and wondered why I would I wasn’t a poet this one free class s at the public library that I was also let fear keep me from going changed my whole life. Read more>>

Andre Davis

During my young years as a child my dear mother, Thelma, was diagnosed with cancer. During her treatment, my mother began to lose her hair. Instinctively, I wanted to do all I could to make her feel better. After much effort, I created my very first wig which was for my mother. This gave her a new found hope! I believe that if you look better on the outside you can actually begin to feel better and heal in the inside. I never believed that I could actually work and make a living doing something that I absolutely love. My passion and expertise is not only in designing wigs for women and men, but also creating hairstyles with extensions, and cutting and styling hair. Most importantly maintaining healthy hair in order for my clients to feel more beautiful, confident and sexy. Read more>>