We asked some insanely talented artists, creatives and makers to tell us about when they know they were going to pursue a creative career.
Shelia Moore-piper
I started writing songs when I was 8 years old. My friends were outside playing but, I would always be in the house writing songs or learning songs on the Piano. I have always liked music and even wanted to some day be a Recording Artist. I listened to a lot of artists growing up and I also listened to songs particularly ballads. I like different types of music not just one genre. However; it wasn’t till I went to one of my colleges that my professor asked me “what I was gonna do when I graduated” and I wasn’t sure! He told me you gotta eat so do something that can pay your bills and help you live. So; I went the educational route. Many years later after being in the education sector, I received a ” Huge” raise. I was so excited about the promotion that I thought I would be there forever until the God reminded me about the dreams he gave me to write and produce songs at the age of 8 years old. I didn’t get the message to leave my career path at first but, one day I was trying to find something and I went into my home office, opened the closet door and there were many songs lying around just waiting to be released. I had a epiphany!! I eventually left my career sector and went full-time into my calling of being an Artist and Songwriter! The call to Produce others eventually also manifested after I accepted my call as an Artist and Songwriter! Read more>>
Franchell Mack Brown
I was first introduced to the idea of a professional creative career in High School at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Although I was intrigued by the idea of earning a living as a professional artist, I was more familiar with fashion at that time. And I had more confidence in myself creating fashion than fine art. Fast forward a lifetime. After my children were born, I began to mix elements of jewelry making, and fashion to make fine art. I felt compelled to create with more freedom. What solidified my decision to go full throttle with a professional art career was the pandemic of 2020. Ironically, in the depths of so much uncertainty, I felt secure enough financially to take that time to invest in a risk. Read more>>
Yoonjung Lee
The moment I decided to pursue art for life is etched in my memory like an old film reel. It was during a middle school counseling session before transitioning to high school. I still vividly recall that small office, the sunlight streaming through the window, and the teacher’s voice asking me, “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?” As I thought about what truly made me happy, I realized that all my passions pointed towards art—sketching in notebooks, creating shapes and worlds, and immersing myself in colors. That realization planted a seed in 2006, and for the past 18 years, art has grown with me, becoming a reflection of my life’s journey. My style has evolved, from shaping emotions into creatures through geometric forms to experimenting with vibrant colors and food-inspired abstractions, then to monochromatic minimalism, and finally to abstract portraits. Now, my work captures the hope and resilience of a fairy tale for adults—a story of a 30-something taking small steps forward every day. Like my life, my art records my thoughts, struggles, and growth, each piece a chapter of the time it represents. My life and art move forward, shaping and reflecting one another. Read more>>
Poornima Moorthy
When I was a child, I knew I was an artist. In college I graduated in Studio Arts from Alverno College. I worked in the arts field in the education and curatorial department at the Milwaukee Art Museum, while working on my art. Later on I earned a second Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and then worked as a graphic designer. But it was not until years later in my life after going through domestic abuse and coming out on the other side that I started to think about who I am and what is important to me. My aha moment was when I had a conversation with another artist, I had met many years ago in my early twenties. At this time I was trying to pick up the pieces to my kids and my life and figure out what career path I was going to pursue. He said to me, Poornima you are an artist, that is who you are. He also said imagine or picture where you want to be in 5 years. Don’t be practical, logical or burdened by the facts, this is a daydream. This conversation has been with me for the last six years and ignited the seed for me in being the artist I want to be. Making art for me is like breathing, it is who I am. Over the years I have begun to really believe in myself, my art making ability and being my true authentic self. Read more>>
Lara Gallardo
I’ve known since I was very young that a creative path was my calling. Art has always felt like a natural extension of who I am. As a child, I would paint on my parents’ walls, sketch in my mom’s cookbooks, and even cut her clothes and create outfits for my Barbies. I was always fully immersed in art and music classes, and I found myself constantly involved to create, whether it was drawing theatre backdrops for school performances or bringing the characters to life in our elementary kabuki production—a memory that left a lasting impression on me. I was also drawn to performing, singing in the choir, and participating in talent shows. Looking back, I can see how art, in all its forms, has been woven into my DNA. It’s been my language, my expression, and my way of seeing the world since the beginning. Read more>>
Devyn Giovengo
I knew from a very young age that not only did I want to pursue a creative and artistic path. But on this path I wanted to make my own decisions and determine my own destiny. When I was a young child I was very interested in writing, reading, drawing and building different things with blocks, legos, etc. When I was in 5th/6th grade I started customizing, restoring, buying and trading sneakers. From 5th grade when I only had 1 or 2 pairs of sneakers, by the time I was in 7th/8th grade I had over 100 in my bedroom. From here I fell in love with sneakers and fashion. I already was in love with art and creating but doing this only took it to another level. This helped me move forward and do more artistically than just drawing like I previously was. Read more>>
Hadley Dye
My creative journey truly started in the Spring of 2018. I was 16 years old and really lost in life, having just been released from an extremely abusive TTI program where I had developed C-PTSD among other things. I started taking photos of friends and landscapes as an escape and a form of therapy. From March to August, taking photos was just a hobby that I never imagined would blossom into my future career. Having faith in myself has taken me places I never could’ve imagined. Read more>>
Srujana Achyutuni
I’ve always been the creative kid in the family. Growing up, I explored all sorts of creative avenues such as Indian classical music, art classes, Indian classical dance, calligraphy, writing, painting, and more. But despite this, it never crossed my mind that I could pursue a creative path. Gradually, though, I realized I wasn’t interested in the path set for me, which was, computer science. I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened if I’d taken that safe route, especially since I was strong in math and chemistry, but bad at physics. It would’ve probably brought financial stability, but would it have satisfied my ever-creative brain’s cravings? Faced with the thought of a future that didn’t honor all the colors of my childhood, I knew I needed to choose a field that would make me happier. Read more>>
Jermaine Davis
I grew up in the arts. I was always involved whether it was going to the museum, going to see stage plays with my mom, seeing a film every weekend and then I found myself performing on stage. I enjoyed the method and process of productions, from being in them to working the production. I enjoyed learning how these productions were created and getting a deeper understanding of how they production ran essentially. when I was a kid, I would often write short stories in plays in my room. I am the only child so naturally I learned to entertain myself and I did so through creating stories of world I imagine. My mom always encouraged me to be creative and she herself was a creative as well, sewer and lover of literature. When I was in high school I became more serious and began to really immerse myself in my schools production and enrolling in an afterschool program at a local performing arts high school. it took a turn from when I began to explore careers on the production side such as producing. I found this to natural for me as I liked problem solving, networking/ building community and assembling shows. When I attended college I knew majoring in TV and Film Production that was more the ultimate goal that would eventually lead me to the road I’m on now. Read more>>
Zamy Maa
I used to work with a collective called VaporTrails (Vtrails), where we managed a group of independent hip-hop artists. At the time, I was a writer and poet, and performance art was nowhere on my radar. But after leaving the group and stepping out on my own, I found myself grappling with a deep depression. The only thing that kept me from completely drowning in my emotions was singing. I’ll never forget the first song I recorded on my phone—“Do Better.” It was an acapella improvisation I created while lying in bed, lost in thought, trying to make sense of my life’s direction. That simple moment marked the beginning of something that would shape my entire existence. Read more>>
Sofia Margaret Irigoyen
The first time I knew I wanted to pursue art professionally was later than usual for people in a similar position as me. My whole entire life had revolved around making work that meant something to me. Some of my earliest life memories were ones of scribbling on paper and admiring the way crayons produced lines and shapes and color. I would get lost in the art assignments I had even as a kindergartner. I made friends because I wanted to draw faces and experience seeing someone’s face light up after giving them their own portraits. It was a deeply personal experience for me, once I started going to public art school and expressing myself through my work. I knew art was everything for me, but it began to turn into my personal journal of sorts. I would paint my night terrors, or display my feelings about my family’s inner turmoil. I didn’t have the confidence the to realize what a superpower it was to create such intense work. Read more>>
Nandini Austin
The Life of an Ayurvedancer: Dancing My Way Through Life with Ayurveda From the moment I first heard the beat of the Ravanne—a tambourine-like drum crafted from goatskin used in the Sega music of Mauritius—I was captivated. At just six years old, I knew that dance wasn’t merely movement; it was magic. Growing up in London and the idyllic paradise of Mauritius as the child of immigrant parents in the 1970s, my life was a vibrant mosaic of contrasts. In London, I was immersed in the rich traditions of my Hindu heritage, performing the classical Indian dance Kathak at temples and cultural events. Every movement told a story of devotion and culture. But in Mauritius, a different rhythm captured my heart. Beneath starlit skies, I watched Creole women sway their hips to the hypnotic beats of Sega, their bare feet moving effortlessly across warm, white sands illuminated by bonfires. The ocean breeze carried the pulse of drums and laughter, wrapping the night in a spell of freedom and connection. Read more>>
Adelide
I always knew I wanted to sing, and I was lucky enough to have people in my life who encouraged my passion from a very young age. In first grade, my teacher would play music for us every class and one day she put on Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”. I was absolutely enamored and begged my parents to buy me the album when I got home from school that day. They ended up getting me the Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong duets album instead by accident, but hearing Ella sing completely changed my life. I knew I was meant to make music. My parents got me in voice lessons and the rest is history! Read more>>
Bri Oneal
I believe that at some point, everyone experiences that “awakening” moment when they realize that their parents dream isn’t yours. I realized I wanted to pursue a creative / artistic path in church around when I was in High School. My mom wanted me to be a nurse but I was never passionate about learning about cells, tissues or organs. I don’t think she knows how much she has fueled my inspiration to learn to create something new by trusting the process. As an immigrant and learning about my status from young, you learn that your journey may be different from your peers. When you’re undocumented You learn to flow and survive when there’s so many limitations in your life. You can run and hide or learn to break the chain that holds back many of us and create the life you see for yourself. That’s what I did. My biggest struggle pushed my creativity to believe in myself to become an artist professionally. Read more>>
Alba Cordero
According to my grandma, when I was 4 years old she knew I was enjoying being around music. I would sing around the house and she gave me a toy guitar for Christmas. I also don’t remember having a childhood where I would go outside all the time; If I wasn’t with my cousins, my mom would be very particular about who I would hang out with while she was at work. My mom and Dad would work a lot and I would stay home watching TV for hours, specially channels like BET, MTV , TeleHit and Htv. All of these are music Channels where my taste for music grew and without noticing much, learned english as second language. Read more>>
Uri Gunter-randle
Well let my moms tell it I’ve been rapping since before I could form words. But as far as solidifying the thought I was going to pursue being an artist as a career, I would say that probably happened around the end of my middle school years. For our English/History class I had this teacher named Ms. Turner. She was a photography student at the Academy of Art in The City(SF) at the time too. Dope as hell she was probably my favorite teacher all time cause she really taught us about life stuff & would take us on field trips to different places. Went to the pier, the college she went to, a court case… Anyways at the end of the year she had the idea to have a rap battle last week of school. Read more>>
Dan Monick
I don’t know if I ever really made a decision that concretely. I do remember a very early shoot with an artist and coming home and being so stressed out about how it went and whether or not I could do this, and saying there is no way I can pursue this. My partner at the time was listening to me vent while getting ready to go out. After a while they just quietly said “Okay then what else are you gonna do?” I thought about it and thought about it and it was almost like a resignation to a degree haha. I finally said “Damn, I dunno. I guess I have to do this” Read more>>
Charlie Salas-humara
i wanted to pursue art and music a pretty young age, I would say 16. I became pretty apparent that I wasn’t cut out for normal jobs, which is ironic because if you are a musician or artist, you end up working service jobs which can be both a dreg but also fun socially. Read more>>
Shala Thomas
From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a creative career. My passion for music, dancing, and film was inspired by my parents’ love of the arts. I would often sing around the house with my dad and join the community dance club, as my mom and her side of the family were also enthusiastic about dancing. Throughout my childhood and high school years, I constantly dreamed of singing and dancing. Read more>>
Karina Precious
Karina Precious is a renowned Vogue dancer from Ukraine, now a legend in New York’s Ballroom Scene. As the first Ukrainian vogue dancer in the U.S., she arrived in the Mecca of the Ballroom Scene, New York City, in 2013 for a visit—and never left.In 2018, she also discovered a passion for Burlesque, which she has since pursued professionally. Karina is known for her glamorous and sensual performances, where she adds a unique flair by incorporating a giant martini glass into her routines. As a full-time burlesque performer and showgirl, she dazzles audiences at upscale parties, corporate events, and private functions, blending elegance with allure to create an unforgettable experience. With every performance, she captivates with her distinctive style and sophisticated charm. Read more>>
Aubrienne Davis
I was raised in a strict religious household where having dreams of being a creative of any kind were strongly discouraged and looked down on. From as far back as I can remember I always felt out of place and knew in my heart there was a different path out there for me to find someday. Music never failed to bring me a sense of peace and security that I desperately craved as a young person growing up in a situation that was anything but. From karaoke nights with my dad, to a handful of school talent shows, to having my first band in high school, performing was the one thing that always felt right, like I was truly home. Fast forward to September of 2023, I played my first show that was fully my own in a friend of mine’s garage. The feeling of euphoria and pride in what I had accomplished were unmatched to any feeling I had ever experienced. I realized that all of the trials I had faced in my lifetime had lead me to that moment, and I was so grateful for all of it. There was a voice in my head saying, “This. This is why those mistakes were made and wrong turns were taken, to bring me here.” Everything made sense for the first time in my life, and that’s the moment I knew that this is what I was meant to do. Read more>>
Loretta Tedeschi-cuoco
I was first exposed to art in Kindergarten, when I fingerpainted artwork onto my teacher’s dress. As you might imagine, this moment of creative expression didn’t go over well with my teacher or my mother (who was tasked with having my teacher’s dress cleaned) but this incident didn’t discourage my desire to make art. Unsurprisingly, art supplies were considered too messy by my mom, and were not allowed in our home. Consequently, I thrived in every art class I ever took during grammar school and High School. My work was always the first up on the classroom wall and I was happy to help my friends who struggled with their work. I always wondered why these assignments came so easily to me and why I was so naturally gifted at art, I was so lucky. It makes me smile to remember all the annotations in my HS Yearbook that proclaimed I was “Most likely to become an Artist!” Read more>>
Jaclyn Parker
I was in Fashion at the time, and I was working on a novel, which I have since published. I remember I was studying for the GMAT so I could go to business school and I was hating every second of it. All I wanted to do was write the novel. But I worried that it wouldn’t be a sustainable career and so I thought about screenwriting. I knew I always loved writing dialogue in particular. I always leaned more towards TV because I loved the idea of developing characters over a longer period of time. I looked up the top writing schools, wrote and submitted my first screenplay. After being accepted to 4 of those 5 schools, I chose UCLA and never looked back. Read more>>
Matt Storrs
When I was in middle school, I listed “comedian” as my dream job. Little did I know that the barrier to entry for that job was showing up to an open mic and signing up. While that might be an oversimplification, my childhood idea of what a comedian was was very limited. I was babysat by Comedy Central watching Sinbad stand-up specials and Kids In the Hall episodes each day after school. My frame of reference was quite narrow thinking of sketch and stand-up as the be-all and end-all of comedy opportunity. Read more>>
Caleb Leanza
It was the Summer before freshman year (2015) of high school. I started to gain an interest in editing videos throughout middle school, doing silly skits with my friends for YouTube to other projects with my dad like The Disgruntled Eagles Fan. My dad saw my interest in filming/editing, and guided me towards that direction by making me decide to pursue my high school soccer team after school or focus on creating videos, but I couldn’t do nothing. My choice was to quit soccer, which I had been doing since I was 3 years old at that point, and pursue developing content. From that moment, I did weekly videos reacting to the Philadelphia Eagles games, along with other videos of creative ideas with friends. Read more>>
Laura Tyler Strawn
I knew that I loved art from a very early age. When I was maybe 5 or 6 my parents enrolled me in summer art camps at our art museum in Kansas City – the Nelson Atkins Museum. I loved it and felt very awestruck and inspired by the beautiful building and exhibitions. My most vivid memory from the art camp was getting to learn about the ancient Egyptian exhibition with the hieroglyphs and mummies. After viewing the exhibitions we would go back to the art room and make art projects based on the artwork that we saw. Especially as a little kid, I felt like that opportunity to make artwork in the museum was so special. I loved every minute of exploring the echoing marble building, learning about artwork, and getting to use fancy art supplies. Now I live walking distance away from the Nelson Atkins Museum and love walking my dog around the sculpture garden. It is a very special place to me. I feel very grateful that my parents always emphasized pursing what I was passionate about, even if it was going to be hard. They always supported me to find my own path. Read more>>
Ahi Ajayan
I’ve been singing since I was three years old. In some ways, I like to think that I knew from that first music class that I wanted to pursue music professionally. But I think that thought really solidified when I recorded my first playback song for an Indian movie in 2022. That was the first time I had recorded professionally in a studio and it was a feeling of joy and belonging that I had never felt before. In that moment, I knew that music was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Read more>>
Tomas Daskam
I always knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally I just didn’t know exactly what that was. I was lucky enough to study industrial design, photography, and art but I still felt I hadn’t found the discipline that fit. Now I can tell that all of these disciplines are related to the furniture and painting work I do today. Through trial and error, I found my way to a place where the earlier paths that may have seemed at first like mistakes turned out to be building something substantial. I learned it’s important to follow your core interests without being afraid . . . detours are some of the most important lessons. Read more>>
Yuliia Martynenko
I thought of myself as a non creative person until I was 25. I vividly remember a close family member telling me as a child that I wasn’t creative, but highly analytical. My family reinforced this belief, steering me toward paths that matched those traits since I didn’t have a definitive answer on what I wanted to do anyway. Since I was young, I was surrounded by mathematics, economics, and career choices like manager, finance, or something involving numbers. So, I went on to graduate with a degree in mathematical economics and statistics and my first job after university was as a software engineer. Read more>>
January Yucheng Li
The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally was when I was around four or five years old. My uncle introduced me to pop music and gifted me my first MP3 player. Along with it, he recommended a singer whose voice he admired: Jolin Tsai. The song “Love Love Love” instantly captivated me. From that moment, I became her biggest fan, persuading my grandparents to buy me DVDs of her performances. Every morning, I’d play her music while dancing and singing along as if I were on stage. Read more>>
Karen Docter
I have written in some form or another my entire life. I even graduated college with a Technical Journalism degree. But it wasn’t until my middle daughter was two years old that I decided to quit my challenging job in an office to become a stay-at-home mom. Both my husband and I were working long hours, seven days a week (we were also building our own business), and she was having difficulties adjusting. So, I quit my job, while my husband carried on with the business. To supplement our income, I took on daycare. Then, I had trouble adjusting! LOL I went from a challenging accounts receivable and management position to staying home with up to a dozen children under the age of five (yes, this was eons ago). Boy, was that an eye-opener! Read more>>
Jon Dryden
I’ve long felt that you don’t choose to be a musician. It chooses you. I was born in Santa Cruz, California into a musical family, so music was in my DNA. My father was a trumpet player and elementary school music teacher who gigged on weekends to help pay the bills. He played me Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven from my crib days, so music was always in the house. I started piano lessons at age five and loved it. Early adolescence is rough for most people, and I was no exception. The only thing that saved me was music. I got into the Aptos Junior High jazz band and our teacher Craig Robinson nurtured my musical growth and provided a safe space in the music room where I felt understood and in my element. This continued into high school, where Don Keller led one of the best bands in the country. The musical education I received in these early days was incredible, and I devoured books about music and musicians in addition to learning the art of jazz and pop music. Read more>>
Diana Valeanu
Creativity has been part of my life in various manifestations since I have a memory of myself. I couldn’t tell you an exact moment — it was more of a process than a “Eureka” moment. I was raised in a monoparental family. The ’90s in Moldova were difficult times, and even more so for a single mother with a little child. My mother had to work until late to make a living for us, and sometimes on weekends, too. Every day after my school classes, I used to come back home and spend a lot of time alone. We lived in an almost empty apartment during the first years after my parents divorced; we didn’t even have a TV then. So, for me, it was essential to immerse myself in all kinds of activities, apart from my school homework assignments. I used to find various creative outputs until my mother came back from work; I liked to draw, make collages and all kinds of crafts with what I could find at home, and then gift them to her – like most kids, I guess. Read more>>
Trifecta Comedy
Katie Baker: “As a kid my favorite movie was Legally Blonde, so I always said I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up. Eventually I realized I had no interest in being a lawyer, I just wanted to be Elle Woods. And so, an actor was born.” Davey Jarrell: “‘I’ve never wanted to do anything other than be in entertainment. When someone asked me when I was about 8 years old what I wanted to do when I grew up, I said, “work on SpongeBob.” Fast forward 12 years and my very first job happened to be working on SpongeBob.’” Read more>>
Alexis Moran
I’ve been a dancer since I was 2 years old, growing up as a studio competition kid immersed in the art form. I had the privilege of learning from some of the most iconic choreographers—Brian Friedman, Tyce Diorio, Cris Judd, and many others—and was constantly surrounded by incredibly talented teachers and mentors. Their creativity and passion left a lasting impression on me, and I spent years soaking up their teaching styles and choreography. Read more>>
Lisa M. Lucero
As a child, I had an overly developed imagination. Oftentimes, I would find myself daydreaming about imaginary places, doing extraordinary things, and going on quests to faraway destinations while facing obstacles along the way. I always had a passion for reading. I also had the talent of storytelling and expressing my feelings through the written word. My teachers would often comment on my writing abilities and would encourage me to continue writing because of my talent. Read more>>
Coyytheboyy A
I knew I wanted to be a creative/artist when I first watched impactful and wonderful artists such as Michael Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Beyoncé, Rihanna and so many more. I was just a kid looking at how MJ would show off his dance moves and the energy he brought to the stage was something crazy!! Listening to Nicki in 2009 when I was in middle school rapping those hard bars over sick beats! She is still dominating till this day and it makes me happy because I grew up with her. So it’s different now seeing her be at the top of the food chain eating! Watching the award shows, tv interviews, tour performances and the connection we have through music is on another level! Read more>>
Khushi Patel
The first time I knew that I wanted to take up a creative path professionally was when I finished drawing my very first pen art of Shreenathji. This was quite a pivotal experience that changed the way I looked at art and its purpose in my life. By that time, I was self-learning painting, having just finished a summer of basic learning from my neighbor. At the time, I did not particularly like pen art because it required precision and patience, but something about the challenge intrigued me. I picked up a simple black pen, eraser, scale, and pencil fancy tools or markers and decided to sketch the intricate figure of Shreenathji. I wasn’t confident I could finish it, but I told myself, “Let’s see how far I can go.” Read more>>
Shanice Darius
I knew I wanted to purse a professional creative path when I graduated High School in 2021. I focused a lot on makeup and felt like sharing my growth and creativity with others. When it comes to makeup, I use it as my form of therapy. It helps me with self expression and just getting out of my head. I was always told that I need to start getting PAID to do makeup and start teaching others how to do makeup, so thats really where that came in. Read more>>