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

Betty Refour

My sister Rose and I are six years apart in age. She’d often draw or write on my homework. Initially, it didn’t occur to me that there were words spelled correctly. I was annoyed by having to redo it. One day I took more than a cursory look and noticed the correct spelling and whimsical characters. I felt she was trying to communicate. She didn’t say much if anything, so I was surprised. It told me she had been paying attention and absorbing the reading and spelling I did with her. I saw art as a way for us to communicate. We’d sit for hours drawing on notebook paper. She got her own typewriter and notebooks to write in, and I was spared having to redo my homework. Read more>>

Lori Jakiela

I remember being furious after my first day of kindergarten. I came home and told my mother that school was a joke. I thought someone would teach me to read that first day. Didn’t happen. My first day of kindergarten was mostly naps, milk and cookies, and the letter A. This was, I thought, unacceptable. For years I’d beg my mother to read to me and my grandmother to read to me, and when they were too exhausted to read to me, they’d say, “I can’t read to you. I forgot my glasses.” And so I believed glasses were the keys to reading. I don’t remember when I figured out my mother and grandmother were faking about the glasses thing. I don’t remember exactly when I started reading on my own, maybe second grade or so. As soon as I sorted out the alphabet, etc., as soon as I realized I didn’t need magic glasses to make sense of words, I started writing my own terrible poems. I couldn’t do much else right. In art class, I colored outside the lines. Read more>>

Mark Ayala

came to treasure those moments more and more. However, it wasn’t until my 20s, after a life-altering accident, that I found my own creative calling. As an avid cyclist with dreams of racing professionally, I was struck by a car during training, leaving me bedridden and forced to reflect on my purpose. Watching life move on without me, I realized I wanted to create something that would endure. Something that was bigger than me. During my recovery, I picked up a camera, and it was then that I discovered my passion for filmmaking. An endeavor that felt timeless and truly meaningful. Read more>>

Sherwyn Wong

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been captivated by the way stories could come to life through images. Growing up, I was a quiet observer, always doodling in every empty piece of paper I could find and being engrossed in watching animated films and cartoons. My fascination began with the simple joy of watching how drawings/pixels could convey emotions, entertain audiences (whether it’s to laugh or cry), or tell powerful stories. Read more>>

D Mccoy

My journey as an artist started when I was just a boy in Watts, emulating my grandmother, whom I call Diva, as she was a pianist and singer when I was young. I adored the piano and loved the melodic blues which Diva often sang in practice, and at shows which I would attend. Throughout middle and high school, I practiced piano and grew fond of the instrument, but even fonder of the opportunity it afforded me to express my self and my stories through instrumentation. Unbeknownst to me, this was me falling in love with storytelling. Read more>>

Heather Harrington

As far back as I can remember, I was always creating. My earliest memories are filled with painting ceramics with my grandmother and crafting with my childhood best friend—we’d sell our handmade creations around the neighborhood. A pivotal moment came in middle school, thanks to my art teacher, Mrs. Harp. She saw potential in me and encouraged me to pursue art, igniting a belief in myself that I carry to this day. Read more>>

Calina Franzosa

I’ve always loved drawing and painting, but when I went to college, I thought I needed a “regular” job with a steady paycheck. So, I decided to become a high school English teacher, earning a degree in English and a teaching credential. During Winter Break of my first year in college, I was in a serious car accident. I ended up in the hospital with a broken pelvis and a severe concussion. By the start of the next semester, I was on crutches and still struggling with concentration, memory, and clear thinking. To lighten my workload, I only enrolled in two art classes: Intro to Drawing and Intro to Painting. I fell in love with them. They reignited my passion for creating, and I decided to double major in Art and English. Read more>>

Aldo Romero

I realized early on that my mental process was very visual and graphic. From a young age I instinctively began trying to replicate what I saw—textures, shapes, lines. I wasn’t necessarily interested in anything else; I just needed to understand how things worked. In my final year of high school, drawing caricatures of our teachers became the coolest thing to do, and I was pretty good at it. At the same time, I had taken a few vocational tests, and while the options were limited, most pointed toward graphic design or communication science. I wasn’t sure what path to take, but I knew I had to make a decision soon. Read more>>

Lockwest

What a great question…. I come from the era of pagers! (All you young people google “pagers”) Lol! I’ve always been into writing, rhyming, poetry and performing since I can remember. Back when pagers were most popular I was in high school/college trying to give the school route a go. Every now and then I would break out my pen and write a rhyme or two, but one day I decided to start leaving those rhymes as voicemails to my homies on their pagers! Whenever they would check the voicemail and call me back, there would almost ALWAYS be “oooo’s” and “aaahhh’s”! They would amp up my rhymes and speak so highly of them and say, “I can’t wait to hear the next one!!” That’s all it took!! From there, I would join any cypher I could find, freestyle to any beat, and go at ANY opponent if a crowd was near!! I found local studios and places to record my rhymes and ideas and it was then, that I started to take my gift, craft and skillset seriously. Read more>>

Maiara Walsh

Art was the only thing that made sense to me as a kid. As a very sensitive child, the world was both incredibly confusing and curiosity provoking. Singing, reading, creative writing, exploring my imagination, and making art were the moments I remember feeling the most understood. I’d get lost in the folds of an origami crane, swept up in melodies while we danced across the stage, spend hours alone in my room creating narratives with my dolls, and find time to climb every tree my little hands could grasp a hold of. Read more>>

Laura Chavez-moreno

I first knew I wanted to pursue a path as a researcher, and then I realized that meant I also had to become a writer. I was apprehensive about my writing–I wasn’t very confident. But the more I read in my doctoral program, the more I thought that I had something to say. And I took steps to improve my writing by going for tutoring in my university’s writing center and taking courses at that same center. These types of activities helped me understand that becoming a writer means developing a habit of writing. Read more>>

Yami Mammi

Whoa. This is a magical question. The first time I knew I was going to pursue a creative/artistic professional path I was a teenager in 20o6. In the 90s and early 2000s tv raised me, like many millennials. Parents worked or did other things and children busied themselves in front of tv. I remember watching tv but not “suspending judgement” like you’re supposed to do in order to really be swept away by the drama and escape from reality for a moment. For me all I saw was the reality of production of a television show. I noticed the character and imagined who they really were, if they were nice or kind based on facial structure and body language. I wondered how far they could bend and morph into someone else or if they were very similar to the character they played, Within the character they play I analyzed the characters lifestyle and career occupation and boy did I judge and try to fix them in my mind. I also noticed promotion of television shows and commercial ads. I dont know why I was so fixated on the making of television. To this day I love a good origin story. Read more>>

Joe Kane

When I was a kid I was always making up stories and songs, and writing poetry. I didn’t realize that you could do that for a living, but while in high school I had a couple of very supportive teachers who suggested I be a writer. It still seemed like a distant dream though as I grew up in a rural community where everyone I knew were farmers and laborers. So, I worked jobs doing manual labor and took classes at the community college until when I was 27 a friend had gone to see a Navy recruiter and relayed to me that the Navy had “journalism” jobs available. I joined the Navy as a photojournalist and did tht for 26 years until January of 2020 when I retired from active service and used my GI Bill to go to school for sound engineering and music production. I had never stopped creating poems and songs during my time in the Navy, but after retirement I begand doing it full time! Read more>>

Junhan Shen

I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a culturally rich environment, my artistic journey has been shaped by a blend of influences. My childhood in China was filled with the wonders of Chinese mythology and ancient poetry—timeless inspirations that sparked my im Later, spending eight years in Australia broadened my artistic horizons, as I discovered the techniques and philosophies of Western painting. This cultural interplay gave me a unique perspective and deepened my passion for storytelling t While I’ve always dreamed of becoming an artist, it was my move to New York that solidified this ambition. Studying Illustration at the School of Visual Arts allowed me to fully embrace my cross-cultural influences and refine my artistic voice. It was there that I realized my love for narrative painting wasn’t just a personal passion—it was the foundation of a professional path I was determined to follow.  Read more>>

Amelia Rose

I had recently gotten out of the hospital w/meningitis where I was crippled, had multiple seizures, and apparently died for a minute and resuscitated. I don’t remember much besides a few small details. I was 4 maybe 5, …and I was obsessed w/The Little Mermaid. I WAS Ariel!! In the bathtub, …or anywhere else possible. I learned to sing like a parrot and my mom found out I could sing when she discovered me singing in a room where she thought it was the movie playing. I had this deep passion for singing, and knew right away this was what I want meant to do with my life. Read more>>

Jacob Cooledge

Honestly I’ve wanted to create music, and play in a band since I was about 6 years old. I remember getting my “first CD” it was Sum 41 does this look infected. Followed by that was my introduction to MTV, and the Canadian Equivalent MuchMusic. I remember being a young kid and locking myself in my room and “writing songs” which granted were horrible but the passion was there. One thing that has never changed is i’ve always been envious of, and inspired by artists I love. Not because I wanted to be them, or wanted what they had. I wanted my own version of that. I want my own outlet. Read more>>

Casey George

I didn’t realize I wanted to pursue a creative field til about high school. Growing up I thought I wanted to be a meteorologist, or enlist in the Army like my father did, or become a veterinarian. However, a lot of people noticed that I watch a LOT of animated content and draw a lot! I would even listen to some behind the scenes documentaries out of curiosity! Everyone I knew said I would do amazing in the creative field. I did research and low and behold I can pursue a creative field as a job! I originally wanted to be a graphic designer for video game studios as it seemed like something cool and simple to do! I dabbled with some coding and animation on a site called Scratch and definitely solidified me being in the creative field! Read more>>

Deadxlonely

The first time I knew I had to pursue music was when I was a kid, there wasn’t one place I didn’t go where I didn’t have my earbuds plugged into my little Sandisk MP3 player. Music has always been an important part of my life because it allowed me to close my eyes and escape the world around me that I felt was always eating me alive. I always would try to conceal myself off and isolate myself with the music whenever I was going through it. And the connection to certain artists or songs remain to this day and is a vital part of my creative process because it’s the only way that I know how to cope with my emotions. I’m constantly being inspired by my idles and elders, and always learning knew things about my music, self and future all through the catharsis that is this industry. Read more>>

Meenal Raghava

I am not a trained artist; I am instead, a trained economist with a business degree, and years of high strung corporate career behind me. As a middle class Indian, impatient to stand on her feet, pursuing my first love, art, was not a career option. because in Mumbai of the ‘90s, you were successful only if you were a doctor, an engineer or an MBA. So MBA it was for me. But the thing about passions is that they never quit on you, not even if you do. From the time I was a baby, I remember doodling, sketching, winning prizes in art. I remember my father encouraging me with a beautiful large easel, canvases, and paints for my eighth birthday. I remember a short film that ran often on the solo government TV channel showing a young girl pursuing her passion to become an artist. Ten year old me dreamt of being her. Read more>>

Hanna Pendergrass

I always wanted to be a writer. Growing up, I dreamed of creating romantic historical fiction and fantasy novels, constantly spinning stories in my head. As a quiet girl, I often felt I couldn’t express myself the way I wanted. Writing seemed like the perfect outlet—a way to give my voice life. But oddly enough, I never wrote anything down. Instead, I drew. My stories came to life through sketches rather than sentences. I started to notice people were drawn to my art. In school, I’d sketch on sticky notes and leave them out, hoping someone would stop to talk to me—and they did. Art became my bridge to connection. Read more>>

Alyssa Flood

Entering the creative field was never part of my original plan. Back in 2009, pursuing a creative career wasn’t even on my radar. I loved science and helping others, so after some research, pharmacy school seemed like the logical path. At the time, the options for a “successful” career felt limited to healthcare, law, or business. So, I chose pharmacy, earned my doctorate, and started my career at a local retail pharmacy. But almost immediately, I knew something was off. Just one year into the job, I found myself thinking, “How am I going to do this for the next 40 years?” That thought alone was overwhelming. Read more>>

Hakop Mkhsian

I went to school to study economics. It truly was a degree I wanted to pursue. However, in the back of my mind, I hoped to never use it. I wanted to be an actor. In high school, I didn’t have much exposure to theater, but the acting bug was still in me. I liked to perform. I loved it. I still do. This began a journey where I was in and out of school, deciding what I truly wanted to do. I finally made the decision in late 2019 to fully pursue acting as a career. I began working as an actor while completing my degree. I now have a degree in theater and continue to work. Read more>>

Mazaria Frierson

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the arts once I became a junior in high school & we had our college fair. Read more>>

Alec Cohen

It all started when my mom gave me a flip video camera for Hanukkah in 2009, and that simple gift changed everything for me. Before then, I was fascinated by YouTube—I’d watch countless videos and dreamed of creating my own. But I didn’t have a way to capture any of my ideas. That camera felt like a door swinging wide open. The same day I got it, I began making videos, diving headfirst into learning how to film, edit, and share my work online. It wasn’t just a hobby; it was an obsession. As I grew more comfortable with the camera, my love for video creation only deepened. What started as fun YouTube experiments gradually became more ambitious. I was hooked, and by the time I was 13, I realized I wanted to be a filmmaker, not just a YouTuber. There was something about the power of storytelling—about creating narratives that could move people and the communal experience of watching a movie in a theater—that felt like the highest form of art. I still loved YouTube and the freedom it offered, but I knew my passion was leading me towards filmmaking. The gift of that little flip camera set me on a path that I’ve never looked back from. Read more>>

Jaylon Pickens

First time I got really into music was my grandfather, ever since I was a kid he would sing to me and play all his old school music and I would always try to sing along to the rhythm without ever knowing the words. And then some years later I was in the school program called ACE which was like a creative outlet for kids, (can’t really remember) but I do remember I was one of the kids behind creating the music to our play. That song to me wasn’t anything special but to my class and to the audience it showed me my work could move entire rooms and since then I’ve been chasing that same feeling. Read more>>

Amandeep Sidhu

From a very young age, I felt a deep connection with creativity and expression. Growing up in the vibrant culture of Punjab, I was surrounded by music, dance, Kabaddi, and the joy of community celebrations. However, the moment I truly knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path professionally was when I witnessed the power of Bhangra to bring people together. One pivotal moment stands out in my memory. During a college event at Ramgarhia Polytechnic in 1996, I performed Bhangra with a group of friends at the annual function. The energy in the audience was electrifying. Seeing their faces light up with pride and joy as we performed deeply moved me. After the performance, our coach and a few teachers came up to me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and said, “You have a gift. Never let it go to waste.” Their words planted a seed of possibility in my heart—could this passion for dance become something bigger than just a hobby? Read more>>

Lavado Stubbs

I feel like creativity has always been a part of me. I can remember art class being my favorite subject as far back as 5th grade. While others were drawing stick figures, I was always pushing my imagination to create more. I’ve always been a dreamer, seeing art in everything around me. Growing up in the Bahamas, I got my first taste of the cinematic world as a kid. There was only one movie theater at the time, the Shirley Street Movie Theatre, and I’ll never forget watching two globally successful films there The Lion King and Jurassic Park. Those films had a profound impact on me and changed my entire perspective on creativity. In that moment, I realized that filmmaking was my calling. Even then, I began to wonder how these foreign stories could be reimagined in a Bahamian context. That thought has stayed with me throughout my career, and today, as a director and producer, I’m able to blend my culture with cinema to share it with the world. Read more>>

Rueben D. Echoles

I knew I was meant to be an Artist when my mother took me to see Sarafina at The Regal Theater in Chicago. The minute I stepped into the theater I knew I was at home! The detail in the decor, the sophistication and artistic fashion of the crowd, and the way the seats felt soft and expensive, like a throne of sorts to my tiny 8 year old self, all told me This was exactly where I belonged. I felt all of this and The show had not yet begun, but then…The lights dimmed and the ceiling of the theater lit up as if to mimick a the heavens and a voice filled the room in a “God like” gentle but firm manner instructing us to turn off our pagers and unwrap our candies, and I said to myself “Wait you can eat Candy in here too? I’m in!!” The voice Thanked us for coming to The Regal in a British Accent and Told us to Enjoy our evening “Under the stars” and I was instantly transported to some magical Island from which you can see every single star in the Galaxy, When all of a Sudden, The curtain opened and There were BLACK people on stage, Darkskinned Black people from Africa, ON STAGE!! Read more>>

Kelly Green

As a young girl my grandmother would encourage me to make art with found objects. Painting rocks and palm fronds from her yard. It sparked a love of nature and creating that is lasting a lifetime. In my freshman year of high school an Art teacher recruited 12 students of all ages to travel to a local bank to decorate the windows for Christmas, where 1 student would win a $100.00 prize. I did not WIN the prize but as one of the youngest artists on sight I was assigned to the bank’s front entrance window. I felt that, that in and of itself was my win! So I have painted store front windows every year since which led me to a life of creating many requested and imagined images over these many years. Read more>>

Shana Kelli Shihari B

For me, Shana, I have always enjoyed entertaining people and making them laugh or in simple terms “feel”. Growing up I was acting in theaters, singing on stages, dancing, and speaking at events. I have always loved being on a stage and seeing people pulled to attention to the sound of my voice. In that moment they were removed from whatever was on their minds and focused on being present with me. I can not think of a specific time that it all clicked in for me to pursue a creative profession. However, when it comes to the podcast, I can tell you that it was an idea that lingered in my mind since 2019. It was then that I had been living in New York City for at least a year after moving from Mobile, Alabama. In college, I studied music and cardiorespiratory sciences while balancing my academics I often had a full performing schedule whether it was school ensembles or outsides groups, bands, productions, or competitions. Read more>>

Jason Lo

I knew back when my age was a single digit, that I wanted to be a musician. What kind? What style to perform? How famous? Honestly, as long as I am a professional musician, someone who makes a living from performing, that’s all that mattered to me. I can remember back as far as 2nd grade music class that I was naturally talented at the keyboard. My class mates asked if I could play Chopin’s Minute Waltz on the classroom piano. Although, I don’t appreciate being treated like a jukebox now, I craved the attention and praise because it meant that I could fit in, even if for a moment in 2nd grade music class. Read more>>

Joy Sussman

When I was in first grade, our teacher wrote an assignment on the blackboard: “What do you want to be when you grow up? Why?” That was the easiest assignment ever, and I quickly wrote “I want to be an artist because my mother is.” I handed in my paper while everyone else was still scribbling away, and she had no choice but to give me an A. After all, as brief as it was, I had answered her two questions. Decades later, the answer is a little more complicated. I’ve always been an artist, because I grew up in a family that loved and lived the arts. My mother was a professional painter, exhibiting at arts & crafts shows throughout New England. In summertime, she taught art classes to kids in our backyard, and year-round, she taught oil painting classes to adults in a large studio in our basement. My father also painted, although not professionally. Read more>>

Antonio Garcia

Growing up in Los Angeles, California – my parents put me in an after school program at a recreation center, similar to the YMCA – Shatto Park. This was a lovely place for children to be in a world so loud and often times, dangerous – atleast where I come from. This was a recreation center unlike any others I had attended, they truly focused on activities that sparked creativity and interest in the performing arts.  It was during the summer 1999 (give or take a year here and there, things are a little foggy during that time period), I had been grouped with a couple other boys to do a performance in front of our parents and peers. We rehearsed, we dressed up, we laughed, we cried (from frustration lol) but finally – we ended up rocking the house as the Backstreet Boys! Throwing out handmade love letters and roses, dancing in sync with the music, and absolutely breaking hearts in the process. This was the day I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Aleksandra Tryniecka

I decided to become a writer at the age of four. It might sound improbable, yet it was really so. I received a big white notebook from my parents and began writing my first novel. Meanwhile, I was illustrating the story. It took me days and the text contained some funny spelling mistakes, but that was the beginning of my path as a writer. Childhood dreams do come true. My first novel, the story of a little Hedgehog finding meaningful friendships, was there, in my hands. Read more>>

Jennifer Domal

I didn’t know that I was an artist. My mom is an artist. She sewed our clothes and I started sewing when I was 5, learning needlepoint soon after. My dad is a maker and a gardener. If we wanted something, we learned how to do it. I have memories of making carved candles, stained glass lamps, silk screening cards and posters for schools with my parents. But I wasn’t an artist. We always made pysanky. But that was folk art and tradition and just something you do. When I was 40, I had a job as an administrative assistant at a facility for juvenile offenders that had an art therapy program. The head of the clinical program kept telling me that I was an artist and would point it out when I had done something like straighten a sign or hang student work in the hallway.  Read more>>

Taquirah

I’ve always known I wanted to perform. My journey really first started at a young age, I was performing at church and at school at least once a month . I would perform a lot at my elementary school Salem Christian Academy because of my praise dance teacher Ms. Sandi. She was a teacher who became like a mom for me and rooted for me to pursue being a performer. Read more>>

Rowana Abbensetts-dobson

My choice to own a creative business and uplift marginalized voices became my full time occupation because I was still struggling to cope in grind culture as someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, and later diagnosed with AdHd , I often found myself super anxious about work or exhausted by the masking I had to do, both on the inside with how I acted and talked, but also how I presented myself. It led to long periods of burn out. I always wanted to help writers, and I spent the first few years of my career exploring publishing careers, only to find that there was nowhere that was doing the work I wanted to do. For me, it goes beyond the next dollar bill. Our stories are powerful spiritual currencies, to be shared with care. I wanted to create that safe space for myself as a business owner and author as well as for other Black women and girls. Read more>>

Vasken Ohanian

Oddly enough, though I’ve been studying music since I was close to five years old, I didn’t know I wanted to pursue a career in music until late in high school. There was a sort of expectation that I would become a scientist or engineer. Both my parents were former engineers. My father taught college level physics and engineering, and my mom taught high school physics and chemistry. So my siblings and I were fortunate enough to grow up in a household where we were free and encouraged to indulge in our curiosity, learning, exploring, and experimenting in the world around us. Up until around 16 or 17 years old, I was convinced myself that I was going to go into science. I absolutely loved physics, astronomy, and mathematics, and I even had a plans for pursuing it in college. The plan was to double major in astrophysics and quantum physics so that I could be in the best position to be the first to solve Unification Theory. Read more>>

Jialu Du

The first time I realized that I truly loved drawing was during an art class in high school. That day, I casually mentioned to my teacher that I would often draw little sketches during breaks. To my surprise, my teacher was astonished and said, “You must really love drawing!” Her words left me momentarily stunned and made me seriously reflect for the first time: perhaps drawing truly is what I love the most. During high school, as a student studying in China, I faced significant academic pressure. However, I never gave up on art. When I entered university, I chose a design-related major because I was unsure about my career direction at the time and hoped to find a stable job after graduation. However, as I became more involved in creative work, I was introduced to the field of illustration. It excited me and made me realize that this was the path I truly wanted to pursue.  Read more>>

Antino Crowley-kamenwati

Since I was a child I always gravitated towards art and anything creative. I wanted to be an actor very young. My parents weren’t really showbiz minded. So they kind of dismissed it. Once I became a young adult I began to pursue all my endeavors, and the rest is history. Read more>>

Edward Mena

First of all, thank you for the opportunity to reach your wonderful audience, I truly appreciate it. Well, I was always very musical since a very young age; I remember singing as a little boy around my house with a hairbrush pretending that it was a microphone. Then in school, I would also participate in musical theater plays and everything related to the arts. But it wasn’t until I turned 15 that I discovered my true voice, after it changed and started to mature, I realized I had this powerful sound and that I could reach certain high notes and hold them for a long time, that’s where it all started. I made my debut at 17 years old in front of an audience of 3,000 people at a musical festival in the city of Weston, Florida where I was invited to sing the National Anthem of the USA to open an event organized by Americas Community Center, a prestigious community organization in South Florida. That’s when I said to myself “This is what you will be doing for the rest of your life” so I began to take voice lessons to protect my voice and to formally study music. From being that young teenager until now, a lot has happened in my life and career and I’m thankful for it. I’ve worked very hard to earn my place and continue to do so. Read more>>

Juan Rivera

The first time I knew I wanted to professionally become a public artist was around the age of 16 which by then I had already been composing music for about a year, recording on cassette tapes at the time which i vividly recall. I loved it from the beginning and have never lost my passion for the industry. Read more>>

Casey Gorab

My artistic path began at a young age. I performed in my first musical when I was 5 years old, and continued performing throughout my entire childhood. Around age 9, I began to pursue this passion professionally. I am lucky to have grown up right outside New York City, so I would frequently audition for Broadway shows as a kid. When I was 11, I landed a role in the national tour of “A Christmas Story the Musical,” which was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Being fully immersed in the professional theater industry at such a young age was an eye opening experience and I fell completely in love with everything about it. While performing isn’t my main career path anymore, I always knew that I would find my way to build my career in the entertainment industry one way or another. Read more>>

Rhiannon Futch

When I was little all I wanted to do was draw and write. I created these entire worlds around the drawings I made. My home life wasn’t super happy as a child. Creating these worlds helped me to escape and, to cope. I was also a voracious reader. Those two things allowed me to believe that the world could be better than what I knew it to be. Stories helped me believe in a better world. Though I couldn’t follow that dream until years later, it never left me. Read more>>

Souliyanh Joshua Sangvone

It was an interesting choice to decide what i wanted to be . When i was young i wanted to be a veterinarian, and then mid teenage years i wanted to be an artist or a graphic designer . Now that I’m all grown up , i ask myself who do i wanna be now . In my 20’s i felt lost , didn’t know which path to go , what job that will make my parents feel proud . Throughout my life i just was in the serving industry for 9 years . You could say my hospitality skill was my forte. Serving people , giving happiness, making sure everyone experience was excellent. As a person I’ve noticed I’m very in tuned with music . I think of things very therapeutically . When i became a Dj , i really didn’t think i would get this far . You can say i was really paying attention of the progress i was having . When i play music i was more focus on the present. Focusing on the happiness the music i bring on , you can feel the energy just uplifting in the air . People smiling , laughing , dancing . In my perspective , that was art in my eyes . I created this as an artist . That’s when i knew this is path i want to take in the future . Read more>>

Miggs Rangel

I have loved music for as long as I can remember. I can remember back when I was maybe three years old, singing Roxanne by The Police in the back of my dad’s Lincoln Town Car. Throughout my childhood, I was in many plays and musicals. It wasn’t until high-school, where I was mistakenly placed in to Choir instead of Calculus. The choir teacher had asked me to sing, and proceeded to give me solos and invitations to different state competitions where I competed in Men’s All-State 5A Choir. I began playing guitar when I was around 15 years old after I had stopped playing trumpet in middle school, and I was looking for an outlet to continue to play music. My dad got me my first Behringer guitar for Christmas, and I began learning using the book Guitar for Dummies. And man, did it work. I began playing guitar for my local church, then eventually leading the worship team, eventually joining multiple bands to gather more experience. Read more>>

Melissa Lemay

I’m going to rewrite the script here, because most people perceive a professional to be someone who is engaged in a particular activity as a main source of income. As a child, I don’t know that I completely grasped that concept, nor did I want to grow up to be a professional if that meant working incredibly long hours doing something that wasn’t fulfilling. I don’t remember when I learned to read; I have a specific memory of being in the dentist’s office and reading a plaque that was hung on the wall that was far beyond the reading level of a six-year-old, my age at the time. The receptionist always gushed about how well I could read. Read more>>

Danny Torres

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue some sort of a creative path was when I was around 8 years old. My parents had an old cassette camcorder that plugged into the VCR, and I was obsessed with it. I’d spend hours filming myself doing random things, like building card castles or making skits in my room. A few years later, I started making YouTube videos and that was when I realized how much I loved capturing moments and telling stories through video. After high school, I went to college to study photography as a fine art, but I eventually switched to film and digital media production. Even then, I felt like I didn’t fit the mold of what was expected in a structured program. I realized I wanted to carve my own creative path instead of following someone else’s blueprint— so I dropped out in search of my own.  Read more>>