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

Taya Egorova

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally when I joined Apes Crew in 2017. By then, I had already discovered that street dance was my passion, but being part of this team solidified my vision. Our mentors not only taught us various street styles but also showed us how to turn our talent into a career. Through intense training, choreographing, and competing, I realized how fulfilling it was to pour myself into something I loved. Read more>>

Lindsay Bullis

I was in my senior year of high school when it really hit me how meaningful and therapeutic art could be for me when I took an acrylic painting class. Not only did I find an instant love for acrylic painting as a medium, but I also found that it helped ease anxiety and depression I was experiencing at the time. After graduating I spent a few years working different jobs, taking some college courses, and trying to find my place in the world. I didn’t finish college, and although I met lifelong friends through my former jobs, I never truly found joy or passion in any of them. Things all changed when I gave birth to my first son in January of 2020. Read more>>

Qveen Culver

I’m Qveen, a model and entrepreneur originally from Orlando, Florida. My journey into the creative world has been deeply personal and transformative. Growing up, I always felt there was something unique about me, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. My childhood wasn’t easy. My mom served time in prison, and that left me feeling like a part of me was missing. It was hard to express myself, and I struggled to make friends. I felt isolated, shutting out the world because I didn’t know how to deal with the emptiness inside. Read more>>

Saki Masuda

My parents took me to see the production of “Peter Pan” musical in Japan when I was around 4 and I told them I want to be Peter Pan! It was my first time seeing live theater performance. I immediately knew that’s I want to do for the rest of my life!! Then my parents put me in the local ballet school. The rest is the history. I haven’t stopped dancing since. Read more>>

Sonja Washington

To be honest, I’ve always been interested in comedy. Growing up, I admired my aunt, a singer; my mom, a dancer and cheerleader; and my uncle, a professional photographer. When I hit my formative years, I noticed that I had a humorous and sarcastic take on life that my peers and family enjoyed. When the pandemic hit, I had a lot of time to myself. I had been doing comedic skits and videos on Instagram and Facebook a few years prior, so when the world started opening up again, I wanted to see if I could be as funny on stage as I was online. So, I went to an open mic at what used to be called “The Blended Kitchen” in Norfolk, VA. The response from the crowd and the feeling I got from just being myself were overwhelming. I knew right then that this was what I wanted to pursue! Read more>>

Rachel Paes

I first realized I wanted to pursue a creative path around 2020. It was right after the pandemic was becoming an issue in the US. I was at a corporate job that I really didn’t like, and had been working at for several years. Honestly, the pay check and my amazing coworkers are what had kept me there for so long. I was let go from this job in May of 2020, with no other options lined up and no idea of what to do. Now when I look back I honestly think it was part of my destiny, and I’m so grateful for everything that happened leading up to it. It was after I was terminated that I had some time and space to breathe and really think about what I wanted to do in life. Read more>>

Jalevina King

From a young age, I knew I wanted to follow a creative and artistic path. I always had a desire to be recognized for something special, even though I wasn’t sure what it would be. I held on to that aspiration, hoping to create a legacy tied to my unique name—something that, when searched, would bring meaningful results. I remember a 5th-grade poetry contest where I wrote about my emotions, and my teachers’ praise made me realize I had a gift with words. From that moment, I started filling notebooks and binders with poetry, plays, and short stories. Writing became my safe space, allowing me to express freely and without limits. Read more>>

808 Corari

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path as an artist was when I was 14. Music had always been in the background of my life, but it wasn’t until I discovered artists like Playboi Carti, Young Thug, Future, and Travis Scott that I felt something shift. Their ability to push boundaries and create unique sounds inspired me to try creating something of my own. I didn’t know how or where to start, but I knew I had to try. Read more>>

Jhadai Mcdonald

I knew I was called to art at a very early age. It has been a part of me since I was three years old, completing a “family portrait” assignment where my mom taught me how to “add meat to the bones” of my stick figures. Art has been my solace in times of loneliness and has provided me an escape from reality. It has shaped how I view the world around me—finding depth in shallow things and adding color to what once seemed black and white. Simply put, art has been my shadow, accompanying me through the ebbs and flows of life. There is no reality where I am not creating. Read more>>

Rebecca Canup

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue my artistic path professionally and seriously was in 2020 during the pandemic. I had toyed with it over the years- in fact i was in healthcare for 17 years and that calling to be artistic and to write never went away. During the pandemic I felt a huge push to finally leave the work I wasn’t passionate about behind- and try to follow my dreams and carve out a space to do so. Read more>>

Cameron Throgmorton

I have always known I wanted to do something creative ever since I was a little kid. I started drawing when I was maybe four and that was where my love for creating art really started. I loved movies, comics, video games and all of that stuff really inspired me to create things. I come from a creative family, my dad is also a designer and my mom did part time photography, so I have always been surrounded by that energy. Their support and seeing my dad work as a creative really allowed me to think of it as a career path from an early age and therefore I was fortunate to have to struggle against my parents like I know a lot of creative people have to. Read more>>

Juan “jay Cali” Calixto

First of all, I’d like to send my sincerest heartfelt sympathies to the Los Angeles community and surrounding areas. My heart truly breaks for everyone right now. I think it’s important in times like these to continue to be there for your neighbor and lead with compassion. There are so many unsung heroes who’ve stepped up and I hope they get their flowers. I think the earliest memories I have would be me watching VHS tapes of Michael Jackson Concerts as a kid. That was my first real glimpse of a “complete show”. The art of performing seemed so magical to me, between the band, the production and the crowd fully immersed. I knew I too wanted to perform and entertain others. Those feelings have resonated with me and have sustained me over the years.  Read more>>

Michael Vincent

During junior high school, I was nudged into attending band class, a suggestion I met with reluctance. However, what began as a reluctance soon became a vibrant turning point in my life. The rich sounds of various instruments and the energy of my classmates ignited a deep fascination with music within me. This newfound passion opened the door to creativity, leading me to experiment with writing my songs and crafting short stories. The journey didn’t stop there; it became a desire to weave longer narratives, culminating in my aspirations to write films. This unexpected detour shaped my artistic voice and became an essential part of my identity. Read more>>

Dana Jordan

From a very young age, I have always been drawn to the stage! I sang before I spoke and I was never afraid to perform for others. When I was 5 years old, my father got me a karaoke machine that came with a cassette tape with several songs on it to sing along to. I sang on that little machine everyday and would dance around in front of the mirror pretending I was on stage! From that moment on, I was hooked and I knew that I wanted to be a performer! Read more>>

Yosif Santiago

I’ve been attending local anime conventions and events for the past few years, I would say as early as 2013-2014. Going to these events I would always see people dressed up in costumes as different characters and thought it was a little strange but I was also curious as well. I started my first cosplay in 2016. I wanted to do something that was meaningful to me and after attending Ultra Music Festival I knew exactly which cosplay I would do. I’ve always had a love for music and used to DJ back in my highschool days. Seeing my favorite DJ/producer deadmau5 live at Ultra gave me the inspiration to cosplay as him. I searched all over the internet for instructions on how to make your own deadmau5 helmet but came up short so instead I decided to buy my first one. After seeing how people would respond to seeing me cosplay as deadmau5 I knew this is what I wanted to do as my permanent cosplay.  Read more>>

Klime Kovaceski

I began playing guitar at the age of 12 in Macedonia, which was still part of Yugoslavia at the time, back in 1972. By the time I turned 15, I had already formed a band, diving headfirst into the world of music. At 17, I wrote my first song, a moment that marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for music. Since then, I have never stopped writing, constantly creating and evolving as a musician over the years. During that time, music became my refuge, an escape from the harsh realities of the socialist and communist world that surrounded me. It was my way of expressing freedom and individuality in a society that often felt restrictive and confining. Read more>>

Marie Halliwell

I always knew I wanted to pursue some sort of creative path. Since as far back as I can remember (I’m told around about four years old) I’ve been picking up any drawing tools I could get my hands on and drawing on any surface, even if that meant the walls, haha! That always remained a basic need for me, to create things, and I realized pretty early on that was what I wanted to do. I’ve always gravitated toward some sort of pop surrealism style, but I like to switch it up and do realism, too. I like to branch out with the things I make, whether it’s a digital illustration or a replica of a movie prop. Again, whatever I can get my hands on! I also discovered a passion for tattooing, so I hope to one day get my foot in the door of the industry. Read more>>

Nathan Mcdonald

I first started playing in bands when I was around 17, but to me it always felt like it was just a hobby. The first time I realized that I could pursue music professionally was actually when I joined Beguiler in 2022. Before then, playing in bands just felt like something fun to do with friends. You would practice once a week and maybe play a local show once every couple months, but nothing more than that. I had fun with it, but I never believed in myself or believed that the bands I was in could make it further than the borders of Ontario until I joined Beguiler. Read more>>

Larry Lavi

When I was in grade school, I realized I had musical ability. I volunteered to take lessons in violin and I performed with my instructor during a school assembly. As I got older, I realized I had singing and writing talent. I began to sing songs at home and emulate other artists like the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Beach Boys, Elton John, Tom Jones. Singing helped me deal with stresses at home and school. In my 20s I started to take classical guitar lessons and composed my first songs. At this time, I had dreams of becoming a songwriter and singer Read more>>

Shane Tutmarc

Coming from a very musical family, I’m a 4th generation musician in the Tutmarc family, it was probably inevitable. But my earliest memory of admiring a musician was seeing the movie Amadeus at around 6 years old. As a kid I had lots of artistic interests, from drawing, painting, making movies, and creative writing, But after discovering Elvis when I was around 10 years old, that looked like the good job for me! I started learning guitar around that time, I played drums in the school band, my dad was a bass player, so I borrowed his bass a lot, and my mom played piano and showed me a few things, so it didn’t take long before I was making little home demos playing all the instruments. Read more>>

Kate Fessey

I’ve always been interested in art. I did it as one of my GCSEs at high school in 00’s but was unsure on how to pursue it more so decided to further my education in childcare and and went to college and got my Diploma in Childcare. I then got a job at a nursery and nurtured children mainly around the ages of 2 and 3 years old. After working there for eight years I left after having my first son and became a stay at home mum for a little while. My parents then offered me a secretary position within their Bricklaying company. Read more>>

Alan Granger

When I Was Young I would Freestyle And Practice Until I Became The Best Rapper In My City Every since Then I Knew I Had What It Takes To Be A Great Artist Read more>>

Juliette Crane

When I started painting again in 2009, I never imagined it would lead to a 15-year career as a professional artist. I just knew I needed to heal my heart and reconnect with my true self—the part of me I had been hiding away for years. I had tried out so many different jobs, and nothing felt right. I’ve always loved art and been creative, but for years, I stopped painting. All my artwork ended up in the basement or the trash. I remember thinking, “What’s the point of painting?” Read more>>

Offie Darlington

I have always wanted to be a better creative right form childhood which was what motivated me to join the school drama club in Highschool despite the fact that my parents weren’t in support. I had to prove myself, I organized a small comedy team in 2017 and later in 2022 established my company called Asabawood. Read more>>

Meredith Heller

I started writing poetry and songs as a young teen when I had left home and was living on my own in the woods, struggling with the big questions of who am I, why am I here, and how can I live a soulful life. I suffered with depression and teenage angst, and I didn’t feel like I belonged to anything except nature and creativity. Writing gave me a medium to express the immensity of the longing I felt. I found that when I wrote, I slowed down enough to name my feelings and explore every texture, and this helped to weave me into deeper belonging with myself. I wrote through my pain and confusion into clarity and acceptance. As I committed myself to a poem or song, and immersed in creative process, I began to feel that I was connected to something bigger than myself. It became my lifeline. I wanted to share this lifeline with others. Read more>>