Deciding to pursue an artistic or creative career path isn’t for the faint of heart.  Challenges will abound, but so many of the artists we speak with couldn’t be happier with their choice.  So, we asked them about how they made the decision in the first place.

Macahl Jett | Digital Illustrator UX/UI Designer

I love art, I’ve always been a big fan of imagery and artistic values. However, I never knew I could actually draw or create myself, other than music, I didn’t really dable in anything else. But, while I was in New York for an internship, I discovered that I was actually a BEAST at digital illustrations. So I decided to expand into creativity, and that’s how I started my career. Read more>>

Nico Rodriguez | Comic Book Writer & Artist

My artistic career was predicated on a love for comic books at an early age. My passion for storytelling rose as I began to consume books and cartoons, so much to the point that I started writing my own stories and drawing my own characters. There is a certain world that I get transported to when I begin working on my stories, and this is the main reason why a creative career is so important to me. I get lost in my work, to the point where I don’t feeling like I’m working – it just feels like I’m living. This is when I knew that creating comic books is something that I must pursue, no matter the time and resource dedication. When you capture your passion in a bottle, there is specific thrill that you just can’t get enough of. That intangible thrill is the backbone of my creative decisions. There’s a reason why that feeling lingers in your head at all times of the day – a feeling that is absent when working in fields that do not align with your passion. Read more>>

Katie Lehn | Potter

It’s funny to think about it as “pursuing” because it almost feels like I just fell into it, and once I found myself here it just felt like home. My first “career” was working as a dietitian/nutrition counselor. This is the career I pursued for 5+ years, As a lover of food and people it felt like the right path for me, but after working in the field for a few years something felt out of place. I felt like it kept me in a box and I couldn’t express myself fully or be my true self when I was at work. That may have been related to my self-confidence more than my career but it pushed me to think about alternative options. I started taking pottery classes at my local community studio in Tucson, AZ and was astounded by how at peace I felt while having my hands in clay. I had no idea how much I needed that creative outlet and stopping wasn’t an option for me. It became the greatest form of stress relief and a way to process my emotions. I continued re-enrolling class after class soaking up every bit of knowledge I could from the instructors and fellow potters. Read more>>

Dalilah Marroquin | Student & Artist

I chose to pursue an artistic career because I found myself struggling to really express myself with things outside of my art ,so I decided to put the extra time I had into what I do best. Read more>>

Collin Kurio | Music Artist and Business Owner

It’s the only thing that felt real enough. The ability to create endlessly, to anything of my liking, is a great feeling. It’s a breathe of fresh air, it’s freedom. I can make anything I want, whenever I want. Then when you get two creative or artistic people together the vibes just go off the charts. Now there’s magic in the room. No one is control but me. Read more>>