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.

Byron Franco | Actor and Filmmaker

Acting was a childhood passion, but I only made the leap about 3 years ago. I was working as an office furniture salesman, and we had a contest to make the best video for a new software. I made up a slick character who promoted his vegan leather and had so much fun I knew I had to jump back into acting. I started taking classes and went from there! Read more>>

Mandi Roach | Documentary Wedding Photographer

When I was young, I would spend hours sitting on the floor looking through stacks of photo albums. I found that the photos transported me to a time and place that I had never been. To younger versions of those, I knew and loved. I would study those images and notice patterns, textures, colors, light, but most importantly, emotions and expressions. Read more>>

Krissy Cosplays | Cosplay Maker

Throughout my entire life I’ve always loved creating art. Over the years the mediums have changed, but the sentiment remains the same. I love creating and making. At the start of high school, i got sick and my health started on a downward spiral, I spent most of my time watching fantasy shows, movies, anime, and playing video games. I think all of that time spent escaping into fantasy worlds drove me to want to make cool costumes and armor from the characters I adored. It’s allowed me to connect with so many creative people and teach others the art of costume making. Read more>>

A. Monet | Art Creative/Muralist

From a young age, my passion for art has been a constant in my life, starting with drawing at the age of 8. The creative process provided a unique escape for me, and although I initially pursued traditional art classes during my youth, I found them to be less challenging than I desired. Opting for a self-taught approach allowed me to push my boundaries and enhance my artistic skills. Read more>>

 Grayson Michael Harper | Transsexual Creative & Radical Poet

When I first started writing, it was a coping method. I was a strong reader as a kid, but I also knew that I was different and struggled often with what I now know is depersonalization. These two things kind of culminated in me turning to writing as an escape, and later as a passion that I kept going at for years. As I came to terms with my transsexual identity, writing was (again) a way for me to cope. Writing let me express myself, liberate myself, and find beauty in my own self-creation, even when it confused me. I found that the writing of other radical trans creatives was what inspired me the most to truly be proud of my identity, and finding that sense of pride/community was one of the most important shifts that I have ever made in my life. I decided to start selling my work because I want my art to find the people who need it most. Trans art is a language of its own, a sort of thread that can connect all of us in a way that is intimate, vital, and unapologetic. Through self-publishing my work, I don’t need to censor myself as a transsexual artist, and I can also keep control of my prices and trading in order to keep art accessible. Read more>>

The Reverend C.N. Brooks | Magazine Maker

I hate drawing. I hated drawing in school. I hated sitting for long hours. But I love making things. I wanted to share those things but it’s pretty hard to get your foot in the door. So I fell into the age old curse of just doing it myself. Giving the people a place where they can get their foot in the door. Read more>>