We asked some of the most creative folks we know to open up to us about why they chose a creative career path. Check out their responses below.

Salvatore Manalo | Singer/Songwriter and Producer

It didn’t really start out that way, I can honestly say that I just loved making music for as long as I can remember and just never found a way to stop. Read more>>

Nathan Wilson | Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer

Music has always been an amazing outlet and community, and I’ve always felt like music chose me as much as I chose it. It’s an experience putting all of your feelings and thoughts into something tangible and then see people connect over it. I can’t think about having a career in anything else when people cheer you onto the stage, or when people come up to you after your performance and tell you how much your art means to them. There’s nothing like it at all. Read more>>

Marian | interdisciplinary artist

All the alternative paths seemed precarious. Pursuing anything other than the arts was not only counterintuitive but felt dangerous—a betrayal of a cornerstone of my personality. Read more>>

Adia Marré | Tattoo Artist (both Cosmetic & Body Art) and Performance Artist

I don’t think a non-artistic career was ever even a consideration! In fact, when I thought about what my future job might be, like back when I was a kid, the idea of working in an office or something scared the hell out of me. There’s no way I’d ever fit into corporate America. It’s too conventional. Child-Adia looked at life like a rainbow: big, gorgeous, marvelous. Even through all the hardships life brings, I’ve always held onto that in my heart. And so I’ve just always known that I’d have to pursue careers that fit into that framework of wonder. Read more>>