Artistic and creative careers are among the most rewarding, but they also come with unique challenges. We asked some of the city’s best creatives to tell us why they choose to pursue a creative career.

Lina Aquino | Tattoo Artist

I had graduated with a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons in 2017 and started working as a waitress while searching for a job in fashion. I realized that, after interning for 4 years in different sectors of the industry, I was not that in love with fashion to put up with the bad salary and/or entitled attitudes in the field, as well as the environmental degradation that the fashion system instills. Read more>>

Megan Tsai | Visual Artist

The short answer? Being an artist runs in my blood. It always has been and it always will be. The long answer… Oftentimes people ask how long ago was it that I began drawing, painting, making things, documenting the journey. Truthfully, I don’t remember a time where I /wasn’t/ creating in some way, shape or form. That spark had always been there. Just like my mother and father before me (she, a fashion designer and crafter, he, a talented writer), my grandfather (an incredible photographer) before them, it runs deep in the family. Read more>>

Ryan Tonthat | Content Creator, Social Media Manager and HS Teacher

I literally started the social media page to store photos of my foodventures with my first dog, Max. We would go to different local businesses a few times a week to hang out and try new dishes. My dog loves the camera. Often times I would take the photo of the food with him. It slowly grew into the page that we have today and the name FoodandPooch was born. Read more>>

Ryan Tesluk | Visual Artist

I decided to pursue a creative career partially due to advice from my late grandfather. Henry Tesluk (1920-2017), a pathologist who came of age during the Great Depression, once told me that those who pursue their passion as their career tend to have happier and healthier lives than those who don’t. My grandfather loved his field so much that, despite retiring in 1991, attended medical conferences well into his 90s. Read more>>