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.

Barry Valiasek

Music has always been a big part of my life. Growing up there was always music in our home, from my mom playing the piano and accordion to my parent’s folk, classical and jazz records playing in the background. My siblings and I were encouraged to learn an instrument at an early age. After dabbling with piano lessons, but really wanting to be a drummer, I eventually gravitated to the guitar because I could split the cost of a guitar with my brother. After a few years of guitar lessons at the age of ten and eleven, I eventually started learning music by ear and by my teenage years I started a rock cover band with some friends. Read more>>

richard richard richards

Initially I didn’t. I mean I wanted to. Growing up I loved to draw. I studied animation, ceramics, graphic design, web design, and filmmaking in high school all of which were incredibly fun and interesting to me but I didn’t think it was possible to go to an art school. For starters I grew up in a single parent household and let’s just say there were a lot of things I would have liked to do but we just didn’t have money for. I figured college was just another thing on that list. That and I didn’t have any confidence that my work was good enough to get accepted into an art school. Read more>>

Nicholas Mayer

I decided to pursue an artistic career because it’s somewhat in my blood. My grandpa and grandma were big on photography, my parents not so much, however I’ve always like taking pictures as a kid. Now that I’m a little older (25), I really grew into taking videos more than photos but I still love to take photos here and there and that’s why I have the camera I have now (Sony a7iv). Over time I’ve really fell in love with doing video work because a photo is worth a thousand words, but what is a video worth? Videos create and persuade emotion, you can do so much with video, instead of capturing a moment, you can capture many moments at a time. I honestly decided to go full time creative even though it wasn’t necessarily time to make that jump, I didn’t have the clientele to support a full time position in this field, but over time you meet people and by just getting out there and doing jobs for certain people you make connections and get the opportunity for other jobs in that process.  Read more>>

Justin Sather

I believe imagination and innovation are needed to create change. I’ve always liked building things through hands-on projects such as art, robotics, 3D printing, and learning about concepts like biomimicry. Biomimicry taught me how engineers mimic features and behaviors from nature to improve their own inventions and designs. For example, tree frog toe pads helped inspire the tread patterns on car tires to improve the safety of driving. I believe people are capable of inventing more creative solutions to help global problems if they think outside the box, learn to recognize mistakes are part of the process, and have determination to improve their ideas through trial and error. My hope is to encourage others to “Engineer for the Environment” to create a healthier and greener world for the next generations. Read more>>

Paul Cooper

That’s a challenging question, because, in a sense, I think the choice to be an artist or pursue a creative field is somewhat based on the innate soul or personality somebody has. For some people, artistic endeavors are the only thing they excel at. For me, that wasn’t entirely the case. When I was in Junior High, I mentioned to my mom (an accountant) that I disliked math. She immediately responded, “No, you don’t! You’re so good at it!” I replied, “Just because I’m good at it doesn’t mean that I like it.” And I suppose that’s the root of my answer to this question. Having a career that draws from one of my artistic passions is all that’s ever appealed to me.  Read more>>

Isidro Morales Jr

Since I was a little kid I was always drawn to colors, fashion, and I possessed a creative mind. I enjoyed watching my mom putting on make up and getting dolled up. I was impressed by the final looks. I went to the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. My artistic mind really went full force there. I majored in theater arts. I dance ballet, tap, jazz. I performed in at least three productions a year. I played the piano and the violin, and I took choir private lessons. Read more>>

Rey Fernandez

My decision to pursue an artistic and creative career completely stems from my love for music. Growing up I was obsessed with discovering new music and listening to it 24/7, and this naturally progressed into me eventually making my own music once I got to high school and creating music became an outlet for me to express my personality and tastes in music. Read more>>

Josue Vazquez

It started when my pops taught me guitar when I was 9 years old. Once I discovered I could play and enjoyed learning more, I was hooked. I was introduced to John Mayer thru my best friend in high-school and up until then I felt like I hadn’t found an artist or band I could dive into. Watching and listening to countless John Mayer videos and songs, I was inspired to play, write and make my own music. Watching how he played guitar and the feelings his songs would create was something I want to do. Read more>>

Tink le Belle

The artistic career is not for the faint of heart. The pursuit is to court misunderstanding and illusions. Everyone is a critic of art, and to be the art and the artist is truly a wild journey. However, to be seen and to be understood by the ones who get me is the only reason I persevere. I am storytelling, I am living art, I am the reason some little queer kid gets to think that they too can be strong and become who they want to be when they grow up. Read more>>