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.

Teresa Vallejos

I didn’t originally pursue an artistic career in the traditional sense. In many ways, art is something I’ve come back to. As a teenager, I wanted to study textile art, but my mother, who was a widowed immigrant from Mexico, strongly encouraged me to choose a more stable path. Read more>>

Susan Aquila

It’s in my bones! From the very first time I saw someone playing an instrument, I knew that I had to be a musician. Once an instrument was put in my hands, I ran with it and never looked back. Someone once asked Billy Joel the question: how do you know of you should go into music? His response summed it all up. Read more>>

Maricarmen Maffioli

I pursued a creative career because I realized that my ‘work’ was at its best when it was an extension of my own curiosity and my love for people. Growing up, I always had an internal drive to work for myself—not just for the independence, but because I wanted the freedom to build something anchored in genuine hospitality. Read more>>