Artists and creatives face innumerable challenges given that their career path often doesn’t come with a playbook, a steady paycheck or any form of safety net. It’s definitely not easy and so we asked a few of the artists and creatives we admire to talk to us about why they chose to pursue an artistic or creative career.

Dmitriy Usov | Director, Screenwriter & Producer

I grew up in an artistic family, where creativity has always been rewarded. I remember when my older sister, who has had a successful singing career back in Russia spanning almost two decades, released her first music video. I was around 5 years old back then, she was 16. With my childlike gaze, I watched my sister on a big TV screen in our living room, and I was completely captivated by the way the image and music were intertwined with each other. Read more>>

Micah Queja | Actor & Model

Me being a creative soul, I definitely needed an outlet. I’m fully aware that I’m an individual that does need attention. Modeling and acting gave me that outlet to perform and mellow me out for the other parts of everyday life. It even helps me stay more focused and work harder knowing I have a “performance” in the near future. Read more>>

Cassidy Williams | Hospitality + Residential Interior Designer

I chose to pursue a creative career because it was innate in me from a young age. Both my parents were creative, and growing up, our house had an art studio that was filled with all sorts of toys for creativity. I had access to a drawing table with every color pencil, oil pastel, and marker, as well as massive sheets of paper to experiment on. Read more>>