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.

Marina Shkolnik

I always saw art as a way for all people to understand each other regardless of country or language, and communicate when the art of communication is been lost.

Art reaches beyond the surface and I live to photograph the roots underneath. Read More>>

Samuel Perry

I always remembered being into drawing as a kid. I would sketch super heros and make up my own cartoon characters. As a kid who as bullied a lot for being shy, it brought me a lot of joy and a form of escapism. But like many sensitive kids, especially in the rural area of the U.S. it was clear pursuing art was not going to be a reliable way to support youself financially. I stopped sketching and paining for years and followed the conventional path of college. Read More>>

Arielle Estoria

I didn’t necessarily set out to be an artist or creative, I just have always had been and when it came time to decide what I wanted to do — it was almost a no brainer.

I think there are some people who don’t necessarily pursue creative lives because we’re actively choosing it but because it’s actively choosing us. I wish I could be content in just a good ol 9-5 that I like decently enough and keep building in that space but that is just not how I was wired to show up. I say I have been created to create, I think a lot of us have been and so with that understanding, everyday I try to actively pursue and honor that. Read More>>