We asked some of the most creative folks we know to open up to us about why they chose a creative career path. Check out their responses below.

Lucie Greasley | Artist and Teacher

I can’t do anything else. Many folks in my position will have the same answer; creating art is a pull that cannot be ignored. I couldn’t ignore that pull, not for of lack of trying. I spent my late teens going to art school, then switched part way through to psychology because of my fear of failure. My early twenties were spent in the helping profession part of healthcare, and I spent all of the COVID pandemic as an essential worker. Read more>>

Jessica Comingore Donais | Creative Director & Brand Consultant

I didn’t grow up with examples of people close to me pursuing creative careers. My mom was a nurse, and my dad worked in sales—though both are incredibly artistic and creative people—so it didn’t dawn on me until my senior year of high school when I started considering options for college. The first time I toured a design school, I felt an intense sense of belonging. It was the first time I realized that other people thought, felt, and experienced the world as I did. Read more>>

Barrett Burgin | Film Director

As early as elementary school, I was often lost in my own world of drawings and stories rather than focusing on what we were learning in the classroom. I even recall a preschool memory where I sketched myself as an artist and movie maker. This passion for creativity wasn’t just a phase; it’s been at my core as long as I can remember. Read more>>

Alberto Alcocer | Photographer

I come from a largely artistic family and taught while very young that beauty is there, sometimes meant to be pursued but there, in the open. As a photographer I try to see as different as needed to find the beauty in every scene. Sometimes it’s just a quick glance, sometimes is a bit tougher, sometimes is a hard process, sometimes beauty is not just visual but a more complex sum of factors and helping others to realize it through photography is such a fulfilling job. Read more>>

Danielle Kemp Nelson | Wedding, Small Business & Portrait Photographer

I have always loved photography and found myself enjoying capturing photos part time throughout my life. I have an intensely creative mind and personality and craved independence in my schedule and career, which inevitably led me to a deep dissatisfaction with the corporate job I was in at the time I decided to quit and go full time with my photography business. Ultimately, a good friend of mine who also happened to be a videographer helped me see my potential and encouraged me to take the leap into pursuing my dreams full time! Read more>>