We asked some of the city’s leading artists and creatives to tell us about how they decided to pursue an artistic or creative career. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Andy Del Valle | Artist & Illustrator

I’ve always been pretty crafty. My mom says that when I was around two, she gave me a set of 200 colored pencils that I wore down to stumps. We immigrated from Chile when I was pretty young and we moved around a lot before. We didn’t have a lot of money or things at first, so we had to get creative with what we had. Our first Christmas abroad, for example, we spent all of our savings buying winter jackets. We had just moved to Canada, so it was a necessity. We didn’t have a Christmas tree, so I built one out of cardstock. By the time I moved to Arizona as a teenager, I knew I wanted to do something creative, but didn’t know exactly what. Read more>>

Damon Arabsolgar | Singer-songwriter, poet, performer.

I don’t know exactly whether one can say that he has truly chosen an artistic career I do know for sure that every time I have gone further away from it I have had autoimmune reactions to various parts of my body. I remember one time when, on a car trip, exasperated by hives that I was feeling all over my body, I stopped in order to play my guitar at a gas station and immediately resolving the problem. Read more>>

Hannah Malloy | East Coast + Destination Wedding and Portrait Photographer

I’ve always been an artistically inclined person, ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I was constantly doodling during class while in school and dreaming up my next project. Although I went to college for a career projected in a non-art direction, I felt a constant tug to pursue photography more seriously. I leaned into that intuitive feeling and wound up going full time after figuring out how I was able to support myself through that type of work. The realm of photography combines several of my favorite things including visual arts, people, and story telling. Knowing I could pursue that career field full time, I decided to take the leap! Read more>>

Joseph Leeds | Creative director & Wardrobe stylist

As a young person who really found their footing during the pandemic, it felt inevitable to follow my instincts into the creative industry. I think the 2020s is a time of either sinking or swimming in the sense there is a constant urgency to take action I felt called to take that action and create opportunity for others while forging my own path in this community. Read more>>

Jamie Naughton | Fashion Designer & Cosmetologist

Growing up, my mom would oil paint and dance and I always wanted to be able to have an outlet of my own. Being able to express your creativity is a luxury that not everyone gets the pleasure of doing. Let alone making some income off of what you love. If you ever took psychology in college you may recall Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; which puts art at the top of the pyramid and explains that to reach the pinnacle you much experience self transcendence. Throughout my many careers I have always had the privilege of using my art to make a living. Whether it was tattooing on eyebrows, doing makeup and hair, or now making athletic clothes it is a true honor to be able to create and fulfills my soul. To share my creative ventures with the public and experience with them is my joy. Read more>>