Artistic and creative careers are among the most rewarding, but they also come with unique challenges. We asked some of the city’s best creatives to tell us why they choose to pursue a creative career.

Pj Mills | Painter

I don’t know if I ever really sat down and decided to become a painter or an artist. The “Arts” more or less chose me by the way I lived my life, the friends I chose, and even the neighborhoods where I lived. When I went to college I studied biology and was in a pre-med curriculum. But then I soon realized that everything I would ever do would have already been done unless I went into research. There was no way I was going down that rabbit hole. And so Art it was. The rest is history. Read more>>

Beth Rhodes | Painter & Illustrator

Having creativity at the center of my career means that most of my time is spent exploring. In my mind any other option is far too boring. At any moment in my day, I can be making new things or new ideas or tiny little worlds to escape into. What’s awesome about creativity being a career and not just a profession, is that in addition to making new things, I’m continually looking for new ways to connect to the world. Business is an opportunity for me as an artist to find my audience. Read more>>

Charmain Daniels | Beauty Blogger

I’ve always been into Art and think it’s one of those things that comes naturally for me. I began my artistic career at the age of 16. I became a tattoo artist at an early age and it was the joy of my life for over 13 years. In 2017, I decided it was time to pursue different categories of art. I began freelance writing again, started photography and got into the beauty industry. I was able to apply what I’ve learned while tattooing to new realms expression. Read more>>