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.

Liubovi Popov

Because I never saw another path. For me, creativity isn’t a choice — it’s a way of breathing. Since childhood, I’ve felt the world not just through words, but through images, energy, colors, and silence. I see stories in reflections, meaning in light, and messages in movement.

Pursuing a creative career was the only way to live honestly with myself. I’ve always believed that beauty has power — not superficial beauty, but the kind that makes you pause, feel, and remember something true inside of you. Read More>>

Aisha Jemila Daniels

The pull towards an artistic career wasn’t a conscious decision, but more like an undeniable gravitational force. I found myself constantly drawn to creating, whether it was sketching in the margins of notebooks, crafting stories in my head, or experimenting with colors and textures. It wasn’t just a hobby; it was a fundamental way of understanding and interacting with the world around me. The desire to express myself, to communicate emotions and ideas that words often failed to capture, became an unshakeable need. Ultimately, I realized that pursuing an artistic path wasn’t just about creating beautiful things, but about living a life fueled by passion, driven by curiosity, and dedicated to sharing my unique perspective with the world. Read More>>

Marisela Rondon

I was born into a family of very creative women, all incredibly skilled with their hands. I grew up surrounded by fabrics, sewing, embroidery—and always good food. My mother was a kitchen designer for Sears and also a seamstress, while my father worked in public relations and event planning. I believe that’s where my artistic side and creativity come from—my family. Read More>>

Carlos Palma

I’ve always felt more connected to the world through images, sounds, and stories than through anything else. For me, pursuing a creative path wasn’t just a choice. It felt like the only way to make sense of everything I experience. Whether it’s behind a camera, editing a scene, or capturing a quiet moment in a photograph, I find clarity and emotion in the creative process. Read More>>

Michael Lyfelong Foster

All I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a kid was be in the entertainment business. I started performing in talent shows in front of audiences around 10-11 years old. I fell in love with the reaction I got from the audience. That’s when I knew I didn’t want to do anything else. That’s when I started writing songs, which years later blossomed into writing screenplays as well. Read More>>

Tommasina Sideris

I have been an eye doctor for 27 years. Although I have always loved helping people, I had this unfilled desire to do something creative and artistic. When I turned 50, I looked at everything I had accomplished, and what I still wanted to accomplish in my next 50 years. That is what inspired the birth of Tommasina Eyewear, my own high end eyewear brand. Read More>>

Luisa Fernanda Salamanca

Because the art make me happy, it helps me to express my emotions and feelings, when I paint and listen to music, I am me and the world is left behind Read More>>