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.

Jose Rondon

Because I was born seeing the world differently—and I never stopped.

When I was in preschool, my teacher called me “unteachable” because I painted a bee pink and blue. I told my mom, “It’s not a real bee—it’s a drawing. And I think bees look better in pink and blue.” That’s been my mindset ever since: creativity isn’t about rules—it’s about imagination, emotion, and truth. Read More>>

Laelanie Larach

Art has always been part of me, and I knew it at a young age, when I began painting with oils and charcoal my surreal landscapes with imaginary trees and waterfalls falling from a blue sky. My first paintings had a traditional art style with mountains, trees, planets, ocean waves and all of them were related to our natural surroundings that inspired me to continue painting and pursue my dream inside the artistic industry. Read More>>

Charlotte Fonne

Becoming a full-time artist was a natural progression but also a big decision. I’ve always had a creative side, photographing and developing my own layering technique over time, which helped me find my voice as an artist. For a long time, it was just a hobby while I worked as a documentary editor and producer.
It wasn’t until family and friends responded to my work and believed in what I was doing, and most importantly, when I started to believe in myself, that I found the courage to leave my career in the TV industry and dedicate my life to being an artist. I realized I could actually make a living from my passion. Read More>>

Harley Spencer

The truth is, I didn’t choose an artistic career, it chose me. I’ve dedicated my entire life to creative work, and at this point, I simply don’t know how to do anything else. In a way, I think that’s both my uniqueness and my curse. I just can’t live without making art, it’s not really a choice anymore.
Some people think I’m an introvert because I often avoid social events and I’m not great at small talk. In reality, art is my way of communicating with the world. It’s how I express what matters to me and find others who resonate with it.
Artists tend to feel the world very deeply, and verbal communication can be emotionally draining for many of us. Art is how I speak, just without words. Read More>>

Frank Chinea Inguanzo

The artist career pursue me .an artist is a historian in many ways,the current political upheaval is literally forcing me to document the abuses and racism against dark skin immigrants.every generation has a Guernica ,it seems that their is an 8 x 8′ canvas ordering me to speak for all the innocent victims at Gaza and the Donald Trump attempt to dismantle our democracy. I can’t keep quiet about the daily threat’s by this dark soul individual.its one more pregnancy,I must give birth to. Read More>>

Tenejah Mathis

I’ve always had an interest in photography. When I was in high school I got my first camera and was also a part of the yearbook committee. I didn’t start seriously pursuing photography until the pandemic, which was when I bought my first film camera. Creativity was an outlet for me during a time when everything felt so stagnant and uncertain. It gave me a place to escape to. Read More>>

Luiza Gandra

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been artistic—it was how I expressed myself, especially with my dyslexia. Visuals always felt more natural than words, and creativity became my language.  Read More>>

DJ A-Beatz

I pursued a creative and artistic career because as a child I always gravitated towards music. I remember being 12 years old and playing records on my mother’s turntable. The stereo she had also had an 8 track player and I would mess with the knob and was able to play the records and the 8 track tapes at the same time. I was mixing! During this time I was listening to my favorite DJs on the radio like Chuck Chillout and Red Alert in NYC and started mimicking the mixing and scratching I heard on the radio. Little did I know that I was laying the foundation to my future endeavors. It was the beginning of my passion for music and DJing. Read More>>

Octavian Canty

I pursued an artistic and creative career because, for me, it was never just a passion—it was a necessity. I’ve always carried a lot inside: questions, emotions, memories, and things I didn’t always have the words for. Movement gave me a voice before I even fully understood what I was trying to say. Dance, art, performance—it all became a language I could use to process life and connect with people on a real, soul level. Read More>>

Fred Forte Jr.

Stories have always fascinated me from a child. I would spend days tucked away in my room reading the mysteries of “Encyclopedia Brown”. As I became older, I became interested in writing my own suspense stories and plays. Eventually touring with my own productions. Read More>>

Riley De Arcos

One of the reasons why I pursued an artistic career is because of the freedom of creativity I can achieve through my work and through others who share the same motive. Being apart of a creative community whether it be in Miami or Tallahassee has allowed me to incorporate diverse perspectives into my own work and has given me the opportunity to grow alongside others. In society, a creative or artistic career is frequently looked down upon because of its “lack” financially speaking, however creativity fulfills us in so many other ways. It has given me a new way to look at the world and to fully express my ideas, experiences, and myself as a whole. Read More>>

Yuliya Morska

Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Ukraine, I felt a deep connection to beauty, color, and transformation. I didn’t have a traditional path laid out for me — I carved my own. Makeup became my language, my way to express not only creativity but care, strength, and emotion. I didn’t just want to paint a face — I wanted to empower the woman behind it. Read More>>