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.

Amaya Santos | Singer/ Songwriter

I pursued an artistic career because I truly love and enjoy creating music. I have been singing since I was a child but I was always a bit shy (still am) and so growing up I feel like I let my shyness and insecurities stop me from following my dreams. During the pandemic, it felt like the whole world was on hold and it was the one thing that I could think of. I felt like it was the one thing I regret not doing and so i decided to do it, to create music and follow my dreams. Read more>>

Jasmine Jones | Makeup Artist & Beauty-prenuer

My choice to pursue a “creative career”, wasn’t purposely done, however, it’s indeed purposeful. Thinking back, I guess you could say, it pursued me. The gift of artistic expression has been apart of my life since I was kid, in multiple forms. I’ve always enjoyed drawing and painting. I would cut up magazines and make paper dolls. My uncle has always been a huge influence when it comes to tapping into my creativity. He paints, creates music, and does sculptures. When my sister & I would visit with my him, there was always something fun and creative to do. Exploring other avenues of “the arts”, I sung in the choir & danced in middle school. In the realms of beauty, in high-school, I did hair. This was the era of the updos, roller wraps, barrel curls & rod sets, “kitchen stylist”, to say the least. Read more>>

Yanque Yip | Muralist & Fine Artist

I realized that I was gifted artistically very early and started drawing intentionally as early as 7 years old. I found that I was often celebrated by classmates throughout my primary school days and highschool days. My visual arts teacher and my close family always encouraged me to create more. I was commissioned to do my first mural on a wall inside a bar in my district because of the fact that one of my uncles always told his friends how talented I was and they wanted to see for themselves. At that time, I was already doing excellently in highschool, pursuing the sciences and visual arts. This experience in creating this mural in the bar sparked the idea to start my own business to provide artistic services and I created a business card to advertise my artistic services. Read more>>

Jose Lopez Marcos | Porcelain Ceramicist Artist

According to my parents, at the tender age of three, they caught me decorating their bedroom walls with a lot of drawings, it was a spectacular beginning as an artist and also my first large scale work. Unfortunately, our landlord did not agree and my parents had to paint over all of my drawings, maybe I was too ambitious… or not. Since then, I have no stop moving my home and my studio throughout the world. Because of that I have always thought that having lived in different countries and continents has given me the opportunity to experience very distinct cultures which have highly influenced my ability as an artist. Read more>>