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.

Alejandro Torres | Visual Media Creator

Growing up i was always a very creative person. i indulged in many different art forms from drawing, graffiti, to 3D modeling, concept art and finally photography and videography. I was always pushed more into concept art and photography and for a while i focused on concept art cause it was cheaper. what i liked the most about my art was composition, being able to tell there is a story behind every frame, being able to feel emotions based on an image. that became important to me and being able to do that through my stills was such a unique way to show people’s stories in a different light. Read more>>

Loui Daniels | Singer, Guitarist, and Songwriter

I think being artistic is the greatest way of expressing myself. I’m also a real kid at heart. I really love to create things and I have a lot of fun doing it just like if I was lost with reality playing with a toy at a toy store. In most cases I do take a lot of time putting the pieces together when creating songs because I put so much love and dedication to them. Read more>>

Charles Coffey Buko A.k.a. “c-hu$tl€” | “The Baddie Whisperer” music producer & songwriter + screenwriter & actor.

It’s cliché but the saying goes:
“Do what you love for a living and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Don’t get me wrong I WORK. I drive, I labor. I write, I set up stages break down stages and mobile recording set ups. But I LOVE making music, wiring films creating “content” and so on. Read more>>

Benjamin J Burton | Author

For a long time, I had this idea bouncing around in my head, something I really wanted to pursue. But then, as life tends to do, it threw a curveball at me. The first few years went by in a blur of unexpected events, unwashed laundry piles, and far too many nights spent binge-watching shows instead of putting pen to paper. It was almost as if the universe had conspired against my ambition, filling my days with distractions and obligations that made it nearly impossible to sit down and write. I’d think about it often, only to have my plans derailed by the mundanity of daily life, much like planning to hit the gym only to find myself sinking deeper into the couch with a bag of chips. Read more>>

Chris And Ric Chandler | The musical duo ‘Lung’

For Chris and I, it’s a calling that began at a very early age. We are sure it is the often same for most artists or creatives. I started playing the drums with plastic drumsticks in front of the TV when i was almost 4 years old and Chris was performing dance and singing shows to her family and Neighbors from 6 years old. The calling we have makes it that you can never ignore it and you are naturally driven to pursue this calling and take it as far as you can. Read more>>