Artists and creatives face innumerable challenges given that their career path often doesn’t come with a playbook, a steady paycheck or any form of safety net. It’s definitely not easy and so we asked a few of the artists and creatives we admire to talk to us about why they chose to pursue an artistic or creative career.

Leonardo Vicario | Fashion photographer

As for pursuing an artistic or creative career, I’ve often asked myself that question. I never considered myself 100% a photographer. I feel that photography is just one of many tools I can use to express myself. When I was a child, I had dreams of various careers, such as archaeology, piloting, professional diving, writing, or film directing. But photography was not on my list. I believe I’ve always been looking for a career that could offer a sense of adventure and freedom. Art was my favorite subject in school, and I always received good grades in it, although everyone tends to excel in art classes, don’t they? Looking back, I’ve always been passionate about different forms of art, including drawing, fashion, music, and cinema. Read more>>

Dina Cruz | Stand Up Comedian

Because Earth without ART is just Eh… All jokes aside was is life without the things that make us deeply feel. Whether it’s sorrrow or absolute bliss. Life’s about the feels. Anything fulfilling makes you in think and feel something. Being a creative who’s responsible for a feeling is the most euphoric experience. in a world so desensitized, comedy to me was the last art form that bridges that gap of the highs and lows of life so beautifully. There’s some thing amazingly vulnerable in that Read more>>

Marissa Cox | Cookie Artist & Baker

I’ve always been interested in baking since I was a kid and would try out recipes that I would give to friends, family, and co-workers. It was a stress reliever, but it also made me happy to see someone enjoying what I made. But I lacked the confidence to try the more elaborate cookie decorating designs, which are like works of art. Once COVID hit I had a lot of time on my hands and figured why not try a cookie decorating class. I took one and I was hooked! I would practice and send pics of my cookies to friends. It sort of snowballed from there. My friends would ask me to make them special designs for their parties, then their friends, and so on. I worked on perfecting my recipe so that not only are the cookies pretty, but they also taste good. Read more>>

Juliana Castro | Illustrator

Just like many other professional artists, I started drawing at a very young age. Art has always been a major part of my life. It is like a safe space, where I can be truly myself and express my emotions in ways that I couldn’t do with words. Living in Colombia, I didn’t think of my art as more than a hobby. In fact, I didn’t know that art could be a career because I didn’t know of anyone who studied art. Naturally, I thought that a career as a veterinary or engineer was more fitting. When I moved to the US, I kept on drawing just for fun. I used to go back to Colombia every summer while I was in High School in Florida, and my dad enrolled me in oil painting classes. That was the first time I took any type of art class. Read more>>