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.

David Blumenfeld | Retired philosophy professor, writer and poet

When I was in my twenties pursuing a doctorate in philosophy in Berkeley in the 1960s, I also wrote children’s stories and poems. It began with my telling bedtime stories to my four-year-old son Danny when his mother, from whom I was divorced, sent him to visit me in the summers. I’d make up a story or a poem and later write it down, revising it as I went. Although I would have loved to continue writing children’s stories, the pressure of completing a philosophy degree and beginning a teaching career made it impossible. So, with great regret, I put my poems and stories into a paper folder (we had no personal computers back then — a computer in the university lab was the size of a small house — and let it languish in a drawer, transporting it with me whenever I moved. Almost 60 years later, after I retired and began writing a memoir, I took out those old stories and poems — the paper now yellow — and started writing children’s literature again. I even revised a few of the sixty-year-old pieces and published them! Eventually, this evolved into my writing light verse for adults, and now, for the past couple of years, more serious or heavy-duty poetry. For me, this has all been a blessing. At 86, I’m working at least as hard at this late-life second career as I did at my old one, and I’m enjoying it tremendously. Read more>>

Ahmad Shah ALI JANI | Photographer & Videographer

My name is Ahmad Shah ALI JANI. I am 22 years old. I was born and raised Afghanistan. I moved to Pakistan in 2016 because of the war and political problems. I finished my high school in Pakistan in 2019. I couldn’t continue my University there because I didn’t have a Pakistani identity card. I had to search for a job, A friend of mine was working in a photography studio and he introduced me to a studio. I started my part time job as a wedding photographer without being paid for almost year and a half. That’s when my career in photography started. Then I moved to Paris in March 2021 because my dad was in France for almost 7 years and got accepted as a refugee then invited us here, which was the covid time. I couldn’t speak French, and I didn’t have a camera to continue what I love. I tried to reach out some photographer to work for them as an assistant for free, which I did, and their method of work was completely different and professional than what I have learnt in Pakistan. I started learning French in order to find a part time job to afford a camera. At the same time I decided to take Photos with my old phone Oppo A5 and start my instagram page. I started my part time job in a McDonald in 2022. I bought an iPhone 13 with first salary to shoot better pictures with my phone. My page started to grow. I was doing street photography, taking photos of the couples and using the concept of “Paris the city of love”. After 1 year of shooting with my phone, I had about 3K followers at that time. I finally decided to buy my first digital camera which I bought it in December 2022. I had my first professional project in March 2023 which ended up shooting for an influencer and traveling to Germany in a private Jet. I got paid 3000€ for 3 days being with them. That was the moment I realised I have to turn my passion into a professional brand. and I changed my style to shoot mostly luxuries lifestyle. Since then I had some cool projects like in Monaco Yacht show, Rallyes and more. Read more>>

Durante Verzola | Choreographer & Ballet Teacher

I was always a creative child, and luckily I received a lot of support to help me realize my dreams. As a kid, I was constantly putting on and directing “shows” with my five younger siblings. Early on, I fell in love with the art of classical ballet and its expressive power. When I found out you could make a career out of it, I focused in pretty intensely to make it happen. I moved to Miami when I was 16, without my family, to train at the Miami City Ballet School. While I was in my final year of the school, I had an opportunity to choreograph a ballet for a student choreography show. Lourdes Lopez, the director of Miami City Ballet, the professional company that the Miami City Ballet School feeds into, saw it and put it in the end of the year school show. Being recognized for my choreographic talent showed me that I could also go down that avenue if I ever decided to fully focus on that. Upon graduation, I started dancing professionally at ballet companies across the United States. Throughout this time, I held on to my separate passion for choreography. While I was dancing, I started receiving commissions to create new works as a choreographer. About 6 years ago, I decided to stop my dancing career and focus fully on my teaching and choreographic career. Since, I’ve recognized as a choreographer nationally, and have created works for Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, and more, with residences from the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU, performances at the Guggenheim Museum, and won some choreographic competitions. Two years ago, Miami City Ballet School invited me to become a full time faculty member and resident choreographer back at the school I graduated from. I’ve been in Miami ever since! In addition to this, I travel the country setting new works on ballet companies, schools, and universities. Read more>>

Victor Dieguez | Artist/Painter

The reason I wanted to pursue a career in art was to enjoy the short time we have on this little planet we call Earth. Ive always been told that art wont make me money, that I wouldn’t be successful, or to get a real job. So what? I live the rest of my life yearning for what the musical box in my heart longs for, or sit in a depressed and desolate quiet; with the only noise being the echoes of my sorrows. I want to live a life worth living. A place where I can find solace in the small things and not have to drown in the overwhelming complexities of a capitalistic lifestyle. to me it helps free my mind and make me enjoy the life Ive been given. Read more>>

Lisa Kirkeberg | Maternity & Boudoir Portrait Photographer

When I was just out of college I worked a couple of 9-5 jobs sitting at a desk mostly doing mindless tasks. I found it really difficult to sit still and even stay awake at times! I was always thinking about photography and following my passion. I couldn’t wait for the day that I could follow my dreams full time. Read more>>

Nicole Dixon | Published Author

I have a master’s degree in accounting with a specialization in forensics. In 2016 I had my son, the second of my two children. That year was a pivotal year in my life. Having one child puts you into survival mode. Having two puts your life into perspective. Read more>>