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.

DAngelo Garza | Rapper/Hip Hop Artist/Influencer

I decided to pursue my career in music due to the fact that music has always played a key role in my life. Music is everywhere, whether you listen to the radio, plug in your headphones to silent the outside world, or even hearing the birds sing in the morning. I wanted to make an impact in the music industry in my own way. I wanna be the artist someone can press play when they’re feeling sad, need motivation, or even to get the party a bit more hyped! Music is also my way of expressing my emotions through the sounds that are felt by the heart and soul. Read more>>

Sage Yeager-Wheaton | CONSEQUENC3

Before I started making music I imagined what it would be like to have my own songs and perform, and as I got older I didn’t want to just imagine anymore, I wanted to put the work in and do it. I started rapping in August of 2022 and ever since have been happier than I thought was possible. Making music, going to shows, and hanging out with other artists throughout the creative process always feels less like work and more like just doing what I love. There will always be roadblocks and some things are intimidating to try initially, but the hip hop community in Denver is so supportive that you end up being rewarded for your vulnerability. Read more>>

Devon Harvey | Rapper

I grew up in a small town and I was bullied a lot in school. I never really had anyone to go to, so music was what I did to express my emotions and how I feel. Music gave me a voice I could use. Read more>>

Michael Francis | Visual Development Artist and Illustrator

When I was a kid, one of the things I thought I was good at was drawing. I would draw things like doodles of little characters on my homework or whatever I could think of inside my sketchbooks. The other thing I was into back then (and even now honestly) was video games and movies. In high school I looked at what jobs and careers there were and I combined my love of drawing with entertainment and I found concept artists and visual development artists. At that moment I knew what direction I wanted to take and decided to pursue my creative career and become a visual development artist. Read more>>

Josephine Tournier Ingram | Josephine Tournier Ingram | Artist

I was born into a family of artist, from both sides of my family. As my 8 year old says, it’s in our blood. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t create art. Growing up, I found it meditative and therapeutic. Academics were challenging for me as a kid, but I was able to hyperfocus on drawings and thrived when creating art in any visual form. I found it a peaceful retreat to escape into my art. Read more>>

Steve Langemo | Guitarist, music teacher, composer, session musician.

I work as a musician in the capacity of playing over one hundred dates per year as a professional guitarist, teaching a full-time roster of students at my lesson studio, working in composition and studio session work, and have released several albums of my own jazz fusion material. I don’t remember ever making a conscious choice to pursue a career in music over some other career path I was considering, Read more>>

Caroline Stump | Songwriter, Artist, & Music Industry Professional

I think my outlook on this is an interesting one, because even though I pursue an artistic and creative career through my podcast The Songwriter Diaries with my co-host Megan Ellsworth and also through my songwriting and personal artist project, my full-time job that pays the bills is not necessarily artistic or creative. However, I work in publishing and licensing for a record label, so I’m still within the music industry. Read more>>

Sliggity Slime | Rapper & Model

I pursued an artistic creative career because I’ve always been talented in arts since a child but as I grew older my passion grew even stronger. Read more>>