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.

Michelle Crawford | Cake artist

I truly love being creative. I love seeing what can come from nothing. Creating truly makes me happy and now I can make others happy too. It just seemed like a no brainer. Read more>>

Allison Heistand-Phelps | Illustrative Designer

In a childhood memory, a psychologist gave me the Rorschach inkblot test and I was immediately fascinated that there was no “correct” way to describe something within each ambiguous inkblot–whatever I saw in it was valid, that it could evoke stories, thoughts, associations, emotions, even memories. Read more>>

Lori Nagel (Sunflower) | Photographer, Certified Drone Pilot, Graphic and Web Designer, Video Editor, Columnist & Photojournalist

Well, it wasn’t always this way! I actually spent the first 3 ½ decades of my life believing I wasn’t really that creative, but as it turned out, I just hadn’t found the right medium yet. Read more>>

Amy Gann | artist, painter, archivist, historian, photographer

Initially, I worked for years as an archivist which I quite enjoyed. It took me to work in Myanmar for the United Nations, and allowed me to dig into a myriad of topics. However, even as a child, I loved to draw, and as an adult found myself sketching elaborate doodles constantly. Read more>>