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.

Jericha Shandace | Model & Creative Director

I honestly never thought modeling would become a creative career for me but, looking back since a kid I have always been photogenic and have had a passion for fashion but never thought of being a model due to insecurities. A designer reached out to me asking if I would be interested in being a model for his fashion show, I had absolutely no experience in modeling besides my “photo-shoots” with my little sister when we were kids so I was nervous but wanted to try something new especially since it was a few months into my postpartum. The moment I got on the stage it felt natural! Read more>>

Kayla Santiago | Hairstylist

I was eighteen years old when I decided to pursue a career as a hairdresser. Life at a young age taught me the potential to unlock new realms of creativity and change. The form of every snip and stroke of color being able to hold the potential to transform not just looks but lives is a beautiful art. Read more>>

Katie Runkel | Arts Administrator at University of Northern Colorado

When I was 17, I won one of the largest competitions in the Los Angeles area, The Spotlight Awards. Being a grand finalist in the program really propelled my decision to go into the arts. It was the validation I needed that I was going to succeed if I tried. However, what kept me in my vocal performance major was the experience I receive the summer prior to college at the Aspen Music Festival. I was there on a full ride as part of my grand prize from Spotlight, and I was the youngest student there (in the opera program). Read more>>

Taylor & Taylor Pierce | Wildlife Photographers

Around two years ago, we found ourselves in the midst of busy schedules and feeling like we didn’t have time for each other. As newlyweds, it was important to us to find a hobby we could share with each other. We decided to pursue wildlife photography because it seemed to be a great blend of Taylor’s (wife) love for nature, animals, and traveling and Taylor’s (husband) passion for photography. We quickly fell in love with wildlife photography and capturing the beauty in nature. What started small with neighborhood walks in local parks has evolved to spending nearly all of our free time outside exploring and taking trips to see new wildlife. Read more>>

Matt Smith | Musician and Founder of Virtual Band INTERCONTINEN7AL

Regarding founding our band INTERCONTINEN7AL, it basically formed out of a creative necessity back in 2020. Before moving to Colorado, at that time I was performing guitar in a local band on the East Coast. Once COVID struck, our group searched for new ways to keep working together in a remote environment. I discovered this application BandLab, which allows musicians to record and share different musical concepts. I then decided to post some of our draft song ideas to the whole BandLab public community, to see if anyone outside the band would be interested. Read more>>

Javier Lozano | Photographer & Artist

I’ve always been drawn to the arts. Growing up in a Mexican household, music was always a big part of our daily life. We shared laughter, pain, and history over music. I think that is why I alway wanted music to be my thing, even took classes, but I just couldn’t draw out the passion I felt other artist were utilizing to create their songs. For a long time I felt like maybe I wasn’t cut out to be an artists. It wasn’t until a little over a year ago that a good friend, Carlos Acuña, recommended I try out photography. I ended up buying a film camera off Ebay a couple of months later and after the first roll was developed at Not Another Film Lab I was in love. Read more>>