Deciding to pursue an artistic or creative career path isn’t for the faint of heart. Challenges will abound, but so many of the artists we speak with couldn’t be happier with their choice. So, we asked them about how they made the decision in the first place.

Kaitlyn Myers | Photographer

Ever since I was little, I’ve had a creative streak when it came to taking photos. My family used to go camping in Westcliffe every summer, and I loved wandering around the campsites and surrounding forests to look at all the wildlife, plants and flowers, and the general landscape as well. My mom eventually started buying me disposable cameras to take with me on our vacations so I could snap photos of the things I found interesting. Read more>>

Helen Westerman | Designer + Artist

Looking back, I’m not ever sure I really had a choice. Some people say that nothing defines an artist besides the urge to create, and I find that so very true in my experience. It’s a need; an insatiable urge to make, translate and connect things that words can’t touch. It’s difficult, invigorating, confusing, deeply satisfying and it consumes me. It’s freedom and a cage all at once. There are days I adore it and days I hate it but mostly it is just my way of living and adapting to change. I am never satisfied and deeply self critical. Read more>>

Rebekah Santoro | Author

I’ve loved the arts for as long as I can remember. Whether it be music, dance, visual arts, etc., I’ve always gravitated toward arts & culture. For so long though, my true love has been reading. Books captured my heart at an early age because reading is where I find an escape, where I find peace. I joked for a long time about maybe one day writing a book but didn’t truly believe it could actually happen until I moved to Colorado and was truly inspired to finish my first novel. Read more>>

Miles McDonald | Jeweler

Since I could remember, there really wasn’t any question of whether or not I would live an artistic life. Art was always my number one. I don’t even really feel like I chose it as a career, there was no choice in my case. I tried to avoid it for a period of my life right out of high school because everybody said art was not going to amount to anything. Most people say their early 20’s are the best times, though for me, those were the worst years of my life and postponed my destiny. I feel like I’d be so much further in my life and art career by now if I hadn’t waited until 26 to dive back in. Read more>>

Charity Hendricks Rael | Great Lumbering Beast

It definitely wasn’t because of the pay lol, life is only so long and everybody experiences it differently but we all feel many of the same feelings despite having different experiences and I wanted to be able to reach out and relate and connect to people and have them know that somebody out there relates to how they feel. Read more>>

Levi Lukas | Photographer & Painter

Creativity is what feeds my soul. When I’m able to express my artistry and my creativity, whether that be through photography, painting, or playing guitar, I feel both excited and at ease all at the same time. I’ve spent 10+ years in retail and customer service jobs, and I finally decided that I wanted to try to spend the working hours of my life doing something that left me feeling fulfilled and proud of what I was contributing to the world. To me, work has always felt like something I had to do, but pursuing a career in photography and making money while doing something I’m passionate about feels like something I get to do. Read more>>

Bill Stone | Artist

I didn’t really have a choice in pursing an artistic career it’s always been part of who I am. I went to a commercial and fine art school in Boston when I was a young man. I always wanted to be a painter but when I graduated I quickly realized that I needed to make money to survive. My first job was at a publishing company doing paste-up and illustrations for cover pages. My next job was in advertising which lasted for the next 25 years. Read more>>

CJ Campbell | Graphics design and wrap installer

I wanted to pursue a creative and artistic career because I like to design and just go crazy with creativity. I like to be able to customize and design the cars and I like to help people make their idea come true. I want to show other car girls that they can build their car in a male dominated field. Read more>>