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.
Dustin Keirns | Fine Art Photographer
I pursued an artistic career because I felt like I was destined to be an artist. As a young person, I was so intrigued by the photographic medium, I never really considered anything else than becoming a photographer. I think that when you know that something is meant for you, you follow the universe’s lead and take what it hands you. I’ve owned a portrait business since college, which has been a great creative and profitable outlet. During covid is when I started making more work for myself and that is where my fine art work found its voice. I feel so lucky to be able to create my work. Read more>>
Sara Monteith | Documentary Photographer
I think it’s important to continuously explore who you are, whatever that means for you. Many creatives go through many mediums before they find the one that clicks. I circled back to photography right before we had kids after struggling with what I wanted to do for many years. It merged into a career accidentally (Thanks, Jenny!) but once I realized what I could do with this work, the meaning behind it, the consistent pursuit felt necessary. Read more>>
Mari Baker | Custom Cake Designer
My Name, is Mari Baker, I started to pursue a career in custom cake designs as my son wanted a cake that no one was able to make. It was very detailed and very particular about the design. My husband, mother and mother-in-law encouraged me to try making it myself. They believed I could make it, I didn’t. I gave it a shot and it came out better than I expected. Once the party began, the cake was such a hit, many of his friends asked if I would be able to make cakes for their upcoming birthdays. I took on the challenge and found a whole new creative side of myself. Read more>>
Joey Childz | Hip Hop Artist/ Musician
I never actually thought of it as a career, though it is. It’s always been more of an urge or an itch to scratch. I have been involved in music since I was a child so creating comes naturally. I really started to take it seriously, as a career, only a few years ago and for me, there’s no better rush than being on stage displaying your art for people. Read more>>
Rachel Taylor | Psychotherapist
The why is always a question worth curiosity in the field of mental health. What brings clinicians to this field provokes introspection, subjectivity, and awareness. Growing up in a home with two parents who were both self-employed was something that always inspired me. Throughout childhood and adolescence, I found myself intrigued by my mother’s work in the field of forensic psychology; The way in which the mind responds to adversity was captivating. As a teenager, I struggled with my own mental health challenges following my parents’ divorce. I also began to notice the impact of untreated mental health concerns with my family in friends. It wasn’t until 2016, following the suicide of my partner at the time that my desire to enter this field was catapulted. Read more>>
Dorothy Gal
I’ll never forget the day my father sat me down and asked – “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I instinctively replied, “An artist!” A serious, almost solemn look flashed across his face. Carefully, he suggested that it’s perhaps best to find something a bit more stable. “Oh – then a singer!” And that was that. From early childhood I was smitten by all things artistic – drawing, painting, ballet, theatre, ceramics, crafting and classical music. My musical interest began in the form of piano lessons when I was five years old and morphed into a professional operatic career, pieced together by what feels like a string of miracles. The first being – how did a retired opera singer end up as the temporary music director of Our Saviour Catholic Church in the sleepy beach town of Cocoa Beach, Florida? Read more>>