We asked some of the most creative folks we know to open up to us about why they chose a creative career path. Check out their responses below.

Jacinthe LECLERC | Artist ceramist

I grew up in a small village in the center of France, called La Borne, which is famous for pottery made with local clay. Most of our kitchen dishes and pitchers at my parents’ house were made of pottery. Read more>>

Chrissy Espinoza | Artist

Since a young age, I have felt like the creative path chose me. I have always been interested in making art, especially drawing and painting in high school. Eventually my medium changed in college where I studied 2D Animation. Although I create art, I never actively pursued an art career because I didn’t want to turn my passion into a job and compromise my artistic vision for a corporation or person. I never wanted to feel forced to be creative. Read more>>

Vivi Vassileva | Multi-Percussionist

Since my very first experience playing a drum, this is what has always felt right, even up to this very moment. When I play, I feel like I can just let go and express myself in ways I could never do with words. Read more>>

Mikal Hansen | Tattooer/ Artist

Honestly I didn’t fee like there was any other option. Everything I’ve done from a very early age was expressing myself creatively somehow, whether that was through drawing, writing, singing, acting, or anything else. I’m not built for the academic world, so “higher education” was mostly out of the question (after a failed attempt at giving it the old community college try). Once I realized that tattooing was an option that I could potentially provide for myself with, all of my time was spent pursuing it. Read more>>

Tara Novak | Artist & Entrepreneur

When I think back to my childhood, I spent a lot of time in the Adirondacks, where I was always intrigued by the colors and textures in nature. My parents noticed that I had a propensity for designing and creating different genres of arts and crafts, so they encouraged me to take art classes and pursue a degree in a creative field. Not knowing how to make a living from a career in fine art, I focused on packaging, graphic, and industrial design at RIT-Rochester Institute of Technology. After college I moved to Vail, CO to pursue a short stint teaching and competing in snowboarding, where stayed and transformed my design experience into a successful faux/decorative painting business. I have been working with construction companies and interior designers, here in the Vail Valley now for over 25 years. Creating has always been in my blood, so the evolution of my artistry has developed also into creating large scale abstract artwork for my clientele, whilst also running a community based studio and gallery. Read more>>