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.

Jordyn Schoettner | Denver Lifestyle Creator

I decided to pursue an artistic and creative career in influencing and content creation because, as a stay-at-home mom, I was always looking for fun activities to keep my kids and myself engaged. What started as a way to document and share our adventures around town quickly became a passion for creating content that inspires and entertains others. Sharing our experiences has been incredibly fulfilling, and I love connecting with a broader community through our shared love of creativity and fun. Creating content gives me the flexibility to work with my kids and around their schedules. I can plan our activities, film, and edit at times that suit our family routine. This career allows me to be present for important moments in my children’s lives while still pursuing my passion and connecting with a broader community. The balance between work and family life is incredibly fulfilling, and I love that I can share the journey of our adventures and have those memories to look back on. Read more>>

James Gappa | Photographer and Cinematographer

Selfishness, in simplest terms. I’ve always hated the idea of working for other people. Even though I’m really good at it, thanks to my Dad. I’ve never been fired from a job for messing up, I’ve always been a work place favorite amongst co-workers and supervisors; I get my work done right and I don’t cause a fuss. But all of that stems from my need for perfectionism. I grew up always worried about disappointing my parents. And I think that is what pushed me away from my creativity for so long; always concerned with what job will pay me the most so I can retire my parents. But all of that changed once I finished college. I studied Broadcasting and Mass Communication. All under the guise that one day I’d be a television journalist or an editor for a large publication. But like many students, I didn’t like my major. I didn’t know what I was going to do and it took me until my senior year to figure that out. So in a rush, I added a photography minor. And then begged the advisor to let me finish the 2 year program in just one. Fast forward and it was 2022, I was working as a social media coordinator for a landscaping company trying to get over a 6 year relationship. All of the things changing in my life left me in a weird mental state, and I didn’t know how to express any of it. That’s when I found out that I was good at telling stories and expressing emotions with my camera. Since then, I can’t go back to a 9-5. Sharing my work through social media has unlocked so many opportunities, it’s payed my bills, and it’s impacted strangers that I never thought would even understand my work, let alone see it from thousands of miles away. Read more>>

James Jurewicz | Graduate Student, Writer, Film Maker/Critic, Broadcaster.

Writing has always been one of my strengths when it comes to academia. I am also an avid reader and cinema buff. Filmmaking has been a longtime dream of mine and occupied most of my high school years. With writing as a baseline, I feel that I can access various parts of the artistic/creative fields. Read more>>

Everybody but Jay | Musician 🎶

“you could be anything you want, there is no wrong answer”. Those are the words out of my 1st grade teachers mouth on the last day of school. She didn’t know that the week before i walked into my older brothers room and he was watching p*rn. I thought to myself “i’ll likely get in trouble if i say “i want to take videos of girls with no clothing on” so I went generic and entered the summer on a good note. (p.s i went to a religious jewish day school) Read more>>