Artists and creatives face innumerable challenges given that their career path often doesn’t come with a playbook, a steady paycheck or any form of safety net. It’s definitely not easy and so we asked a few of the artists and creatives we admire to talk to us about why they chose to pursue an artistic or creative career.

Katrina Joseph | Adventure Elopement & Couples Photographer

My whole life I actually wanted to be a doctor. I studied biology, anatomy, chemistry, and physics all my life, went to university as a pre-medical student, and even took the MCAT last year. Last summer, everything really changed for me when I realized I was just going through the motions. I was not enjoying any of it, and if I’m being honest with myself, I probably hadn’t been enjoying any of it for at least a few years. I got my first camera, a Canon Rebel T3i, when I was in high school. I used it to take pictures of everything in my life, but I never really seriously pursued photography until last year. In the summer of 2019, I went on my first two solo trips to Colorado and Wyoming. I ended up taking hundreds of landscape photos, some of which are still my favorite photos til this day. After that, I started taking photos of people too: models, couples, friends… you name it. Read more>>

Marie-Jose Payannet | Founder, Ballet Teacher & Choreographer

Imagination and being able to deeply immerse myself into a creative project has been a huge part of my happiness. I have to imagine, create, move, talk, dream. I cannot stand still. Read more>>

Sophie Smelkinson | Yoga Teacher Entrepreneur

When I decided to do yoga teacher training in 2017, I didn’t know I’d end up making a career out of it. I thought I’d teach some classes for fun because I loved yoga. But as I began teaching on the side while having a full-time corporate job, I slowly started to feel depleted when I wasn’t doing what I truly loved- which was teaching! Pursuing a career in yoga and wellness was a no-brainer because I’ve always been a lover of movement and public speaking. Figuring out how to make this a full-time job wasn’t easy, but I knew deep down that it’s what I had to do. Read more>>

J. Cru | Visionary

I don’t think I pursued it, as much as I held a collection of interests, that led me down. a path. One might even say I was “haunted” by them. There were skill sets that developed over time, and combined with my personality, I kept finding myself in a particular “space.” So, over the last decade, there’s always been this balance or imbalance of, “Cooking, Poetry, and Clothing.” Plus, I’m from Montbello and that’s just a part of who are. Read more>>

Ashley Ward | Portrait Photographer & Graphic Designer

I’ve always been creative and recognized the literal need for beauty in my life. I was an in-house graphic designer for years and loved working with people who didn’t see the vision and bringing that to life. What a fun way to draw other people’s thoughts and ideas out and into the world. I started photography 13 years ago when my first daughter was born and realized what a gift these photographic memories could be to my clients. My parents died and our photos of them are obviously priceless and treasured. So I always think to capture my clients spark, their souls, their joy so that there is a record of it. You just never know what life will bring so having a snapshot of a lovely moment is worth more than words and memories. Read more>>

Jordan Rose | Tattoo Artist

I’ve been artistic and creative my whole life. I was always drawing as a kid, and I got really into photography during high school, where I even took some classes. After high school, I got really into baking/decorating cakes and cupcakes, and worked as a cake decorator for a while. Tattoos and the craft of tattooing have always completely fascinated me, I thought tattoo artists were the coolest people on the planet back then, haha. I didn’t pursue tattooing right away because I grew up in a very conservative family, and didn’t think working in such an industry would be okay with them. Halfway through my psychology degree I decided that pursuing tattooing was what was going to make me the happiest, so I took the risk and jumped! Read more>>

Carole Berhorst | Potter & Designer

My love for handmade pottery began when I was a child. I was in the home of a friend who’s mom had pottery all through the house and thought how warm and comfortable it made me feel. In college my first major was in interior decorating and studied history of furniture etc. and worked as an assistant in two different design studios. After realizing the challenges of customers demands I switched my major to psychology and journalism…. Graduated and then went after a masters degree in psychology and took a pottery class at night. The upshot is I became a potter and doing art fairs by chance and luck….. Dropped out of my masters program and am now in my 41st year of doing art fairs, many private orders, and some galleries. I work in many series and over 40 different functional serving pieces. I have met incredible people over the years and taken incredible workshops at Anderson Ranch at Snow Mass, Colorado. Read more>>