Why they do what they do

We asked some of the city’s leading artists and creatives to tell us about how they decided to pursue an artistic or creative career. We’ve shared some highlights below.
I was always into science and math growing up, and as college neared I pictured my career being in a STEM field of some kind. I figured it would be work that was always in-demand and paid well enough to enable me to travel and have a nice, comfortable lifestyle. Fast forward to college and I’m doing basically that, pursuing a degree in statistics (after changing my major a couple times). I felt fine about it, but I was lacking the passion for my future career that some of my friends had. Read more>>
I wanted to pursue photography as a career because I have always loved photography. I first got interested in it when I was young. I saved money to buy digital cameras and took photos of everything and anything. I eventually got to assist my friends mom on her sessions and that’s where I really learned more about photography (well as much as a 15 year old could at the time!). When I got into high school I took a film photography class and I absolutely loved it. Read more>>
When I was younger my only source of entertainment was going to block buster to rent movies with family. I watched the movies I picked on repeat, every time I watched my dream grew bigger. I knew from the start I wanted to pursue a creative career path. So I decided to make the best with what I had. A tape recorder. Then, years later I am pursuing that dream I still hold on to. Read more>>
Being creative, artistic, and adventurous is the soul of purpose being human from my point of view. If I’m not creating or being artistic I feel like I’m drowning in the mundane. Even if I don’t have my camera with me I see things in a creative light. Pursuing this life just made sense to me no matter the risk Read more>>
Creative pursuits feed my soul and help me find value in my own story. I am big on reaching for your potential and finding newer and deeper levels of growth. Artistic endeavors have always helped me grow both as a creator and as a human. There is freedom in creation, tons of problem solving, learning, and finding ways to tell stories that are compelling to others. Read more>>
Growing up, my mom made wedding cakes, and my dad and step-mom are both tattoo artists. I struggled in school a lot. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 14 or 15 and I rarely – if ever – felt inspired by traditional academics. Photography really caught my attention in my junior year of high-school. Not even joking, it may have been the only class I passed that semester. My teacher hung my photo up as an example of “what to do.” It was the first time that I felt real, palpable recognition from my superiors, and like so many others with ADD, that positive reinforcement spawned a full-blown obsession. Read more>>
There are multiple reasons I pursued becoming apart of the beauty industry. I knew at a young age that I didn’t want a 9-5 desk job and thatI wanted to work for myself. My junior year I started seeing a stylist my friend had introduced me to. She was a mother of four, stunningly beautiful redhead, with a personality like no other. Read more>>
Living in Colorado and spending a lot of time in the backcountry due to our hobbies, we naturally gravitated towards photography as a hobby. After a while of practicing it, we started to realize just how much people can take for granted, or may not get the chance to see. A fiery sunrise or the way that sunlight shines on a certain peak through the clouds is pretty much an every day occurrence here. Read more>>
I’ve always loved art – looking back at little assignments from elementary school, anytime I was asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I said artist, or art teacher. Art was always my favorite class at school. I didn’t think about pursuing it seriously as a career until I was applying to colleges. My high school art teacher, Margaret Copfer, encouraged me to try out for an art scholarship – I figured, if I got the scholarship, I would study art and art education. Read more>>
My life has always leant itself to being artiste and or creative. I was a little kid who grew up on movies and musicals from the 1940’s. I played dress up in my attic in a makeshift vaudeville dressing room, complete with an old steamer trunk, vintage clothes, and costume jewelry. I entered and created a plethora of items for the county and state fairs. Read more>>
Ever since I was a kid I was interested in art, I loved drawing and in school art class was really the only class that I looked forward to lol. I always thought about owning my own business but never really knew what I wanted to do, then i thought I want to have my own business doing what I LOVE, I don’t want to wake up every morning and hate what I do for living. Read more>>
Crouched down in a creek bed, I watched the way mud loosened and swirled into the water as I moved a stone while searching for salamanders. I waited for my mom to call me home for dinner as I thought about drawing the swirls in my notebook later. My earliest memories in childhood were connecting to nature and being inspired creatively by these experiences. It has been the way I process life and make meaning of things. Read more>>
Ever since my baby photographs were taken by the man who became my art teacher I have had a singular desire to make art. As a child all I wanted to do was sit in the house drawing. I’m still the same with studio replacing house. Read more>>
I’ve always had a love for storytelling in all mediums, but particularly film. Growing up I would always stay through the credits and read the names of all the people who worked on the project. As I researched their titles, I noticed how many artists worked on these projects and realized I could integrate my passion for art with my love of movies. I knew I didn’t want to do anything else! Read more>>