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.

Mikie Fisher | Hairstylist

What really drew me to the beauty industry was the fact that it is so artistic. I felt like hair is a canvas and a stylist is an artist. The painting color and creating highlights and lowlights, the way you can shape with cutting, it’s art. Hair is amazing and can really be brought to life with a little effort and styling. Ever since I can remember I’ve been obsessed with hair. I loved accessorizing and styling. I think hair is a direct reflection of who you want to be. And you can be as bold and loud or as soft and natural as possible or have a mix! It’s business meets pleasure for me, I get to help make people feel their very best and have a lot of fun doing it. Read more>>

Meghan Poynor | Landscape, Travel, Fine Art Photographer

Art always came naturally to me as a way to find calm in the chaos of school or work. I “accidentally” became a photographer when I needed to complete an Art IV class for high school and chose photography as the medium. I was hooked with my first awarded photo my senior year of a statue in an historical cemetery. Many classes later and many, many photos later, I have found that I am happiest when I am capturing a moment that speaks to me. Then, I can’t wait to edit and translate my view into a product that captures the attention of the viewer. I have chosen to make photography my career because it’s what I’m passionate about–I love what I do! Read more>>

Iceey | Artist

I struggle to fit in. I spent my entire childhood going through traumatic events and having mental health problems because of it. I feel a lot of pressure to be something. I grew up in a town with a negative stigma and tension. lotta people here are very misunderstood. I have always knew creation was my thing I just did not know what. I did a lot of art as a kid and just never knew if I was doing the right thing. I even played the oboe at one point. I dove into YouTube at age 15 depressed in my room and realized I’m not alone. Read more>>

Clare Scott | Landscape Painter

The West called to me in the ’70’s when I came to Colorado from Chicago as a young woman with an artistic preoccupation but a professional occupation as a Social Worker earning my Master’s in Social Work from University of Denver. Once I felt I had completed my work in that field I embraced the practice of painting full-time. My friends and family say they have not seen someone transform themselves into a new role so completely as they have seen the transformation in me as I moved from Clinical Social Worker to Artist but, it was always there. Read more>>

Alex-Anne Aubé-Kubel | Content creator and professional figure skater

Since I’ve been a figure skater pretty much all my life, my artistic side is pretty developed. Also, I have a deficit of attention and I read somewhere that people with this neurological problem are most likely to be creative people. I always try to use my full potential of creativity, because it’s my strenght and without it, I really think life would be boring. Read more>>

Ali Weeks | Writer, Ghostwriter + Editor

I have always been an artist of some kind. I took my first dance class at age 3, running around a studio in a Tinkerbell tutu, and haven’t stopped since (though I like to think I’ve gotten a bit more sophisticated over the decades). As I studied dance, I always wrote, and I figured my career would involve writing in some capacity. For me, art doesn’t feel optional. If I’m not expressing myself in one creative medium, I’ll feel called to explore a new one. Art is not a choice so much as a matter of survival. Read more>>

Bazil Gillen | Musician/Teacher

As a kid, I remember dwelling on the fact that I would soon become a hardworking adult with a full-time job and mounting responsibility. Seeing both my parents struggle growing up both financially and emotionally made me dread the time when I myself would have to bear these responsibilities. On my 11th birthday, I remember getting my first drum set. I was passionate about music from an early age, but getting those drums would change my life forever. I played every chance I could as a kid and joined every music activity offered to me from Jazz band to percussion ensemble, school of rock, etc etc. As I got older and music started to become a bigger part of my life, Read more>>

Kimberly Nick Gutierrez | Illustrator and Designer

I’ve known since I was six that I wanted to pursue a creative career. I grew up being told by my parents that I could be anything I wanted and they have been very supportive of my choice to work in a creative field. I think the reason I gravitated towards art is because I enjoy creating things and I use my art to communicate with others. I have never considered myself to be good with words or at holding a conversation. Whenever people want to know more about me I usually try to show them my art or my sketchbook. Read more>>

Gracie Phoenix | African Music Promoter

In 2010, I decided to showcase Afrobeat, which was an underrepresented music genre that I supported through various media outlets, including my own platforms. To put it simply, I was determined to expose these artists and their talents on a mainstream scale in the U.S. So in 2011, I produced an online radio show called Afro-Deeziak Radio, to start creating the buzz. Read more>>

Aubrie Nixon | Digital Marketing & Publisher

My entire life I have never been particularly great at anything. I have been good at a lot of things, but never great. I wasn’t a dancer, an actor, a singer. I couldn’t draw beautiful pictures that were entered in contests. I was never an athlete. There was one thing I loved, and even though I was good at it, as a kid, I never thought it could take me anywhere like the things others were great at. I loved storytelling. Whether that be writing, putting together a group of pictures to express a certain feeling, or even music. I loved being able to take different art forms, and tell a story. Read more>>

André Fidusi | illustrator and graphic designer

I’ve always liked art, especially illustrations. I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, but I never thought about pursuing this career. I majored in advertising and journalism and did some work. I did some drawings too, but nothing professional. In 2006 I decided to take it seriously and started showing the illustrations to several professionals and I saw that I could be a drawing professional too. Since then I work as a professional illustrator. Today, my main job is with football. I started sending illustrations to various media, websites, blogs and others, so I got notoriety and other works. My main channel of dissemination is social networks. It is important to generate content and always be in evidence on the internet. Read more>>

Kitra Scott | Radio Host for Rocky Mountain Rage and I am known as #queenofbandshirts

I have always loved music and wanted to find a way to help the bands I love to find them an outlet to have their music played. I was offered a job to be a dj for Rock Rage Radio and it was exactly what I wanted to do! Read more>>

Debbie Fox | Chief Creative Officer of Flow With Debbie Fox LLC, an Inspiration Lifestyle Brand Creating Custom-Designed Inspiration Retail and Wholesale Merchandise. Socially Responsible and Sustainably Focused. Our mission is being a conduit of inspiration to others while remaining inspired ourselves. Through inspiration content and custom-designed merchandise, we focus on an earnest desire to spread positivity. It’s our belief the best way to spread joy is to create it for ourselves, while inspiring others to curate a lifestyle that feels personal and encouraging. If you’re looking to live a conscious life with an emphasis on supporting yourself and others, join the FLOW Family.

For me, creating is an energy flow of evolving expression. Regardless of the creative medium, a creative career provides the creator a platform to outwardly express emotion that originates from within. The ultimate gift of a creative career is connection; between the creator and individual/collective audience. Read more>>