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.

Gena Kearn | Art Educator & Celtic Floral Artist

I have possessed a love of art from childhood. It was inspired by my maternal grandmother who was a self-taught oil painter. I grew up admiring her work and hoping to be like her some day. During my high school years, I also discovered a love for working with young people. So, I pursued a career in art education and have been an art educator working with grades 7-12 for 21 years. Read more>>

Stefan Carbonaro | Artist

A passion for creating, I always was amazed by other artists or artisans being able to create something new with their hands. Being able to express myself through my paintings and transmitting emotions to the viewers. An artistic career can give the freedom of expression no other career can give you, letting you explore your feelings and transform them in works of art that can be enjoyed for a long time! Read more>>

Anduriel Widmark | Visual Artist

Like most creatives, I was indoctrinated from an early age into the long-standing traditions and mythologies of object making. I was lucky to have a community that provided many opportunities to witness and practice creativity. Throughout my adolescence, the concept of art and creativity was encouraged by my parents. This environment not only developed a positive internal reward system but also habituated methods for managing attention and developing material fluency. Read more>>

Austin Toker | Hip hop creative out of Aurora, Colorado.

I pursued an artistic career because music has always been my passion and calling. My journey began in 2014 as Nitsua, and over the years, I poured my heart and soul into honing my craft. By the end of 2019, I made the decision to rebrand myself as Austin Toker, signifying more than just a name change. It marked the start of a new chapter in my artistic journey. Read more>>

Abby Bradetich | Founder & Creative Director

I grew up in a very artistic family – both of my parents were professional musicians – so it was practically a requirement for me and my siblings to try out something in the arts. And I really took advantage of that! I played three different musical instruments growing up (piano, violin, and flute) while also playing sports, until I found my true love: dance. I started dancing around the age of 8 or 9 and never stopped! Read more>>

Jacob Gustafson | Musician

I’ve always had a natural intuition for music since an age far too young for me to remember. My parents were both smart enough to notice, and gracious enough to help me explore this. That hasn’t changed as I’ve grown. However, I’ve always been a bit lacking in my ability to do basically anything else. For various reasons, I wasn’t necessarily able to adapt to standard schooling and labor, and this also hasn’t changed as I’ve grown. Read more>>

Theo Greenbaum | Artist

I think it was the only option for me to find actual fulfilment in life. That sounds really dramatic, but it’s true. I’ve had so many career paths it almost sounds fictional at this point. Back in college, I pursued so many different fields: historical linguistics, general biology, veterinary science, creative writing, microbiology. I actually did undergraduate research in species diversity of alkalophilic extremophile microbiota, and presented my findings at a university conference. Read more>>

Stacey Sickler | Doula/Artist/Community Builder

Last spring quit my 9-5 desk job with no plan B. After having a hard time finding the next right fit, I became quite depressed. After over a decade in the non-profit sector, looking for another desk job really made my whole body say “nope.” Fortunately, I had signed up for a pottery class at the Fort Collins Parks and Rec studio. Since I had all the time in the world, I went to the studio every day. Working with my hands and creating was like pressing pause on everything else in my life. At the end of the session, I had a surplus of ceramic art and had my first vending experience November 2022 with The FoCO Art Mart. Read more>>

Ricky Ramos | Comedian & Producer

I was kind of backed into a corner with the legal system, 18 years in and out 3 1/2 served consecutively. I was given the opportunity to actually do something with my time. I had a friend who was graduating from CU with a creative writing degree, and while having a conversation at work about stand-up comedy, I was intrigued by the idea. I guess it was always of interest, my father is a huge stand-up comedy fan, and I grew up watching the greats! George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy. Read more>>