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.

Elora Calhoun | Photographer & Owner

Growing up, I remember that on all of my school field trips or during summer camp, I would always have a disposable camera with me. I never really realized until I got into my teenage years that I had a growing passion for taking photos of people so that I would have those memories forever. Needless to say, these pictures of my childhood are some of my most cherished memories. We moved quite frequently, as my parents were separated, so I often knew that I might never see some of my school friends again. The images I would take with my disposable camera are still, to this day, some of the best memories I have of my childhood. All my adventures and friendships are frozen. Read more>>

Laurel McHargue | Author, challenge seeker, vivid dreamer, optimist, dark Muse conduit, fantasy lover, podcast host

Ever since I was old enough to remember my wild and colorful dreams, I’ve told stories. I love the thrill of that smile, that raised eyebrow, that tilt of head telling me my tale is engaging. After pursuing three semesters of literature and art at Smith College in Massachusetts (my home state), I desired bigger, broader challenges. The United States Military Academy at West Point offered more experiences than I could have imagined. Upon graduation, my thirteen years as an Army Officer continued to provide story fodder, as did my years of teaching in the public school system after my children were older. Read more>>

Megan Gnekow | Scientific Illustrator

I’ve been making art since I was a kid and I come from a long line of artists. So I definitely had a lot of encouragement to be creative when I was young. What I didn’t get was very much information about how to sustain that as a central part of my life. Every artist I knew had some sort of other job to make ends meet. Still, art continued to be an important part of my life as I worked my way through school and out into the world. But it wasn’t until I completed my degree in Scientific Illustration in 2009 that I felt like I knew what I wanted to do with my work. Even then, it took me about 8 years to really figure that out. And now, making art and sharing it with the world just feels like what I am supposed to be doing. Read more>>