They say life isn’t about the things that happen to you, but about the decisions you make. There’s a ton of coverage about the best decisions people have made, but not nearly enough conversation about the tough decisions.  We asked folks we admire to tell us about the most difficult decision they’ve ever had to make and have shared some of those responses below.

Favian Herrera | Dancer/Choreographer/Dance Teacher

From a young age I knew that I was a creative. I didn’t understand what that entailed, but there was something inside of me that resonated this creative energy. I spent my early childhood years growing up in Wharton TX, it wasn’t a place where one is exposed to the arts outside of the school curriculum of choir and visual arts class. I remember during the afternoons I would catch a glimpse of “Great Performances”, and was captivated by all the dance performances, From Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp, Rudolf Nureyev, and so many other greats, I was encapsulated by what I was watching on the small screen box television set my aunt had sitting in her living room. Read more>>

Elizabeth Davis | Photographer

I’ve always loved music, art, taking portraits and anything creative. This was the perfect outlet for me to combine a lot of those interests and passions. Photography provides me the ability to allow people to see themselves from a different perspective. It’s inspiring and always changing. I am constantly learning new things and feel like the limit of this knowledge is endless, I can always learn more. Read more>>

Red Fajardo | Food Blogger & Registered Nurse

Change. Yes, changing for the better is the most difficult decision I had or anyone would ever had to make but the most fruitful one. Change is easy to say, comfortable to think about and unchallenging to tell everyone, but what’s tough is taking that first step and being consistent while every chapter of your life demands a different you, at the end it’s 110% absolutely worth it. It’s an uphill battle we need to take, oceans we need to swim through, Read more>>

xzandria Villatoro | Owner of Tnt Tx shop

I have always been creative, when I was a little girl I would customize every single item to what I liked which was mainly cheetah print ,bright NEON colors and anything shiny ! My grandfather was the one who taught me how to sew at a very young age . I use to watch my grandfather make the seats inside of an airplane from scratch to finish! He would make me little purses from left over scraps . Naturally I wanted to sew just like him, so he taught me how . Since then he has a been a huge part of my life in becoming an Artist and Business owner. Read more>>

Cassie Cross | Portrait Photographer

I decided to pursue photography because there is so much creativity! Photography gives me the ability to create art and produce images that can last a lifetime. It gives me the opportunity to develop different ideas and also helps me to discover my niche. It allows me to create different emotions that allows me to capture that special moment. The beauty of creativity gives me the vision to challenge myself and break rules that no other photographer can duplicate. Read more>>

Gladys Guerrero | Fashion Design and Business/ Dental assistant

All my life I have felt passion for design and creativity, every material and color that allows me to create something is very exciting for me, from a very young age I tried to find some use for any material such as paper, fabric, metal, leather, paints or plastic, I think I was born with the love of creating and designing and it is in my blood! my grandfather created impressive wooden furniture and was a great upholsterer, my mother had the ability to create spectacular dresses for dolls and my aunt my mother’s sister She is an oil painting teacher and creates impressive works of art in my hometown Monterrey NL Mexico. Read more>>

Emmett Phillips | Performance Artist, Educator & Consultant

Since I was in middle school, I had a deep passion for the arts. Hip Hop (specifically battle rap), grabbed my attention in a truly special way. I became almost obsessed with listening to the emcees that I thought were most skilled, free styling for hours and rap battling friends and strangers, and ultimately creating my first songs. Hip Hop gave me an outlet to for my aggression, wit, and desire to connect with others. It also made me more interested in academia. I’m a poet, actor, and educator as well, but the foundation for my love of the arts is rooted in Hip Hop 100%. Read more>>