Artistic and creative careers are among the most rewarding, but they also come with unique challenges. We asked some of the city’s best creatives to tell us why they choose to pursue a creative career.

OG Scoop | Recording Artist / Rap Musician

A couple of things played a part into why I decided to pursue a career in music. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas I grew up with a single parent, which was my mother. We didn’t have much financially and my father has been physically absent mostly all of my life due to being incarcerated. This created quite a few challenges for me growing up. I decided to not use these things as an excuse as to why it may be hard for me to become successful in life, but to use it as motivation and fuel in becoming a successful artist. Read more>>

Mary Nikkel | Writer, Photographer, and Digital Communications Strategist

For me, creating— specifically, writing and photography— feel as natural, as essential to life, as breathing. I could not imagine myself doing anything different. When I was determining what trajectory I wanted to point my life in, I asked myself “what do you love so much that you’d do it for free for the rest of your life?” The answer for me was creative work used to tell purpose-filled stories. Read more>>

Lucas Downes | Jewelry Designer

Creation, art and design have always been an integral part of my life. Beginning with sketching as a child, my passion for creativity evolved into ceramics, painting, metal work, and jewelry making as opportunities to explore these new mediums entered my life. Though I took particular interest in designing the built environment and pursuing Architecture for my formal education, the need to freely design without real-world constraints remained. Ultimately, jewelry making became not only a hobby but a business, allowing me to continue to pursue this art and share my passion with the community around me. Read more>>

Kelly Galeazzi | Licensed Aesthetician & Skincare Specialist

This question brings back memories of me before starting aesthetician school and being asked by multiple people at different times, what I believed I was good at or what my talents were. Before falling in love with skincare and finding my passion and discovering my unknown talent of healing skin through the hands, my answer was always, “I don’t know.” “Nothing.” Moving forward to now, two years later, and two years into doing something I truly love, and cannot see myself not pursuing, I chose this career path because, though I may have been a late bloomer, I can help and heal others with their skin concerns through my work and what I do. Skincare is not a hobby to me, not a “side job”, but such an amazing job and career and a passion I’ve had all along that I was unaware of. Read more>>

Fernando Rojas Cervantes | Painter and Muralist

Growing up in Mexico exposed me to many of the arts and that combined with me being a very curious and observant person created the perfect mix. From very early on I showed an interest in them, whether it was through simple hobbies like reading or going to a museum. Thanks to this early involvement with this part of myself I naturally developed an interest in exploring and expressing myself through them and make them part of my daily life. Now at my 21 years of age, these interests matured through practice and merged into one big toolbox that has helped me develop my creative vision. I chose a creative career because art grew to be a big part of my life and it felt natural to keep pushing myself in that direction. Read more>>

Clayton Byrd | Glass Blower

I grew up on a farm, so using my hands to create something and working hard has always been second nature for me. I have a full-time job, but it doesn’t fulfill my creative side, so about nine years ago I decided to take a class on blowing glass. I loved every minute of it, and for my birthday, my wife and mother-in-law bought me a series of fundamental glass-blowing classes. After the classes were over I slowly started collecting glass supplies and tools and built my own shop. Whenever I have any free time I am in the shop creating, and it fulfills the creative side of me that is neglected while I am at work. I enjoy taking a piece of glass, melting it down, and creating something beautiful out of it. There is not a better feeling in the world. Read more>>

Zoe Ariel | Fashion + Branding Photographer

Ever since I was a child and my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up my answer has never changed; I want to be an artist. My vision of artist as an adolescence was more of a painting aspect, but as I entered adulthood my passion is in photography. I received my BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in photography and a minor in art history. I will forever be surrounded and admire art. I have always been a creative person, so pursuing an artistic career was always in the cards for me. Read more>>

Pimpin Caprice | music artist &enturpenur

im a very opionated person,i speak my mind freely so i wanted to put it to music,so everyone hears what i have to say. Thats why im called mr talk dat shit Read more>>