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.

Bradley Thompson | Rapper & producer

Ever since I was a kid, I loved music. To rap R&B to be honest any genre rap started at a young age for me I would always listen to music and write the lyrics down just for fun. in around 2016 my friend had told me he liked my voice and wanted me to wrap a song that he wrote so I took that offer and decided you know what I actually like this and then boom I started writing my own lyrics and I made a record label Slim rich productionz Read more>>

Garrett Ely | Entrepreneur & Creative Director

I pursued a career in photography and cinematography because it’s my passion. It allows me to express myself through my work. I find comfort behind the lens as though my camera is an extension of me. Read more>>

Anne-Marie Dumas | Fashion Blogger and Content Creator

I always had an interest in fashion and photography, when I was at university I went out of my way to pursue classes in the fashion department and participate in campus fashion shows. As my degree led me to a career in the corporate world, I was always looking for a creative outlet. Deep down I am a creative at heart. I had been following fashion bloggers for a while and what better way to combine my two passions of fashion and photography. Read more>>

Chera Creative | Artist & Muralist

I grew up in a very artistic family, so pursuing a creative career was natural since I had been painting and drawing for as long as I could remember. I took all the grade-level art classes and then decided to major in Graphic Design at Abilene Christian University. Although painting was my biggest passion, I decided a Graphic Design major would allow me to expand my artistic skillset while still taking painting courses within that degree. Read more>>

Sandi Phillips | Dance studio owner, dance teacher

As a child taking dance classes brought me joy. Life is not always easy and can be challenging. When you find something you love, are a passionate about, brings you joy follow it and you never know how it will be used in your life. Now I’m able to share the joy of dance with people around me. Read more>>

Vinay George | Screen Writer / Director & Editor

I have always been a creative person, with a natural inclination towards visual storytelling. From a young age, I was drawn to movies and other forms of entertainment as a way to escape reality. As I grew older, I became increasingly interested in the process of film production and began to understand my own right-brained tendencies. Read more>>

Samantha Lopez | Chef & Food Vendor

My love language is definitely food. Food is an art, the plating, the species & paying close attention to detail. Growing up in an “ingredient” household I found many ways to dupe or substitute ingredients that I wasn’t able to buy to try new dishes and make them into my own. Thanks to the food network show “chopped”. Read more>> 

Adam Cee | Freelance Illustrator & Graphic Design Artist

Art chose me versus myself choosing art. It was something that i was deeply interested in as a teenager, but i didn’t choose art to make money specifically. I wanted to create and make things from nothing just like other artists before me. I wanted to experiment with materials, fancy papers, and different mediums. Read more>>

Ben McDonald | DJ

I’ve had a love for music for as long as I can remember, and I’d been wanting to learn to DJ since my college says around 2009-10, but I never acted on it. I always thought it would be something cool to do, but never thought I’d be able to actually learn it and pick it up. Well, enter 2020, and everyone is trapped in their houses for an indefinite period of time. I took the plunge and bought all the equipment to get me started. Read more>>