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.

Alexandria Edwards | Candle Decorator & Financial Assistant

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2018, right when my husband and I were thinking of starting a family. We were thankfully able to go through a quick egg retrieval process before I had a hysterectomy and tumor removal, so we could have the chance to have a child of our own through surrogacy one day. With the price of the surrogacy process, I was looking for a creative way to help us towards our goal. I have always been crafty, and loved to create, so I decided to try a hand at my own business in decorative candles. Both painting and candles are a love of mine that I have dabbled in, and thought to join them together and create unique decorative candles would be perfect, with all of the proceeds going towards our journey to parenthood. Read more>>

Vera Tan | Voice Actor & On-Camera Actor, Singer and Visual Artist

I’ve always been very involved with all kinds of arts. I started singing lessons when I was four. I started drawing and painting around 12, then finally acting around 18, and I’ve been focusing on these three things since! It’s mainly what I’ve known and studied my whole life, so it seemed only natural for me to try and live the rest of my life doing these things. Read more>>

Laura Weber | Artist

Well, I eventually had to. I spent a pretty good portion of my life ignoring my rather strong artistic impulses and trying to live a more traditional existence, but I found out pretty quickly that living inauthentically comes at a great cost to one’s emotional wellbeing. You see, I crave freedom and expression in my work. My brain hates monotony and requires creative assignments. I am constantly scanning for opportunities to make things colorful and uniquely my own. If I don’t have that in my daily life, I quite frankly self destruct and everyone around me gets caught in wake of it. Read more>>

Dj Taylol | DJ Taylol | Taylor Pham

I find joy in creating memorable experiences for others. There’s something truly rewarding about knowing that my music is the reason people are enjoying themselves, dancing, and vibing. I love the energy of the edm and club scene, where people come to hear great music, and I’m proud to be part of that atmosphere. My music taste is diverse, and I’m open to all genres, which allows me to connect with a wide range of people. Read more>>