We asked some of the most creative folks we know to open up to us about why they chose a creative career path. Check out their responses below.

Clover Feld | Drag Queen.

I have always been a right brain creative since I was young. Growing up I always knew I wanted to be famous and I would do anything to achieve that goal. I made my way into the drag scene by seeing legends such as RuPaul, and Divine, be so free and authentic to themselves. I knew I was different, and being apart of the LGBT community really taught me that my art and love for performance could take me extremely far. I found such a joy in makeup artistry as well as performance that I knew drag could intertwine my two passions. Read more>>

Anna Gilday | Professional Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer, Entertainer

It all started when I was 5 years old and for two reasons. The first being because of my sister. She was a dancer and the first time I watched her through the windows, I was captivated. I knew that was what I was going to do so I could be just like her. The second reason was because I was extremely pigeon toed and my parents figured that would be the best way to help me work on that. Little did they know that putting me in a dance class would, not only, turn out my feet but change my life forever. Read more>>

Elissa Weaver | Fulltime Graphic Designer and Freelance Illustrator

I had always been a creative kid, but didn’t really consider making a career out of it until late in high school. My undergrad focused on film animation, which wasn’t quite the right fit, which is when I switched to illustration, closer to my more traditional art roots, as my major in grad school. For me, the process of creating something beautiful from nothing is truly special. The world would be a pretty boring place if not for artists. Nothing you see or interact with hasn’t been touched by an artist or designer in some way. And having my focus be making my tiny piece of the world just a fraction more beautiful, felt like the way to have an enjoyable and fulfilling career. Read more>>

Zhané Swanepoel | Owner/Founder at ZMC Designs

It started at the age of 9, when my family realized my fascination with advertisements. I was able to memorize the dialogue of every television ad. My love for marketing and all its creativity grew with time. What started as my biggest interest became my life purpose. I not only fell inlove with the artistic side of marketing but with the creative minds behind every single brand or company we know. Read more>>

Dez Ward | Producer – Engineer – Content Creator

Although sports, basketball primarily, is the key to my heart – simply being that you can apply sports to many aspects of life, being creative allows me to think outside the box. More importantly it helps connect us. We’re able to learn, share ideas, collaborate, and tap into a zone that can’t be touched. The feeling you get when you the see the results or see how the audience responds is unimaginable. Essentially there’s no right or wrong when it comes to being an artist or creator. How you connect with someone may be different from the next. That’s what makes us unique. Read more>>

Jessica Steeves | Fine art, real estate, wedding, event and portrait photographer

I never really gave my career a second thought. I knew when I was young that I wanted to do something in the art field when I was older. I had received a pink 110 film camera for my 6th birthday. I took that camera with me everywhere. Throughout school I enrolled in every art class I possibly could. By the time I reached high school, it was more than obvious that I wanted to work in commercial photography. I took all of the film classes the late nineties had to offer. Read more>>

Kathleen Groppe | Ranch manager and jewelry designer

My career path has taken several turns along the way. I would describe my professional life as scientist (molecular ecologist), turned homeschool teacher, turned ranch owner and jewelry designer. My path has always been passion based. I discovered the world of gemstones and jewelry design while I was recovering from a relatively major surgery in 2004. My mother, who was caring for me at the time, brought me a stack of Sundance catalogs. Read more>>

Stephanie Perry | Event designer | Balloon artist

Growing up I always admired my mother’s creative mind when it came to holidays and special occasions. I watched her decorate for endless events, from decorating our rooms for Valentine’s Day to making special gifts for our teachers at school. As a young mother of boys, I found myself doing the same thing for my children. I was a single mom who pursued the safe route of a career in corporate America for over six years , doing what I had to do but knowing that path was not for me. Read more>>