Artists and creatives face innumerable challenges given that their career path often doesn’t come with a playbook, a steady paycheck or any form of safety net. It’s definitely not easy and so we asked a few of the artists and creatives we admire to talk to us about why they chose to pursue an artistic or creative career.

Riley Combs | DFW Portrait Photographer

As someone who has always approached life from a creative standpoint (literally my entire college and professional career), my interests + hobbies also followed the along on the creative train. For as long as I can remember, I have been the “picture-taker” of the family. Birthday parties, Christmas morning, you name it—I’m there snapping a picture. There is something about capturing a single moment and looking back on the emotions felt + memories made within that split second. I also love getting to meet new people through photography. Read more>>

Lisa Slimak | Sugar cookie artist

I have a full-time career as a supervisory paralegal and while I love my career it doesn’t allow me to use my creative side. In the past I’ve used photography as my creative outlet and in 2020 at the beginning of Covid I was looking for a way to utilize my creative side while having lots of time at home. I quickly became obsessed over custom decorated sugar cookies! I started obsessively watching videos, finding tutorials and learning everything I could about sugar cookie decorating. Read more>>

Jacob Taylor Gibson | Artist & Printmaker

I never quite felt fulfilled in anything else I did but art always gave me the validation I yearn for. Whether it be in the satisfaction of finishing a project or the pride in advancing my skills, nothing feels quite as purposeful as the making process. When I was younger, I never felt truly engaged with school until taking woodworking classes focused on functional forms in high school. This is probably where my love for community and process based art was founded which I’ve continued to find in ceramics and printmaking. Read more>>

Lou Earle | Lou Earle is a writer, entrepreneur, and business executive and US Navy veteran with roots in corporate America.

The truth is that my business career was not oriented specifically around creative aspirations. It has only been in the last five years or so that I began to engage in artistic endeavors. These efforts really surfaced based on areas that had always been of interest to me, but my 30 year career in high tech and its demands inhibited me from indulging them. The notable exception was after acquiring Austin Fit Magazine, I authored the monthly Publisher’s Letter for over ten years. So,In fact, I guess you could say that opportunity catalyzed my focus on serious writing and gave me a foundation to pursue becoming a novelist. Read more>>