We asked some of the city’s leading artists and creatives to tell us about how they decided to pursue an artistic or creative career. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Lydia Grace Yan | Makeup/Hair Artistry

I chose a career in Makeup/hair artistry because of my passion for creativity and anything related to playing dress up. It started when I was young… stealing my own mother’s makeup and playing with it any chance I could get. Fast forward to high school, I realized that makeup and hair could actually be a good source of income while also fulfilling my passion. Since then I have been working all over DFW and surrounding areas providing makeup and hair services on different Beauty teams and serving my own clients. Read more>>

Belén Ruiz Cavazos | Ballet Dancer

I am currently training to be a profesional ballerina, I fell in love with ballet at the age of three years old. And by eleven I knew I wanted to do this for living. The thing that most motivates me is that there are very few Mexican ballet dancers around the world but there is a lot of Mexican talent. And I would love to put the name of my country high in the ballet world. Read more>>

Jahiem Ababio | Brand owner

I just love garments and seeing my vision come to life Read more>>

Sydni Gause | Artist & Natural Dyer

After high school I attended Watkins College of Art & Design. I studied Studio Art with a concentration in Sculpture and later received my MFA in Sculpture at Alfred University. Through both institutions I’ve spent copious amounts of time learning the language of contemporary art. I often joke that English is my second language because Art making is my first. Being creative drives me, it’s one of the biggest desires I chase. I think ultimately it’s because some ideas are harder to communicate via written/spoken word. Communication through material is a challenge and skill, it’s a special type of poetry. That in there lies the drive for me to keep creating. And what better way than to pursue that motivation as a career. Read more>>

Rae Dalley | Makeup artist specializing in sfx

I fell in love with the art of sfx makeup specifically when I was 16, at the time I was going to a theater school, and one of the classes I had signed up for was a stage makeup class, For a long while I assumed I was going to enter into the film industry for acting but after taking that class I knew that makeup was what I wanted to do. Choosing any kind of artistic career is scary mostly due to how other people view those careers, I have been told many times that I should’ve chosen a “real” job, but there was simply no “real” job out there that I would’ve liked one way or another I would’ve gone into a artistic career because that Is what makes me happy. Read more>>