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.

Andy RAREBANDY” Miller | Artist & Designer”

I needed to do something that I loved, never got old, and never feels like work. Something I don’t have to think about retiring from. Call me lazy but I never want to work a day in my life ever again. 🙂 Read more>>

Alexandria Daniels | Jewelry Artist

Pursuing art as a career actually began as a hobby for me, so I think of it as a very happy accident. Once I shifted over into business mode, I realized that embarking on a creative career path meant that I could do what I loved every day. It meant that the possibilities would be endless because I essentially create them for myself. It meant freedom of expression and connection with the community. All of which seemed too beautiful to pass up. Read more>>

Jacy Kirby | Fitness Trainer and Writer

I believe that pursuing your passion is an artform in and of itself. Anything done from an intrinsic place of passion, I believe that to be some of the most beautiful art of all because it comes from somewhere deep within the spirit that can’t be made up. Within that, I have always found that writing allows me to actualize my most true self. When spoken word and verbalizing what I’m going through fails, writing has always been there to help me bring to life what I’m thinking internally, whether that be in poem form short story, or world building. I pursued a writing career because I believe it to be a place where others can go to as well to escape and heal from whatever they might be going through. I pursued writing because I want to be able to help others by connecting with them through word. Read more>>

Cassie Crawley | Abstract/Psychedelic Acrylic Painter and Digital Artist

I chose an artistic or creative career for many reasons, but the biggest reason is because I knew ever since I was a child – that I was meant to be a soul to create and spread the magic of art. Art has been something that has ben apart of my life for as long as I can remember. I had used art as a method to cope with all of the negativity in my life. For the longest time, art was the only thing that kept me going. I’ve always known my love and passion for art was going to run strongly through me for the rest of my life, so I knew I had to do something with it as an adult. I had started off in graphic design, because I was always told that I wouldn’t “make it as an artist” or “art isn’t a real job”. I had figured that with graphic design, I still had the art aspect – while maintaining a “real job”. Read more>>

Maryam Faison | Artist

Freedom of expression, it allowed me to express myself and my voice without words, creating my own world, through art, colors, textures, music, and truly getting out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been a visual learner so I’d incorporate that into whatever piece I was creating and seeing what elements I’d could use within my work, I use flowers the most because to me it represents life and death and how both things can coexist. Growing up I was shy with my art so I never really shared anything, due to rejection or not being perfect. I don’t care much for perfectionism, I just enjoy creating and making art and being present in the moment and the world Read more>>