Deciding to pursue an artistic or creative career path isn’t for the faint of heart. Challenges will abound, but so many of the artists we speak with couldn’t be happier with their choice. So, we asked them about how they made the decision in the first place.

Lyn Marler | Part-time Artist, Full-time Dreamer

Lyn is an emerging artist currently based in Charleston, SC, where she has resided since moving from Greenville, South Carolina at the age of 18. During a period of introspection and soul-searching, Lyn found solace in spending time outdoors, frequently visiting the Charleston Battery and Folly Beach. Accompanied by her sketchbook, watercolors, and pen, she captured the beauty of her surroundings through her artistic expressions. It was during this time that Lyn’s works began to attract attention due to her skillful use of vibrant, eye-catching watercolors. Tourists, in particular, were drawn to her creations, often leaving with a smile on their faces. Inquiries about her artist status eventually prompted Lyn to embrace her natural talent and claim her title as an artist. Read more>>

Detrich Swain | Hip Hop artist & entrepreneur

Pursuing an artistic and creative career gave me the freedom to express myself in a way that I love. Art has no age limit and it adds beauty to the world. I don’t have to worry about a boss standing over my back, I am my own boss. Read more>>

King Fx Graphics | Graphic Designer

Because I’ve been doing it since i was young, very young, I’ve always loved and had an eye for good art, i use to play on my grandmas computer all the time or just any computer i could get to in general and play with cliparts putting things together. I’ve always loved music so i use to make a lot of artist posters and mixtape cover arts, i use to make collage pictures of me and my cousins, we would put them as our phone wallpapers lol i made some almost every day. As i got older i still had a love for making art, i really wanna work on a big artists project one day hopefully one of my favorites, i started taking it serious once i got good feedback from other people, people i didn’t know, so that really turnt me up and made me take things to another level, treating it like a business instead of just a hobby. Read more>>

Jake Burns | Singer/Guitarist of Rockstead

I started playing music in grade school. I continued through middle school and high school and started getting more serious about it in college. That whole time I was frequenting copious amounts of concerts with my parents and friends, absorbing as much as I could. Music was such a staple in my life and I always dreamed of doing it since the first show I attended. Once I hit college, reality started setting in. They make you choose what you will major in which ultimately leads to your career choice. I hated that. Nothing sounded appealing to me. I felt like we were being forced to follow this step by step guide to being an “average citizen”. I wanted nothing average in my life. I wanted to travel. I wanted to meet new people. Read more>>

Jujew Allen | Seamstress

I have always been a crafty kind of girl. I loved to do projects in grade school. I love the fact that you can be a painter, seamstress, hair stylist, braider, tattoo artist, architect, etc and it’s all apart of art if you really think about it. You can be creative in so many different ways. I think that’s mostly why I chose to be in the creative field. It’s like similar to starting out at the bottom of a company and becoming the CEO of the top way to be creative in the field you desire or multiple avenues even sometimes. Read more>>

Jitter | Musical Artist

To me, it is just something I was naturally drawn to. I’ve always been a pretty creative person. I don’t have to think or worry when I am making music it is just something that I have fun with. Read more>>

Aiko Finesse | DJ | LGBTQ Activist

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been deeply passionate about the arts. In elementary school, I expressed this passion through writing short stories. As I progressed to middle school, my love for creativity led me to start writing poetry. By the time I reached high school, my poetry evolved into spoken word, and I also began to explore the world of music composition and songwriting. Prior to embarking on a career as a DJ, I even pursued a path as a music artist. It’s clear that my profound connection to the arts has its roots in my family. Both of my parents shared a love for creativity – my mother enjoyed dancing and playing music around the house, while my father harbored a dream of becoming a DJ and was also skilled in drawing. Read more>>

Jamarius Leaphart | Singer-Songwriter & Content Creator

It’s what I was created to do. I have tried so many different things in life, but being able to create and be authentic in my creation brings me such a peace. It’s like when you are overwhelmed of something, and you pray and read a couple scriptures… and suddenly a peace and confidence just overtakes you.Yeah, That’s what it’s like. But you have to be careful because it can fuel you AND it can drain you. So having boundaries for other and yourself are very important. Being able to create to spread love, joy and some encouragement is all I want to do. I think of my brand as a ministry. I’m imperfect, but I serve a perfect father, so to be able to spread that message in different ways is all I think about honestly. I don’t really worry about what others say… I just authentically create from MY HEART! Read more>>

Stephanie Selby | Portrait Photographer

By the time I started my business, I had been obsessively engaged in photography for almost a decade, but never realized it could be a way to make a living for myself and my family. Before I pursued photography full-time, I was in a career that was meaningful, but left me feeling drained and routinely frustrated. I decided to start my business in 2019 after much encouragement from friends and family. There was also a particular colleague that kept cheering me on to make the leap into expanding my business and making photography my professional focus. I never imagined any of this was possible for me. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I am so grateful to be living a dream I didn’t know I had! Read more>>

Brandiann Garfold | Content Creator & Artist

Ever since I can remember I have always been drawn to the arts. From entering and winning coloring contests as a child to receiving the honor of being selected as a recipient of an art scholarship, I knew I would pursue a career that involved being artistic. I chose a creative path because I am passionate about it and it really doesn’t even feel like work! Read more>>

Morgan Mattson | Ceramic Artist and Instructor

An artistic life path made the most sense to me when I was young. As amazing as making the big bucks sounded, I couldn’t let myself be pushed into a line of work that I didn’t find delightful every day. I chose art education as a way to ensure that I would make some sort of steady income while still having fun. My mother is an educator as well so it seemed like a familiar fit to jump to teaching. The school that I teach at has been so supportive by letting me start a ceramics program from the ground up and then letting me use the facilities when needed. This way I get to teach full time but I have the ability to create my own line of work at the same time. Read more>>