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.

Ebonee | Creative Genius & Yoga Teacher

As one of many who suffer from mental illness, I started my creative journey to help me with PTSD. I needed something to help channel that energy into something beautiful. I started with crochet back in 2013 and gradually added other creative outlets like candle making, jewelry making, custom gifts,healing natural products, and yoga. An idle mind is a dangerous mind, and when you’re battling mental illness, having a creative outlet is one tool I truly believe to be a lifesaver. Read more>>

Amanda Auler | Author & Mother

I always knew I wanted to write books, but it wasn’t until I was twenty-one years old that I decided I wanted to be published by thirty. But once I published it (a year early!) it hit me that if I wanted this to be successful, I would have to start running this self-publishing gig as a business, not just a hobby. A second book later, and here we are! Read more>>

Lisa Borne Graves | Author, editor, English Lecturer

Being creative never felt like a choice, but more of a necessity. Growing up, reading and writing were an outlet for me, mainly to purge a nonstop, endless imagination. Of course, they are learned skills, but somehow I was innately in tune with words, reading at two years old and writing by four. Today, they might say I had hyperlexia (type 3) which gave me excelled skills with both reading and writing that faded a bit over time as well as some struggles that came with such a gift. I learned later that I have ADHD which some don’t realize has something called “hyperfocus” where we get in “the zone,” and I do that with reading, writing, and editing novels. Read more>>