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.

Rayonna Bethea

I decided to pursue an artistic career because growing up I’ve always been the “girly girl” of the family. I loved having my nails done and anything sparkly. I also really enjoyed drawing. So when I was finally old enough I started painting my own nails even in elementary school, my nails were done! As I got older older my passion and skill grew so I decided to start my business. Read more>>

Andrew James | Wedding Photographer

For as long as I can remember, art has been a central part of my life. Some of my fondest childhood memories are filled with the sounds of my grandmother composing on the piano, my mother designing beautiful floral arrangements as she built her dream business, and my father crafting furniture for our home. In many ways, creativity was woven into every corner of my upbringing. Instead of playing with toys or watching VHS tapes, I gravitated toward a pencil and paper, always encouraged to think creatively and explore new interests. Read more>>

Laney Rhiannon | Model & Content Creator

I’ve always had that creative spark inside of me since I was a little girl, so I pursued a creative career. My creativity is everything to me – it has gotten me through some really dark times and it has made the good times even better. Growing up I would write different stories and create drawings to go along with them. My creativity was always praised by the adults in my life and I think that was a big factor in my continuing of my creative pursuits. When I discovered that I could write fictional stories and create narratives with posing and composition as a model, and those stories would reach and relate to others is when I knew that I could turn my passion into my career. In my opinion, connecting with others is the greatest feat one can overcome in a creative career. Read more>>

Jamie Zamparelli | Instagram Content Creator at The_Zamp_Camp

When my two oldest children were younger they really wanted a YouTube channel so my husband and I decided to grant their wish and we made one as well as all the social media channels to go with it. When they started to get a little older they just lost interest but I still had all the social media pages. During the pandemic and my children were home from school I had to drop down to part-time at my job to be able to assist them with school. During that same time frame, my eldest was diagnosed with Autism and my husband got very sick and was hospitalized for two weeks. I had been doing social media for the company I work for and I decided I really enjoy it. Read more>>