We have had the good fortunate of connecting with Nobel Laureates, titans of industry, rockstars and rising stars across dozens of industries and we have always found their stories about who they were early on to be most fascinating. Below, you’ll find members of the community sharing their responses to this key aspect of their stories.
Ruxanda Calistru
I was a little girl when I turned 4. I started to have the passion of singing and emulating my favorite artists like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Tony Braxton ,Celine Dion, and I would watch for hours and know by heart entire albums of their songs and perform and dance and sing in front of the mirror for hours. Read more>>
Alyssa Mei Liu
I was definitely a very good girl in my early life. I was a strict rule follower but I always kind of beat to my own drum. The first twenty years of my life I was heavily religious and academic. I went on mission trips to Kazakstan, Philippines, Rwanda, Uganda and China. Read more>>
James Fink
Since we’re focused on my photography, I’d say I used to think I had to shoot in a very rigid way. Every time I picked up my camera, I wasn’t just focused on the subject, but I was also obsessing over making sure the shot fit perfectly in my viewfinder. That mindset came from starting to learn about shooting on film. Read more>>
Nayely Petatan
I grew up in a world that told me to aim for more. More things, more distractions, more noise. Now, my philosophy is simple: Less stuff, more meaning. Read more>>
Barry Moore
I was a dreamer, and still am. I grew up in the 70’s and raised by a single mom. I saw how hard she worked. I also saw how we lived on the margins, and many times below them. Read more>>
Sheryl Benjy
I was someone who knew how to listen to my inner voice-before I was taught to silence it. I was imaginative, sensitive, and open-hearted. I lived from within, not for approval. I then became incredibly compliant—always assuming that others knew better than I did, even when it came to who I should be. I didn’t trust myself anymore, or my intuition. Read more>>
August Broussard
The Adult World really likes to put a block on creativity under the guise of “Will this make money?” and “Is this sustainable in the long run?” I’ve met a lot of artists who start to get stuck when they get into that mindset of perfection, and I am absolutely those artists. The best advice I’ve heard recently was from Kevin Smith. Read more>>
Kyle Geller
Maybe cliche, but ive always been this guy. I just wasn’t ready to be where i wanted to be. I’ve been at this movie thing for about 20 years now, really hitting the pavement to the best of my abilities, with no guidance, just wanting to do this shit with my whole chest. Read more>>
Sonia Jackson
A powerful question. I believe when we come into this world, we arrive perfect for who we are to be, at least in consciousness. We already have everything God gave us, factory-installed by the Most High. As children, we have a natural understanding of joy, abundance, curiosity, and wonder. We know who we are and, on some level, we know who we can become. Read more>>
Eric
I was a teacher working in Compton and living in Long Beach with Juliet, my now-wife. I had gone to CSULB for five years to become a teacher and they threw me into a charter school with literally no resources. I didn’t even have textbooks. You know those promos where Staples will donate backpacks to schools in need? I taught in those schools. Read more>>
Sara Quiriconi
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a playful soul who loved creating characters and worlds through imagination and dress-up. My inner child — little Sara — was endlessly curious, creative, and full of pure light and love. She was always performing, inventing stories, and seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. Read more>>
Raffi Wartanian
I was, am, and will always be me, a being blessed to exist, in a constant state of change, seeking to understand, and trying to take things one step at a time. I don’t believe there is a singular external world with one set of instructions. The shifting relationships, contexts, and priorities that surround us compose our world, and even these elements are in flux. Read more>>
Jenna Nimri
I was the most curious poor country side girl who loved nature and saw magic and joy in everything. My happiest moments were roaming the forests in jordan foraging for wild plants, picking wild rare orchids, and buying wild mushrooms from nomadic boys. I danced ballet and once performed in a play in front of King Hussein. Read more>>
Molly Quinlan Artwick
I think I was always a very playful and imaginative kid. I loved fantasy and I was constantly making up these incredibly complex imaginary worlds, with characters and quests and politics and relationships. I would make my older sister and her best friend act out elaborate scenes with me in these worlds, usually inspired by whatever I was reading at the time. Read more>>
