Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than we realize. With the benefit of hindsight, we asked some wise and experienced members of our community whether they think they are doing what they were meant to do or told to do.
The Band Kris
Songwriting and producing is where we lose track of time—and where we always seem to find ourselves again. Our first self-produced release, “I Wanna Go Home,” wasn’t planned at all, but it came out of one of the hardest seasons of our lives. We were emotionally isolated, creatively drained, and desperate to reconnect with who we were. Read more>>
Paul Gosselin
I’m doing what I was born to do. But it took me a long time to listen to that voice. For years I did what I thought I was supposed to do, what I was told to do and it left me unhappy and disconnected from myself. The turning point was performing in the storytelling show Mortified. Read more>>
Guile Branco
I truly feel like I’m doing what I was born to do. Of course, we all want more success and more milestones—no one ever feels completely fulfilled—but that’s just life. We go through phases of joy and sadness, and the goal is simply to experience more joy than not. For me, that joy comes from making movies. Read more>>
Shelley Heffler
I truly believe I was born to be an artist. Every job I’ve taken has been within the arts—whether designing rugs, teaching ceramics, or now creating with repurposed banners. Each step along the way has taught me something essential: designing rugs refined my sense of color, teaching ceramics taught me that any material can carry meaning. Read more>>
Gina G
I am definitely doing what I was born to do! I grew up in an Asian household where parents valued corporate jobs which they viewed as stable and honorable. My siblings are in finance and accounting and that is a huge win for Asian parents. I’ve always been great with numbers but my true passion has always been on the creative side. Read more>>
Daria Mazur
I am fortunate enough to do what I was born to do. I’ve always known that being an enterteiner is my destiny. I think if you do what you’re supposed to do, you will definitely know that. Read more>>
Joe Abitol
I honestly believe this is what I was meant to do. I had the option to become a doctor and was even encouraged to go to medical school, but growing up surrounded by the jewelry world, my passion naturally shifted toward it. Read more>>
JaDarrel Belser
I started off adulthood by doing what I was told to do. Get an education. Get a good job. Find someone and settle down. The problem was that a lot of it made me miserable. I wasn’t doing what I love. Acting. Even when I work a ‘regular job’, any of my co-workers will tell you that all I ever talk about is ACTING. Movies. Read more>>
Hanna Smith
I can finally say I am doing what I was born to do. I have shoved down my artistic passions for so long, believing they could only be a side hobby. Now, I am painting MURALS, which are so large and hands on and real. Read more>>
