We connected with some of the most resilient folks in the community and one of the most insightful questions we had an opportunity to ask centered around whether there was ever a time they almost gave up. Highlighting some of the responses below.
Carmen Thomas
Camille: Carmen and I have both opened up to each other about how hard it is sometimes when you’re an independent artist doing everything on your own. Making all the decisions is freeing, but also daunting at times. Read more>>
Chris Kittrell
I’ve had plenty of almost-quit moments. The road can be long and quiet, sometimes lonely. But the beauty of it—and the music I hear in my head—pulls me back every time. “I Wonder If I Go” sits right on that edge: staring at the unknown and choosing to move forward. Read more>>
Bao Su
As hard as some struggles have been, giving up was never an option for me. Being strong for my kids was mission critical—it’s what kept me moving forward when life felt heavy. It was also existential for me to know I was helping them shape into young adults rooted in love and compassion. Read more>>
Markus Siegel
I have had many moments where things got so difficult that the easiest and most straightforward option would have been giving up and moving on. The one strength I do have and I’m proud of is that I am completely unable to give up on things that really matter to me, regardless of how uncomfortable I get or how difficult situations get. Read more>>
MOR
Many times. The music industry isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s hard not to play the comparison game or measure success only in cash and industry accolades. Those things are great – and getting them regularly would certainly help with longevity in this career – but they’ve also bogged me down and made me question why I keep going. Then something happens. Read more>>
Anne Stedman
I never really ever wanted to give up, but there were periods where I stepped away, especially when my kids were born. I had just finished a TV show when I got pregnant with my first child. Read more>>
Sarah Lawrence
When we had nine events in three consecutive days. Three events Friday. Three events Saturday. Three events Sunday. The entire week was a mess of schedules and organizing and logistics and product runs and syrup making. Read more>>
Mason Greer
In 2023 after a festival run with a short film, I decided to quit the industry. I simply wasn’t having fun in the journey anymore and wanted to see if I was better suited somewhere else. Read more>>
Vance Kotrla
I don’t know about ‘giving up,’ exactly, but something similar helped open a really important door for me. I moved to Los Angeles 20 years ago to pursue a degree at USC’s graduate film school. Throughout my time at USC and after, things were moving in the right direction and the horizon looked promising — until the 2007-08 WGA strike. Read more>>
Daniel Grimsland
I feel like I almost give up all the time! Not really, but kind of. The music industry in particular is very rough. Let’s be honest, the pay mostly sucks. Read more>>
Amanda LaCount
There is only one time in my life I got close to giving up, and it ended up being one of the most pivotal moments in my life. Read more>>
Cashawn “Cookie”
I actually almost gave up in the hospital. Knowing the nurses and doctors were treating me the way they were and causing intentional harm like coming in and putting their body weight on my swollen and paralyzed arm or leg on the left side of my body when they weren’t running any tests. Read more>>
Yvette Rodriguez
Honestly, giving up has never been an option for me. I say that with total humility, knowing some people may find it hard to believe — but it’s true. When I was just 7 years old, something incredibly traumatic happened that left me completely alone — emotionally, physically, spiritually. In that dark moment, I made a promise to myself: I will never let MYSELF down. Read more>>
Hope Duong & Joelle Sy
Not give up, but our biggest initial roadblock was the pandemic – which, unexpectedly, opened the door to our greatest opportunities. Being an events company, a worldwide shutdown naturally affected our business. With groups and companies still searching for creative ways to connect, we began receiving multiple inquiries about virtual events. Read more>>
Lauren Patrice Nadler
Honestly, giving up was never an option. Failing? Sure. But quitting—never. I remember the time I was on a production team, for a project I cast Adrien Brody in (before he became the Oscar-winning star he is today). Meanwhile, I was couch-surfing with all my belongings in storage, bartending until 4am, and on set by 7am. Read more>>
Rebecca Sykes
I go through many phases of doubt and wonder if I am made for living the musician life. I always come back to the conclusion that I don’t have a choice. Living a creative life is the only way I am able to function as a human being. There will always be challenges and moments of stress, overwhelm, burnout, etc. Read more>>
Hon Hoang
Yes, there are days I feel like giving up. Creating in an age of clicks, algorithms, and endless scrolling can feel exhausting, sometimes even meaningless. You spend months on a short film, pouring your thoughts, fears, and questions into something that might disappear in someone’s feed within seconds. The pace of attention doesn’t always match the depth of the work. And that disconnect is hard. Read more>>
Rob Moss
Just as there are successes, there are equal parts (if not more) failure and rejection. The closest to giving up Rob ever got was after being eliminated from the final round of a competitive singing reality show, (rhymes with shameircan – fidol). Read more>>
Kathryn Di Gioia
Yes. After opening my studio, I had only a handful of clients and no idea where my next dollar would come from or if I could even pay rent. I remember sitting in my studio, praying every day, tears in my eyes as I looked at my empty books. Having one client a day (sometimes in whole week) But I kept going. Read more>>
Jamiko Manguba
Yes, there was a time when i almost gave up. in 2020, i lost my brother- he was not just family, but also a mentor and one of my biggest supporters. he was the one who always pushed me to chase my dreams and reminded me of why i started making music in the first place. Read more>>
michael mcneil
Yes. There was a stretch in L.A. when invoices lagged, rent was real, and I seriously considered moving to Vegas to cut costs. L.A. will test you—financially and mentally. I almost tapped out. Instead, I worked overtime at the VA to afford the expensive gear I needed and rebuild my credit—thankfully, I didn’t have to grind like that for long. Read more>>
Nela Steric
There was a time I nearly threw in the towel–when I hit a wall in my late forties, Getting laid off from my long-term private school job due to “strategy changes” and “After-COVID enrollment issues”on top of artificial problems the school admin would not allow me to fix -felt like a gut punch. Read more>>
Deja Cain
There have definitely been times when I felt like giving up. It’s one of those periods where it feels like no matter how hard you try, life just keeps throwing obstacle after obstacle your way. It can really make you question if things will ever change. Read more>>
Michael Matteo Rossi
Absolutely; there were times when I thought the juice isn’t worth the squeeze, but I love making films and working with certain people so I kept going. Read more>>
Esther Yao
Yes, during a setup time on the baseball field once, it started raining. The client had asked for helium balloons, but with raindrops coming down, none of the balloons would float. I texted the client and said I had to refund her, because I could not decorate the field with floppy balloons. Read more>>
Andrew Dean Pearson
Yes. There was. The first time I moved to LA. Man, I did not know what the hell I was doing. I didn’t understand shit about this city. I felt alone. I felt like it was just all work and no play. I was having family issues, couldn’t find a job I liked, I was couch surfing. Read more>>
Tasha-Nicole Terani
There are many moments when I feel the urge to give up. That’s the true test of perseverance—when the desire to surrender whispers loudly, yet I choose to step forward. I’ve learned to be gentle with myself during those moments, recognizing that what feels like the end can often be the start of something new. Read more>>
Day Mori
During my straitjacket escape, there was a moment where I almost couldn’t get out—because of the harness I had to wear to hang upside down. It severely restricted my movement, and the metal hooks that connected to the pulley dug into my body. Read more>>
