The world needs artists and creatives. Unfortunately, being needed doesn’t often easily translate into financial stability. The struggle is real for so many incredibly talented artists and creatives and so we think it’s important to hear from creatives who have made it work – there is so much to learn from the folks we’ve featured below.

Lanzo Luconi

When you spend so much time in creative work, it is nearly impossible (at least for me) to focus exclusively on one thing. You see so many possibilities and applications when you are building your craft, that you can’t help but experiment. As I started showing significant improvement in my piano performance skills, I also became interested in education, psychology, and the importance of human connection in teaching. Read more>>

Valeria Sweet

Yes! All of my work comes from acting, film/TV/commercials, content creation, and my books and courses. In film, there are so many people needed for different projects, your day job could just be doing gigs. I do everything from acting/directing to precision driving and doubling celebrity actresses on their films (Megan Fox, Sandra Bullock, Anya Taylor-Joy, etc.). It’s fun and amazing that we can receive money for our creative work as artists! Read more>>

Brynlee Handy

I’ve held a lot of jobs over the years that felt safe, but deeply unsatisfying. For a long time, I couldn’t understand why it felt like I was somehow pretending to be an employee – going through the motions but feeling like, somehow, there had to be more. Taking the leap from a stable, yet boring position can be one of the most daunting decisions for any creative to make, but not enough people talk about the relief and excitement that comes along when you realize you can do it. Read more>>

Sara Noto

Since I started my creative job journey, I’ve always sort of worked for myself. Freelancing on the side, working up comped designs for small companies while in college, and generally accepting any project or client that came my way. That latter way of working is really not ideal – not even for a startup. Read more>>

Max Randolph

There was never a question that I was creative, the real question was how do I put a roof over my head while embracing my full creative self. Of course I wanted to build and make astounding machinations and inspired sculptures, but I had to find clients that were looking for one of a kind custom metal art. Early in my career I connected with an interior designer who introduced me to several clients that valued my work. Read more>>

Kate Moynihan

I’ve been an artist painting watercolors and oil art for thirty years, but that was not my first profession. Growing up I had always been a crafter learning to knit, sew, and macramé – hobbies my stay-at-home mother taught me. As a young girl in the 1950’s I idealized not only my mother, but the popular TV shows, Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet. Wanting to follow in these homemaker footsteps I attended college and became a registered nurse. Read more>>

Peiyao Lyu

I am a film/video editor and producer. To become a professional editor and producer, it’s essential to embark on a journey that often involves education and training to build your skills. I got my MFA in film and TV production degree from Savannah College of Art and Design. During school time, creating a strong portfolio by working on personal and collaborative projects is the foundation. Read more>>

Lacey Mills Murray

I wasn’t quite sure which topic to pick, but I think this one best fits my personal/professional creative practice. I am an artist that also works full time at a museum where I manage artists and artist projects at my institution, along with our permanent art collection. Read more>>

Nikki Jesmani

Yes! Earning a full-time living through live sound has been challenging yet truly inspiring. At first, I had no clue where exactly I’ll be ending up. I simply embarked on this path with a passion for music and a keen ear for sound, which became my driving force.This passion led me to study audio engineering. Read more>>

Ian Hunter

The journey from making a passion into a profession doesn’t happen over night. At least, for me it didn’t. There’s a certain fundamental shift that must take place in order to practice your art or craft in a way that can hit deadlines and expectations. The goal is to commodify a skill set and sell those skills to a client. Read more>>

Greg Dye

Yes I am a full time professional artist something I have always wanted to say. It is a process no doubt also I am self taught which was huge in learning how to be myself as a painter. First started learning how to paint with a brush then moving up to a palette knife two years later. Read more>>

J. Rodney Leath

S&L Mural Co. is a co-owned LLC established in 2022 by Memphis-natives and friends, Joe Sawyer and Rodney Leath. This commercial mural and design company was created through the partners’ similar interests, artistic skills, spirituality, and drive to create. Read more>>

Cheryl Gross

When I was younger I quit college to become a freelance illustrator/fine artist. Needless to say, it has been a journey. At the beginning I waited tables and other assorted part time jobs. About 3 years into it, I was finally able to give up the joys of waiting tables and actually earn a living making art. Read more>>

Shod Santiago

Hi, I initially started on vine in 2013! I literally didn’t know what could come out of it being a social media influencer and I actually wasn’t trying to be. I honestly just went with the flow and let go and let go. At the time I was working in a pharmacy. I started “blowing” up on social media and I prayed and asked God to lead me. 2 weeks later I was laid off and began getting numerous brand deals and I took that and ran with it., Read more>>

Tiffany Tynes-Gonzales

I have been able to earn a full time living as a creator and I absolutely love it. My journey started in 2014 when I portrayed Nicki Minaj in a parody that is currently over 117 million views! From there, I just kept going. Of course there have been obstacles but I personally love obstacles. Read more>>

Markus Shields

Earning a full-time living from my creative work was fairly difficult initially. You are, in a sense, creating dollars with your brain! Although it may be more easily accomplished depending on your creative field the challenge often also lies in consistency as well as generation of capital. Read more>>

Noah Lifschey

I’ve been doing this full-time for quite a while. Straight out of Berklee College of Music I thought I wanted to be an audio engineer/mixer/producer and landed in L.A. immediately after graduating. I started as a “runner” (glorified name for “recording studio slave” at barely a living wage) and moved up to assistant. I quickly saw that being largely on the technical side of music in the real world was not what I wanted to do. Read more>>

Kris Black

I have been working as a freelance creative(acting,directing,producing,writing and painting for almost 20 years now. It’s been amazing but does come with some dowfalls or hurdles. You don’t havae that safety net of a 9-5 job with benefits, paid holiday, etc….as a creative you have to make your own safety nets. Read more>>

Brian Shirley

I have been touring as a Comedian for over 25 years. Over the last 10 to 12 years, I started expanding my “entertainment career” into acting, DJ work, hosting events (trivia, bingo) and VO/audiobooks narration. I have managed to combine all these activities to become a full-time entertainer. Now, every day is filled with entertaining people, looking for gigs or a combination of both. This can be at home, in town, across the state, or country or even internationally. Read more>>

Neil Goldberg

Financial happiness is subjective, work is a way of self-expression. I’ve been fortunate to express myself on stage to a myriad of gratifying rewards. Being creative and earning a living from what comes natural is a gift, not a job. One of the companies I founded and opened in 2003 in South Florida is Dream Studios, which has now grown into a premier theatrical, film, and media complex offering show design services, video production across all genres, costume fashioning, creative studios, and workspaces. Read more>>

Josie Reid

I was aware back in second grade that I could do art work because classmates wanted me to help them. I went through school being praised for my work and being told that I could make a living with my art. Read more>>

Chidi Ezemma

I can proudly say I am a full time content producer for over 5 years. This is a title I didn’t even know existed a couple years ago. Creating content was something I enjoyed doing. It was never about the money… in the beginning. Mostly because I didn’t think you could make a career out of content creation. Read more>>

Rockmyer Devone

I embarked on an inspiring journey to turn my creative work into a full-time living. In the beginning, I faced challenges and setbacks, but my passion and determination kept me going. I honed my skills, built my portfolio, and created an online presence to showcase my talents. Landing my first paid project was a breakthrough moment, boosting my confidence and paving the way for further success. Read more>>

SUVI

I’ve never had a regular 9 to 5 job, and it wasn’t a deliberate choice. Instead, it happened organically. When I was 18, music found its way into my life, and from that moment, I’ve been earning a living through my creative work. Against societal norms, especially in my culture, I’ve managed to make a career out of my passion. It’s been 18 years, and I still wouldn’t consider a 9 to 5 job. I attribute my success to my unwavering love for the arts and my relentless persistence. Read more>>

Marcie Rendon

In the early 90s I made the decision to make a living as a writer. That meant taking any and all paying writing jobs – from community journalism to $10 poetry submissions to writing articles and profiles for non-profits, the occassional national magazine – you name it, i wrote it. I have never had the light or heat shut off and there was always food but if you ask my children if it was a living they would laugh at you. Read more>>

Rudy Martinez

The ultimate goal to focus on my painting, design & expand my tee shirt company full time. I believe hard work pays off and that’s what I will do until my goal is achieved. DIY is what I enjoy plus it keeps me involved and the minds creativity going. Read more>>

Jenna Pastuszek

As a creative, it’s considered “normal” to work more than one job. In fact, I think I’d be bored with only one job! I consider myself a “multi-hyphenate” meaning someone who is interested and passionate about multiple things, and I know I am my best self when I am doing all of the things I love to do. Read more>>

Dylan Gorenberg

I vividly recall a valuable piece of advice from one of my professors, Dr. John Palmer. He emphasized the significance of not relying solely on one job, a lesson that only truly resonated with me when I made the leap to Los Angeles to pursue a professional music career. In today’s dynamic music industry landscape, diversification is essential. For instance, apart from running a private teaching studio, I am actively involved in recording, composing, and performing. Read more>>