Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sierra Stone. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sierra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

As of November 2023, I have been earning a full-time living from my creative work. I started exploring ways to make money as a creative in 2020 when my bar job closed due to the pandemic. I was always a creative person, but in 2020 I decided it was time to sink or swim. I chose to swim, and I moved into a music studio that was a shared community space in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While living there I was an intern learning how to DJ & also learning music DAWs. I would spend countless hours recording vocals and instruments and producing music. I ended up doing a few charity DJ gigs & recorded vocal work on local artist projects. I stayed consistent & kept developing my craft until I felt that I wanted to expand even more. In August of 2022, I moved to Portland, OR from Pittsburgh, PA. I continued my creative work & invested in recording my own songs with other producers in Portland, OR. I got asked to do my first showcase “The Flow Show” in February 2023 by a local recording studio “Burn Money Music”. ILoveMakonnen was in attendance as a panel judge at the event. Ilovemakonnen is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. ILoveMakonnen is best known for his 2014 hit single “Tuesday”, which featured Canadian rapper Drake. The event went great & shortly after I was asked to do many local shows following that showcase. I started having a few local shows as an independent artist every month. I was very happy I moved to the West Coast at that point, and I was so grateful that I had others believing in my career just as much as I did.
I am still on the path of making singles with my current producer “EchoTheSavage” who is a top 20 Billboard singer and producer. We have been working together ever since December of 2022. I continue to network with those in the music industry, and I am starting to do shows in other states. Making music means investing money into your craft. I released my first-ever single in December of 2017. I continue to be paid for streams and royalties from my music. I make money by selling my vocal features for other artist’s songs. I also make money by selling local show tickets and keeping a percentage of the ticket sales. I plan on continuing to tour and put out my solo artist merchandise that I design myself.
Recently, I started DJing again. I am now making money doing so after countless free gigs. I invested in my own PA system & I am now booked out almost every Friday until August of 2024.
I keep my recording studio set up at home in my living room. I wake up every day in my favorite place, the studio.

Other than music, I also started my own graphic design company. I started graphic design in 2018. I went to a community college to learn Photoshop, HTML website design, blogging, and a business course on how to start an LLC. I would do freelance projects throughout the years, but in 2020 I started to take this more seriously as well as music.
In 2020, I started by finding as many entrepreneur podcasts as I could on Youtube & studying every word they said. I also read the book “10 Pillars of Wealth” by Alex Becker, which changed my perspective on life & entrepreneurship forever. That book gave me the confidence to start my business. I never looked back.
Another book I can credit my success to is “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. This helped me change my mindset from being an employee to being my own boss. It was up to me to manage my work and remain disciplined. I continued to do a lot of Freelance work & I took a break from my business to move across the country. As of November 2023, I currently have clients for whom I run their social media & create curated ads to grow their business. I now have my clients on a monthly service plan & I get a check in the mail every month. I consider my business in the beta testing stage so I can handle more clients in the future at once & eventually hire employees. This stage is important because you find what works and what does not.

I wish that I had tried to sign monthly clients beforehand instead of doing so many freelance projects. I know that could have sped up the process of fully relying on my creative endeavors for my finances. I still tell myself to just go for it and worry about the problems as they come and not the what-ifs.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Sierra & I am 26 years old. I release music by Sierra Rose Stone as an independent music artist. I also produce my own music as an audio engineer & producer. I Dj as Sierra Stone. I am 26 years old & I also run my own graphic design business which helps grow the social media of local businesses.

My love of music began with my family. My mom sang & my dad played guitar. We were always singing or playing music. I remember jumping around with records always playing or my dad playing with his friends on guitar. I started off playing music in elementary school in band & singing in choir. I played the xylophone and flute in school. I had my dad teach me guitar when I was 12 years old. I learned music theory & I later taught myself how to play saxophone, banjo, violin, piano, and the drums. This background definitely helps me with producing my own music now.

I have made many different genres of music in the past such as country, folk, rock, pop, rap, r&b, and EDM. I would describe my current music as pop/rock with an r&b twist to it.

I always loved drawing & painting. I realized that design work was a way I could always create art & be helpful to others and fulfill my love of business. Graphic design suits me & fulfills me entirely.

I am most proud of never giving up on my dreams as being self-employed. I knew as soon as I left high school that this was the path for me. I kept my tunnel vision & I will always push my own limits. In the world of AI a lot of people ask me if I am afraid of robots taking my job. I always tell them no I am not afraid, because AI cannot replace human interaction. I have a rapport with my clients & I remain personable. I give them a sense of comfort & take a huge workload off of their back.

My mission statement for business & life in general is following The Four Agreements. The Four Agreements is a book by Don Miguel Ruiz. The four agreements in this book are “Be impeccable with your word”, “Do not take anything personally”, “Do not make assumptions”, and “Always do your best”.

I plan to grow with integrity and inspire others to follow their dreams no matter what circumstances they come from.

Please stay on the lookout for more tour dates coming in all 50 states. I plan on making more music & collaborating with big names in the music industry. I plan on releasing artist merchandise & a website where you can book me as your DJ, book a collaboration, or book me as an entertainer.

I plan on releasing my graphic design website after I feel the beta stage is over. I plan on growing it into a collective of designers to help businesses grow.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist & creative is feeling like I am fully living in my purpose. I have always been a creative person. I loved the arts even before I could read or write. I love that I feel like I am not suppressing myself. Every day is a new challenge for me as an entrepreneur. I love that I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself at the end of the day.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I believe society can best support artists, creatives, and a thriving creative ecosystem by always choosing to support local businesses and artists instead of large corporations. These choices can make or break your local creatives. I believe when you buy into small businesses and artists you are buying into their dream.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/sierrarosestone
• Other: Contact email for business inquiries: [email protected] (Graphic Design website launch coming very soon for my graphic design company rebrand “Lionstonedesign.com”) Find more of my music links below: linktr.ee/sierrastone

Image Credits
@Finalreqy @miguelpshoots