Earning that first dollar is incredibly special and a moment many never forget. We asked some very talented creatives from the community to tell us the story of the first dollar they earned from their creative works.

Janiro Hawkins Ii

If memory serves me correctly, it was doing street promotions for a Lord Finesse show in Atlanta, GA for Groove Essentials (waddup Wayne). It wasn’t serious money but for me at the time, it was something that really motivated me, especially considering that I had not too long moved to the city from Nashville, TN. Those days of doing street promotions, helped shape me in to the individual I am today. Read more>>

Sarah Powers

I had always really enjoyed face painting – it fascinated me. It was always my first stop at the state fair or similar event. One year, I mentioned to the artist who painted me that I’d love to try it out sometime, and she gave me the card for the booth owner.
The following spring, I contacted them, without really expecting anything. I got invited to show up at her place to come along for an annual event at a local country club for the 4th of July. Read more>>

Adia Maenpaa

I started to earn money from my business last year. I collaborated with a famous country artist from Nashville after they contacted me. They hired me to use their song in one of my YouTube Shorts so I made a dance to their song. I’ve also earned from Super Thanks on YouTube where people can donate to your YouTube videos. Just a few months ago I was able to monetize my YouTube channel by getting 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. Once you hit that milestone you start to earn from ads in your videos and shorts. Read more>>

Gigi Ashworth

Before Instagram and TikTok were even a thing, I would publish content to a blog I used to run called GiGi Eats Celebrities. It was a place where I would introduce people to new food and fitness products in my own quirky, outside-of-the-box sort of way. Back when blogging was “all the rage,” I was part of several food and fitness communities that would pair bloggers up with brand deals. I will forever remember the first time I earned money through my website. Under Armor wanted to work together, having me showcase their latest shoe line and activewear. They wanted me to create a unique video (I posted on YouTube at the time as well) and write a blog post, and as a reward, they would send me a pair of shoes, some fitness pieces, and… Read more>>

Seth Holmes

I’ve been sketching and doodling since I was a kid. I remember thinking at a very young age ‘I want to be a professional artist when i grow up.’ I never thought that was possible so I never pursued it.
When I was a teenager I had a few family friends who commissioned me to do murals but those just seemed like odd jobs here and there. Read more>>