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.

Janice Schultz

I never planned or dreamed that I could sell my work. Painting was a passion, not a career. But, one day in 2012, I was painting a landscape at Mammoth Lakes, California with a friend, Chick Bragg, a professional artist. We were set up about 50 yards away from each other, along the shoreline of Lake Mary. Read more>>

Micky Shiloah

I’ve actually had a few firsts – I started acting as a little kid and my mom used to take me, and my sister, on auditions in Manhattan. We booked some jobs together and I think the first paying one was a commercial for Braun. I also booked a small spot on Sesame Street and a couple of off-broadway shows, including one at Radio City Music Hall, but I was too young to really understand what it all meant. Read more>>

Cecilia Wisky

I think I have to separate my answer into two different moments in my life: my first dollar as an actress in my country and my first dollar as a theatre worker in the USA. When I received my first payment as a performer in Buenos Aires, Argentina I was 23 years old and I was still in acting school. I remember seeing the audition call for a Children’s theater company and applying just for fun to the winter season of Paseo La Plaza, a very well known cultural space in Buenos Aires. Read more>>

Latoya Lashae

The first dollar I earned from my creative work was completely unexpected—and honestly, it changed everything for me. I had less than 3,000 followers on Instagram at the time and didn’t even consider myself a content creator. I was just posting videos for fun, sharing bits and pieces of my life with no real strategy behind it. Then one day, I got a DM from Shapellx. They wanted to collaborate. All I had to do was post a video wearing their shapewear, and they’d pay me $100. Read more>>

Iris Scott

The first dollar I received on an artwork is actually $50. It was a watercolor I had made in high school. My english teacher had seen it and inquired if she could buy it. I was blown away by the question. I still remember the crisp check with her name and my name on it. I was hooked. Read more>>