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.
Tim Zandee
When I was a kid I went to a few art shows with my parents. Even though all I did was draw and paint, I skipped all the art booths and went to the photography. Later in college I still felt the call but didn’t dare to pick up a camera due to the disgust for math and technical things. After college I finally picked one up. I got sidetracked with portraits and sports but it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t photography that I longed for – it was nature. To me, photography is the purest art form to capture nature. Read More>>
Patricia Hunter McGrath
Over the past 38 years, I’ve had the privilege of following my creative passions wherever they’ve called me. Creativity has always been at the center of everything I do—whether in the classroom, the studio, or on stage. Read More>>
Eder Velasco
In the beginning, art was a game—just a pen and a piece of paper. I never imagined it would one day become my profession, my livelihood. It has been a long road, not made easier by the fact that I had to navigate it without formal artistic education, and in a language that was not my own. But passion has a way of carving its path, even through uncertainty. Read More>>
Susan Newberry
I began selling my designs online in 2012 through Etsy while also teaching design at a local college. The journey started slowly, but my business began to grow steadily. By 2018/2019, I was able to quit my job and devote myself to my designs full time. I expanded my sales to several marketplaces, including Michaels Marketplace and my own website. My latest venture is with Zazzle. Read More>>
Alisha Rickman
My Journey to Creative Entrepreneurship
I consider myself fortunate to now earn a full-time living from my creative endeavors, but this wasn’t the case from the very beginning. It has been a gradual journey, marked by patience, ongoing learning, and a great deal of persistence. Read More>>
Brendan Polk
Yes, I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work, although it’s not easy! So, I started playing piano at age four and started training in jazz and improvised music from around age 12. I definitely get a leg-up from starting so early, because much more information is stored in the brain and body when learning a skill at a young age. I really started to become more passionate about music at age twelve when I heard musicians like Errol Garner, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Brad Mehldau. Read More>>
Rosabel Rosalind
Thankfully I’ve found ways to translate my creative pursuits into practical ones. I’m a tattoo artist, and manage to work about 3 days a week. I also do a lot of private illustration jobs for young adult or childrens books. Recently I’ve had the opportunity to work on a couple public art projects and that’s also been financially fruitful! As always, I try to sell my work, but it’s so difficult to find and feel stability in a market that’s so unstable and oftentimes stiflingly commercial Read More>>
Or Lubianiker
I think the short answer is: I took music very seriously from a very young age, but I never treated it like a “hobby.” I put in thousands of hours with the bass because I was genuinely obsessed—not just with playing well, but with understanding the intricacies of music, tone, and how musicians connect with sound. That led to some incredible opportunities over the years, touring and recording with artists like Marty Friedman, Noa, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Gus G, Frank Gambale, and John Browne. Read More>>
Gary Oleyar
it’s really hard to even bring this topic up with anyone who isn’t already directly involved in it. there are many commitments and subsequent resignations that are really necessary in order to make a go of it. i know a great many (i’m hesitant to use the word ‘artists’, because we’re more like ‘craftsmen) people in my line of work and they all have different attitudes and circumstances but, as is so often relayed by my industry, we all have the love for it. if i had to put together a list of ‘job requirements’ they would go as follows: Read More>>
Kuu Tamura
I am currently a full-time tattoo artist and crafter selling crocheted items and hand-made rugs at pop-up markets. I am very lucky to say that I’ve been able to earn a full-time living ever since graduating university in 2019, when I moved from Japan to the USA to start my creative journey. Read More>>
Aarron Hunt
I didn’t start out thinking I’d make a full-time living from my creative work. For a long time, creativity felt more like a companion I kept tucked in my back pocket—there when I needed to feel inspired, but not something I thought could pay the bills. My background was in hospitality and international merchandising, where the creative process existed, but mostly behind the scenes. I curated, I managed, I made things look and feel seamless—but I didn’t yet realize that this, too, was creative work. Read More>>
Jeffrey Reed
I’ve pretty much made my living solely on my work as an audio engineer for over 35 years. I ended up in the music business those many years ago as a result of taking my band into a small garage studio in Vicksburg, MS in the late 80s. I knew at the time I wanted to pursue a career in music, particularly on the tech side, but had no idea where to start. I didn’t even know at the time what a recording engineer even was, but when I watched the engineer recording our demo the lightbulb went off. Read More>>
Andrew Fox
Because I’m a Retired Veteran of the Armed Service, I don’t necessarily need to make a living off of my art work. I’ve been blessed with the ability to put more attention into my art and the products I put out.
After I moved back home from the service, I had no idea what I was going to do for work. I got a degree in Radio and Television with the intent of being a Radio Sports Announcer. The space in that world was extremely low, and was trying to take me into some remote places that would take me away from my family. Read More>>
Bobby Wheat
The first dollar I ever earned from selling my art was the day I opened my gallery, April 28th, 2011. After years of seeking gallery representation for my work to no avail, I opened in the only place I could afford at the low point in the post 2008 recession while I was still teaching 4th grade full time. Opening a full-time space (even though it was on a temporary lease) was a massive risk to every penny my wife and I had saved up to that point (which wasn’t much). Read More>>
Suki Berry
Earning a full-time living as an artist in the Bay Area? I would describe it as delusional, risky, and full of obstacles. I would also describe it as rewarding, liberating, empowering, and the best risk I ever took. It’s never going to feel like an easy time to dedicate yourself to your art practice. It *is* crazy. But I’m crazier! Read More>>
Oscar Collazos
On December 16th, 2021, I quit my restaurant job. For many years, probably 20 or so, I had worked as a server or bartender and was a stand-up comedian on the side at night. I always wanted to make comedy my sole profession but that’s just really really hard. If you have a following, it’s easier – still hard even then though. When I quit, I didn’t quit because I was going to dedicate my life to comedy. I quit because I was fed up with the job and was ready to snap and swing on the next customer that set me off. I floundered around for a while until I got my Real Estate license in 2022. Read More>>
Lily Yeh
My creative journey started when I studied New Media Design at Shih Chien University in Taipei, where the education was hands-on and rooted in a Bauhaus-inspired philosophy. In our first year, we weren’t even allowed to use computers—we built large-scale installations, experimented with materials, designed costumes, and performed movement-based pieces. Read More>>