We’ve seen way too many talented creatives quit because they couldn’t make it work financially. No doubt, the financial challenges of pursuing a creative or artistic career are daunting, but we felt there wasn’t enough discussion around how to make it work. So, we connected with artists and creatives who’ve been able to earn a full time living from their creative work and asked them to share their stories with our readers.
Alison Nichols
Ever since I was a young girl, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I’ve always been artistic and like to draw paint, craft etc. but two years ago, I was in cosmetology school. My parents pushed me to do it as I always like to do makeup and they wanted me to go to some kind of schooling. Read more >>>
Jack DeMaio
I never really planned to make a living from photography. After college, around 2017, I picked up a camera just because it felt exciting. Growing up, I was that quiet kid who spent hours writing songs in his room and dreaming about making a living through music. But as I got older, I realized how brutally hard that path would be. Read more >>>
Brandon Notch
No, it definitely wasn’t like that from day one. Making a full-time living from creative work took years of persistence, discipline, and a lot of self-discovery. For me, creativity has never been just one thing — it’s art, writing, tattooing, acting, and storytelling all feeding into each other. But in the beginning, I had to fight to make any of it sustainable. Read more >>>
Scott Labor
Yes, it happened very unexpectedly. I had been painting for years but always worked a regular job and never really tried to sell much work. Around 2020 I started giving it a go. It was slow but started to build. Around 2023 I moved to Tucson from Philadelphia and had trouble finding a job, but at the same time art sales started to take off. Read more >>>
William Franklin
Yes, I have been able to make a full-time living as an artist. I had always loved art and painting. My parents did art, and both my grandmothers were artists. So I was always around art, my mother would often be working on a painting. Read more >>>
Dylan Horning
I haven’t always earned a full-time living solely from my creative work—but rather I’ve found a unique balance that allows me to thrive in both worlds. I currently work remotely as an Environmental Scientist/Consultant, which gives me the professional flexibility to actively pursue my fashion and runway career. In the earlier stages of my career, I didn’t have this kind of balance. Read more >>>
Robert Stinson
I didn’t actually realize that I had made a ‘full-time living’ from my creative work until I looked back after that first full year of living it, with no other means of income. Read more >>>
Cary Pennington
Yes, I’ve been fortunate to earn a full-time living from my photography, but it’s definitely been a journey with a few twists along the way. In 2005, I took the leap and left my 9–5 job to pursue photography full time as a wedding photographer. Read more >>>
Alison Kenyon
I have been so fortunate to be able to make a full time living from my creative work since the 1990s. The key has been to wear many hats… my primary source of income for 28 years was entertaining at corporate events, but this took many forms. Read more >>>
Matthew Braunginn
I have not been able to; I’m currently working on trying to break even. This means I’m balancing a full-time job in a field I enjoy, along with creating art, which I also love. I’m still learning the business side of it all. Read more >>>