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.

Frenchaire Gardner

The summer of 2016 was the spark that lit my creative flame. I had just enrolled in two summer classes at Craft Alliance in St. Louis, Missouri—one in Adobe Photoshop and the other in beginner acrylic painting—thanks to a financial scholarship that felt like divine timing. Read More>>

Chaimae Oualid

The first person to ever buy my art was my grandma. I was around twelve when I painted my first piece back in 2008. It was inspired by a story we were reading in Arabic class about a girl from a tribe walking through the mountains. The painting shows her from behind, facing the mountains ahead. Read More>>

Ed Walsh

The first dollar I ever earned as an artist arrived wrapped in equal parts audacity, good timing, and the kind of generosity that convinces you the universe might just be paying attention. I’d been hired as a salesperson at a new Provincetown gallery—strictly for my sales chops. Read More>>