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.

Tytianna Horn

Before I found UX design, I thought I wanted to be a software engineer. I had been accepted into college as a Computer Science major, and all I knew was the development-heavy coding part of the field. Read more>>

Johnnie Judah

Yes, I have been making a full time living from my creative work for over 15 years now. It started in 2008 when I got fired from AT&T. I had clientele in the computer software/hardware business mostly from building and repairing computers for fellow employees. I had a DJ ‘residency’ on Saturdays at a place called B&B Blues Club on Riverside Dr. Read more>>

Changyu Zou

Yes, I’m now able to make a full-time living from my creative work, but it definitely wasn’t like that from day one. My journey has been gradual — a mix of experimentation, self-driven learning, and finding where my work fits in the industry. When I first started, I focused heavily on developing a visual language that felt authentic to me. Read more>>

Rodney Penny Jr.

I’ve been working in music for 8 years. Although my first dollar was made some years ago I was never able to make a living from it until this year. 8 years of free shows. 8 years of nobody showing up. 8 years of just the most stressful situations you could think of regarding artistry and responsibility. Read more>>