We think the world needs more artists, more creatives and more folks unwilling to spend their days as a cog in a giant corporate machine. We don’t necessarily dislike cogs or machines but we think the world clearly needs more artists and creatives and so we wanted to try to figure out how more artists can make it work financially since this is one of the major obstacles blocking so many artists and creatives from pursuing their art full time. So, we asked folks who have been able to make a full time living through their creative work, how they did it.
Kaneisha Richards
I have been! Both came from Consistency and being at the right places at the right time. For face painting, I began working with an agency to build my own portfolio. It’s not possible for people to book you if they don’t know what your exact work is going to look like. Read More>>
Derek Flowers
Growing up through all of the 1990s, if you were to ask a child what they wanted to be when they grew up you would hear typical responses such as police officer, fire fighter, astronaut or a power ranger. I wanted to be a rock star. Of course I was young and naive and had no idea what that actually entailed. Read More>>
Dan Moreno
Luckily I’ve been able to tattoo as a living for the past 15 years, this gives me most of my earning at this point in life, the rest comes from selling merchandise, prints, artwork, logo/image design and a long etc. Read More>>
ALEX MATTHEWS-TOBIN
After college, it became challenging getting a job. It was the very beginning of COVID when I graduated college so jobs were becoming scarce fast. I knew I was skilled but I couldn’t land anything for a long time. Read More>>
Antrell McLean
It started before I even realized it would become a career. I started in music and I knew I always wanted to stay connected to it, so I was shooting music videos while I was studying digital cinematography at Full Sail. I wanted to understand how cameras worked, how lighting could change emotion, and how to tell a story visually. Read More>>
Ashley Rick
Earning a full-time living from my creative work has never been a straight shot. It’s been more like a long Minnesota driveway after a blizzard: uneven, occasionally blocked, but absolutely worth shoveling through. I built St. Paul Photo Co. while raising four kids, figuring out ADHD as an adult, and trying to trust that what I make with my camera actually matters. Read More>>
Angela Noble
This is a great question, and it’s one I am asked often. I have been able to earn a full-time living as a designer, but it was a slow process to get there. I was fortunate enough to be able to do freelance projects alongside working full-time to build my business slowly. Read More>>
Paul Olayinka
Yes, I’ve been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work, but it definitely wasn’t like that from day one. I’m a multidisciplinary creative designer with interests across several fields, including graphic design, photography, videography, branding, and video editing. In the early stages, I explored many of these areas alongside other commitments. Read More>>