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.

Stefanie Bales

I’ve been a full-time artist for nearly 4 years now. Prior to that, I spent just over a decade teaching Art + Design theory at a local Design College while building out my personal brand and portfolio. I don’t think there’s any fast route or shortcut to being a successful artist, but I do believe timing matters. I knew I didn’t want to jump into the career without being well prepared and was never one with any interest in perpetuating or being a part of the “starving artist” stereotype. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on “making it” from the get-go- and allow the pressure of being financially dependent on the sale of my artwork to take away from the joy of making it and the integrity around it. Read more>>

Sharonda Stewart

In 2021, I made an effort to invest in myself and I think that is the best thing that you can ever do. I hired a photographer and worked with several coaches to help me get to the next level. I am really close to becoming a full time creative. Read more>>

Martha Pardo

After years of working in social media, I can say that I generate enough compensation and satisfaction to make a living. Social platforms have enriched things like my quality of life and my perception of success because of the content I’ve been able to create. It wasn’t always like that; of course, in the beginning, there are two essential things you have to work on (although I didn’t know them at the time). The first is to have courage because you certainly have to be brave to expose yourself and create content that you try to gather, and this is the second thing, a community.  Read more>>

Emily Hatch

Since I was a little girl, I knew that singing was my thing. That… and starting a business. I used to sign things and tell people that they should save my autograph, because one day, I would be a star and it would be worth money. I used to organize companies during recess. I would spend my weekends making up organizations that could help people. I would enlist the neighborhood kids, draw logos, and write mission statements. When I was 5, I got in trouble because I wouldn’t stop selling rocks to the neighbors. That extended to me selling rocks to OTHER people’s neighbors when we’d go visit people. I’ve always been extra. Read more>>

Miranda Gadbury

About 2 1/2 years ago I snapped. I was six months pregnant. I was working for someone else and it was getting under my skin. The thought of being required to trade my time for money and miss my kids grow up pissed me off. Next thing I know I was standing in my HR office putting my resignation in to be effective immediately. It was like I was being pulled. I knew what I was doing but it felt like I was in a dream. My family and husband freaked out! They told me it was the hormones from my pregnancy and that my boss would understand if I explained and asked for my job back. Read more>>

Lorin Drexler

I have been fortunate enough to earn a full-time living from my business and creative pursuits. Having said that, it’s been a long road, one that has endured its own set of pitfalls and doubts, especially in the beginning when you’re unsure how to do half the things you need to do. Though working for yourself has an unmatched sense of freedom and autonomy I’m unwilling to trade, regardless of the unending responsibilities of sole-proprietor upkeep. Read more>>

Trent Stark

I’m so thankful that I’m able to be creative full time. I started working when I was 12 years old and have always had a “hustle by any means” mentality. I broke away from the 9-5 life two years ago and haven’t looked back since. The best advice I can give to anybody is keep learning and keep networking. Get good at things you need to be good at for yourself and then find a way to provide that same value to the people in and around your network. Read more>>

Monika Normand

Yes! I’ve run Monika Normand Creative LLC full time since August of 2018, and it’s provided me with full time income for over 3 years now. Learning early on that income will be irregular in a creative, self-employed field is key – and as a Type A person, this was/is a challenge for me! I officially started my business in 2017, running it part-time. During that first year and a half of business, I was able to make good financial decisions that benefitted my business because I wasn’t worried about living off my business income. I had a full time job to pay my personal bills, therefore all business income could be reinvested in the business and saved to build a safety net for when I did quit my job. Read more>>

Josh Cabador

Yes everything kind of changed at the beginning of quarantine. I was cooking more at the beginning of it and as we all know the restaurant/ food and beverage industry took a hard fall. From that I went back into leading worship more as a contract worship leader and cooking on the side. That went for about a year or so until I began cooking for a nursing home and while working there began leading worship for a church that eventually brought me on full time on staff. Read more>>

Shela Yu

Yes! I can proudly say that I earn a full-time living from my creative work. In all honesty, if it weren’t for the pandemic, I probably wouldn’t have taken the plunge to work full-time as an artist. Prior to the pandemic, I was a massage therapist who believed that I could only be of service to others through direct contact. I have learned, however that there is a power to creative service; that art has a huge place in the healing of our society. Read more>>

Emily Sierra

I am super proud to earn a full-time living from my creative work. Do I have full benefits and sit on heaps of cash? Not really, but I do work hard and am constantly seeking the best work-life balance possible. Accepting photo jobs started with a gig here and there. When I started getting more serious about shooting photos, I changed jobs in 2016 to allow for more flexibility to take photo work while still making a baseline income. In 2018 I went full-time freelance, which was scary at first, but now I am comfortable with the ebbs and flows of business. Making a living from creative work is not for everyone, but hard work and being smart financially make it totally possible. Read more>>

 J. Adam McGalliard

Earning a living solely from creative work as an artist is not easy, but it is possible for those that pursue it with focused determination. To be successful financially, an artist must juggle many different roles that are generally at odds with one another. It has taken me many years to fully accept the fact that being an artist is a business. The hard truth is that it’s simply not enough to create and then wait for people to knock on your studio door. Artists must fill the role of the Visionary, CEO, CFO, R & D, Production, and the entire Marketing Department. Read more>>

Gina Machovina

I was 50 years old when my my musical passion finally became my full-time work. What a blessing to now have all day and all night available for playing and singing. I reside in a tourist town that has 5 million visitors a year. Music is a big part of the community, so there are art fairs, wine tasting venues, restaurants, farmer’s markets, film festivals, and resorts, all desiring entertainment. Having moved here to Sedona, AZ seven years ago, I am now playing 25 plus gigs per month, often 2 in one day. Read more>>

Marlon Torres

Freelance life is not easy, especially early on in your career. I remember talking to an art professor in college and he told me that the likely hood of making a good living as an artist is less than 1%. I think a lot of creatives think that all you need is exceptional talent and drive to be a full time artist but what I learned is you need to think of yourself as a business. I believe what separates a successful freelance artist compared to a hobbyist is that they have that business/entrepreneur part of their brain. Read more>>

Billy Walsh

I’ve been earning a living from my creative work for many years now. It started with a pen and ink fish design that I created for fun, based on my own take on a style I learned back in high school, which emphasized light without gradients or shading. I casually posted it online and got a lot of inquiries about it for a wide range of purposes. Read more>>