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.
Jernej Bervar
I’ve been a professional musician since a very young age (around 14). Had a very cool progressive punk rock band called Low Value at the time. Although we were very young, we already toured extensively in Europe and played tons of really cool Festivals. We released two records in Japan, and had tons of fun as you can imagine. from there, i knew i was going to to pursue music profesionaly. After high school i studied Jazz and pop guitar at The Klagenfurt Conservatory in Austria. During my studies i also applied to Berklee College of music in Boston- and got a scholarship. After Graduating i came to the states in 2012. I already toured a lot during my studies, and played nationally and also in Asia, Europe and Africa. I also couldn’t attend my graduation ceremony, because i was on a tour at the time. when i got back to Usa, i decided to move to Nyc where i still reside and work. Being involved in music scene at such a young age, it definitely gave me tons of experience and bag of tricks, that i still use to this day. But as any Job- the persistence and hard work is the road to success. Read more>>
Gerald Rivers
Yes, I own my own Business, called Message Media Group and I use it as an umbrella for all my creative endeavors. I earn most of my living as a Voice Over Artist. I have a broadcast quality recording studio/booth in my home. I have agents and managers and clients who keep me busy. Income from this helps to make other creative ventures possible. I am a classically trained actor working on stage in Shakespeare, classical and contemporary plays as well as new works as a professional working under union contracts as an actor and a director. I work with young people using West African drumming to teach bigger, creative, life lessons of self discipline, self respect, self esteem and practicing peace, love and positivity. I am also a public speaker who uses the words, works and inspiration of the late, great, Rev, Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. to inspire people to live their best life, contribute positively and creatively to society, to do and be their best, to have compassion for others and to fight for justice and equality for all. Read more>>
Tim Tate
I have been making my living full time as an artist for more than 20 years at the Washington Glass School. Our first class was on 9/13/2001. We were so very worried after 9/11, but everyone showed for the class and begged us to keep the school open. It seems that challenging times were very encouraging with the creation of art Read more>>
Ismael Martinez
I’m a full time creator. I quit my 9 to 5 in 2018 and now I make content for myself and for business. All this is possible because my followers. They’re support has caught the eyes of businesses and brands and I’ve been able to make this my job. Read more>>
Patrick Arthur Jackson
When I first entered my field, my view of potential work and projects was limited: I went to school for theatre, I’ll act. What I never considered was WHY I loved the art of storytelling and HOW I could combine my passion for storytelling with cultural and community connections. In 2020, when COVID removed my more traditional ways of exploring my creativity. I did what most did and pivoted, and discovered that a degree in theatre gave me a unique set of skills to be an asset in the virtual world we found ourselves in. I worked part time as a contracted social media and branding consultant and spent the rest of my time as the Director of Technology and Media for Today’s Church Tampa Bay and The Church of the Everlasting Kingdom. Between 2020 and 2021, I produced more than 100 virtual events, programs and services, including several virtual conferences. Read more>>
Joseph Chadwick
As a teen I was part of a highschool scholarship program that helped kids develop video/editing skills but was kind of left on my own to figure it out. From there I went to LIU Post where I earned a film degree but truthfully I don’t know if I ever wanted to be on movie sets, but rather be in the short form video side, and thats where Instagram and all those social media platforms began to sway towards it. Read more>>
Carli Hobson
I first picked up a camera when I was a junior in high school. I quickly fell in love with the process of creating beautiful photographs, but even more than that I quickly fell in love with the process of being an entrepreneur. But anyone who has started a business knows, its not easy at the start. Especially in the creative world. Read more>>
Adriane Robinson
When I met Marco in 2012, he was taking headshots for our classmates and professors for only $40. His work was far superior to that of any student I had ever seen, and I knew he had the makings of something much bigger. I expressed to him that I didn’t believe he was charging anywhere near what he was worth, and he seemed to agree. Over the course of the next month, I had built him a website and an instagram to reflect his natural talent, and increase the amount of clients coming in. Once I started taking over scheduling and client contact, our business started to grow in a major way. Not only were we catering to the university’s population, but we started branching out to actors and professionals all over Colorado. Since then, we have been able to support ourselves full time with our photography. Having the confidence to branch out to different styles of photography also helped increase our revenue. It was only a matter of time before I decided to pick up a camera and teach myself the ropes as well so we could capture weddings and events as a team. Our climb to financial stability was pretty steady once I set up our online presence – after all, photography is a visual medium, and clients will only find you if they can see your portfolio. Read more>>
Elody Gyekis
“It takes creativity to make a creative career work”. I like to tell this to creatives that are trying to make the switch to earning a living from their creative work. It is not like most professions where there are specific credentials and a tried and true path to get there. In the creative world, we each have to forge our own path and cobble together our own existence. I also like to tell people not to expect their most creative work to support them financially right away, and that having multiple income streams is usually a good idea. I earn a full-time living from a variety of types of creative work that engage my artistic side to various levels. I have made a living as an artist for almost twenty years now, and it has been exciting and challenging and multifaceted from day 1. I teach classes and workshops, I do large scale public art commissions that engage community, and I do not turn up my nose at the occasional pet portrait or logo design. I also make my own artwork that I exhibit and sell at galleries and other venues. That final category has never been all of my income, but the percentage of the different kinds of work ebb and flow. It works for me, I love my life, and I love being employed and expressing my creativity. I also enjoy the diversity of my work. Read more>>
Chelsea Sule
Yes, I have been self supporting for a total of 10 years on my creative work. I spent 5 years at a corporate job from 2016-2021, but transitioned back to full time artist during the pandemic. I didnt originally seek to support myself this way, my career started as a hobby, then a side hustle while I was in college. After graduation, I found a full time job as a makeup artist, and went freelance while bartending. I quit all other jobs in 2012 and worked as a full time freelance makeup artist up until 2016 when I was offered my job managing artists. The steps and milestones were always subtle to begin with, and then as I became busier, I was “forced out of my nest” as I was no longer able to keep a boss happy with my schedule commitments due to my freelance career taking off. Read more>>
Nikki Carmela Peters
Working full time as a creative is a constant challenge, but also extremely rewarding. There are pro’s and con’s of course, but mainly you need have thick skin and be as level headed as one can be. Maintaining mental agility is key. In my younger years, i had tried many avenues of making an income, such as, desk job, waitress, store employee etc. None of these filled my soul and began to cripple me mentally and emotionally. I will always thank my dad for being the one that first told me “You are too creative to sit behind a desk, go pursue your passions.” That was the push I needed to truly follow my dreams. I feel as though fear of the unknown and rejection can often hold people back from truly reaching their “next”. But hey, if it were easy than everyone would do it. I never shy away from a challenge especially when it comes to reaching my goals and overall growth as a human being. This is also true with my career as a multi demential artist and running a production company. Read more>>
Greg Fortune
My parents met in Frankfurt Germany, while both were serving in the U.S. Army. While growing up, I was told that we couldn’t afford music lessons and I wasn’t able to purchase my first guitar until graduating from high school, so for a musician, that’s a rather late start. To my parents, music and art were hobbies not a profession. I was encouraged to become an engineer and eventually earn a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. I designed and outfitted my first recording studios, while working full-time in a very demanding career. All the while, pursuing songwriting, recording original songs and eventually performing as time permitted. As the job became more demanding and extra hours, including weekends, became required to meet demands, it became very clear to me that the time had come to make a decision. I’ve never believed that one could excel at something, while keeping it a part-time hobby and with job demands taking away any time reserved for creative pursuits, I left the corporate life behind. Although a risk, I became a full-time musician roughly a year before the pandemic. For several months. during the pandemic, there was no work to be had for performing musicians, but after a few years and hundreds of performances, there is nothing more satisfying than being able to pay my way as a professional musician and artist. Although the hours are just as long and the demands are great, I am excited and able to test my limits and continue to grow in a profession that I not only love, but allows me to be my authentic self! Read more>>
Claire Ryser
From a young age, I knew I wanted to make a full-time living from my own creative work. While I’m currently a success story and have been since 2010, making profitability a reality was initially grueling, and still requires constant focus. Read more>>
Bryan Rowe
I’ve been fortunate enough to earn a full-time living from my photography but it took a while to ramp up to that and even when you feel ready it still takes time and patience to build your clients, audience and network. Trying to be patient when the work isn’t flowing, and to keep on creating during that time can definitely be a challenge but trying to just be persistent and soldier on during those times has helped. I believe a huge key is to keep on creating work you love doing even when you’re not getting paid for it. Read more>>
Derek Carpenter
The greatest lesson I have learned, which has helped me get established as a professional artist, is to align the art mission with charitable activities by giving and donating. This enables the artist to get profound satisfaction, strike good relationships, and ride very big waves. Read more>>
Isabela Escobar
For many of us, it takes quite a few different activities to be able to earn a full living wage that is sustainable. For me specifically it’s a combination of selling art pieces, social media income, taking commissions, making merchandise, having online stores, doing markets and comic conventions and participating in open calls for public art, contests or project proposals. Read more>>
Raheem Nelson
I am in a transitional period at the moment. I’m on the cusp of getting a job in the arts at the moment that will support my art career. I’m not a full time creative entrepreneur yet but I’ve achieved a lot in the past year. The biggest commissions I’ve ever received and acclaim in my city of New Haven and being able to see my artwork on a billboard in Times Square. Read more>>
Emily Werner
I was the friend in my friends group that always had a camera in my hand, so photography was always my favorite hobby as a kid and young adult, but I never imagined it as a career! Read more>>
Jasmine Woodson
I just recently recognized that I am making a full-time living off of my creative work. I added up how much I’ve made this year from my work alone and it equaled the amount that I was making in corporate. I had my head down, focused and in “survival mode” since I started, just hoping I made enough money month to month to cover expenses, that I didn’t realize that I was actually running a legit business. On day one, I simply created a freelancer website and began to offer social media management packages. I had no idea what to charge or how it would work. I figured things out as I went and my services evolved from just simply “social media management” to encompassing all of my skills and interests and thus turning into becoming a digital creator and offering creative consulting, writing and media relations services. I don’t think the process needed to be sped up at all. I think I needed to slowly evolve, learn, grow and have my exact services, prices and methods grow with me. Read more>>
Akima Kai
I struggled to make a living wage with my photography. Probably people like me will find a way to sell the art online, at art festivals or consignment in the art gallery but I already tried everything and nothing worked. Read more>>
Lydia Leiwang
Absolutely! Unlike the traditional expectations of a creative design profession, I worked as an in-house multimedia designer for my first five years. I worked both at my undergraduate university and an investment bank. The experiences primarily taught me how to strike a balance between client requirements and creative output, and acquire unrelated industry knowledge. This includes understanding the workings of college admissions, financial derivatives, and interactions with department heads or financial analysts, rather than focusing solely on creating designs that are visually captivating. Read more>>
Stephanie Ray
Yes, I have worked very hard to reach this point, but I have been a full time freelance photographer for 11 years! My goal since I started photographing professionally, has always been to make a living and support myself and my family with my business. I was able to accomplish that by working with other photographers and learning as much as possible about all kinds of photography, which has resulted in me becoming a well rounded photographer that is able to photogrpah any job that comes my way. I cannot do this for a living if people don’t hire me! So my number one priority is always bookings and filling my calendar. Over the years, I have built up several streams of revenue. I started out as a contract wedding photographer and built my portfolio and experience up. From there I launched my own Brand as a wedding and portrait photographer, and began advertising at Bridal shows. I found myslef booking dozens of weddings off of every bridal show and I had a lot of success in this genre, shooting 30-40 weddings a year. Then Covid came and the wedding industry came crashing down, then back up again, then down again. 2023 has been an exceptionally bad year for weddings, so in an attempt to stay afloat, I reached out to my network of proffessional photographers for additional work, and boy did they come through for me! Since January, I have returned to my pre covid gross income by restructuring my whole business to focus more on working with other professional photogrpahers and videographers. I second shoot and associate shoot for several other professional photographers for weddings and events, I shoot real estate 2-3 days per week for 2 companies, I still have my own brand that offers full service portrait and wedding photography, and I work with a few production companies shooting stills during their events and commercial productions. My business is my main source of income, but my steady income definitely comes from my work with other professionals. I am so grateful for the relationships I have formed over the years that have brought me to this point. My advice for anyone starting out is not to be intimidated by other photographers! If you can build connections with other photogrpahers you will learn faster, book more, and be more successful overall. Read more>>
Vanessa Colunga
Making a full-time living as an artist is a dream come true for many creatives. I love hearing other people’s stories and am excited to share my own journey. For me, becoming a full-time artist was not an overnight success. It was a gradual process that required careful planning and consideration. I wanted to ensure that I was earning enough money from my artistic endeavors before taking the leap and leaving my “day” job behind. Read more>>
Angelina Villalobos Soto
My journey as a creative has been an incredible growth experience, encompassing various crucial aspects I never imagined. Each new skill I learn opens up new possibilities, allowing my work to evolve in unexpected directions. The realization that I could be a professional artist came during my Microsoft mural project in Redmond. As I painted, it clicked that not only was I doing what I loved, but that I was specifically invited because of my work. They wanted ME. However, even with the support and encouragement from those around me, it took time for me to fully process the potential of making a living through art. The turning point came during the height of COVID when I made the conscious decision to put myself first, and the universe seemed to open up for me immediately after and I realized I had been the one holding me back. Opportunities flowed after, but now I had the time to really put into the work I loved. Since then I’ve worked with clients like Meta, the Seattle Seahawks, Climate Pledge Arena, and more. I’ve learned the importance of celebrating my achievements and taking time to appreciate how far I’ve come rather than always looking for the next opportunity. You’re more fulfilled with this mindset. Read more>>
Anna Pujolras
I was able to earn a full-time living from my creative work relatively quickly because, like a lot of creatives, I didn’t stick to only one skill. So I was able to take jobs all related to the entertainment industry but not specific to one role. I’ve worked as a screenwriter, which is primarily my profession, but I’ve also constantly had the role of script supervisor on set, I’ve produced some events, and I’ve been a production assistant. Screenwriting is a very solitary job, and it wasn’t until I started going on shoots as the script supervisor that I truly started branching out into the industry, networking and fully understanding there are many ways to be a part of the creative process and make a full-time living out of it. Read more>>
Emily Vinyard
I officially started On the Vine Photography in 2020, but I “unofficially” started taking photos around 2015. First graduates, then working into family portraits. I built this into a pretty decent part-time business, and after a few years made the switch to full time while keeping a flexible part-time bartending job. I did that for about two years, then jumped into photography full time. Read more>>
Libby Schwers
I started my business called With Love, Libby in 2020 as a side-hustle while I worked full time at a marketing agency. as a graphic designer. I made soy candles from vintage glassware. I was able to establish a small following by posting on social media, attending craft markets, and making connections with small business owners in my city. Read more>>
Skum Love
I don’t know about full-time, but I’ve always worked in the music business. Started out personal assistant for different musicians on the road. Then I decided to make my own music. it definitely is a business, I do make money from my music but I supplement it with DJ gigs and working for a guitar company. So I guess you can say I do make a living, and I am a full-time artist and professional in the music industry. Read more>>
Jess Brohier
I’ve been working full time as a freelance photographer for 7 years. It began as taking photos of friends for fun, then strangers I would meet in the street. Slowly, I began offering brands I loved but couldn’t afford to trade for clothing which for me was a pretty incredible way to connect with people while building a folio, doing what I loved and to learn how to work with brands and what was involved in semi – commercial photoshoots. Read more>>
Nigel Parry
I began ‘creative’ life as a graphic designer, and after a couple of years I didn’t care so much for the compromise that comes with it. I sought out those that could help me make a change for photography to become my full-time occupation from a hobby. Read more>>
Michael Rodriguez
I was working at a digital marketing agency for about 3 years, while also freelancing on the side. Sometimes the two would cross paths, but I mostly found my clients through Instagram or referrals. Every year, I started to get busier and busier. My work got better and better. And I got more comfortable with the business side of things. Meanwhile, I had been saving up enough living expenses to cover me for about 6 months. So when the time came, I was ready. Read more>>
Sadie Katz
With the WGA/SAG strike the hot topic is artists being able to make a livable wage as a creative. But, I’m going to share (at least from my experience & observations) the thing that all the acting coaches, headshot photographers, casting sites, casting directors, voice coaches, trainers even your agents and managers don’t want you to figure out- acting at the very end of the day is a high demand, low paying gig. It’s as addicting as gambling and most of the time your life will have the same up and down excitement and adrenaline rush. You’ll love it. You’ll hate it. Often you’ll drive your family crazy with wanting to quit and move on with your life only to have an email an hour later letting you know you’re on avail for a commercial and now you’re back to it being the greatest job of your life. I’ve gotten paid twenty grand to do a gig- paid travel, airfare, food AND a fat check! Only to return home back on the grind- not book anything for a few months to then book the lead on a Lifetime gig- ten days for $200 a day. Only two percent of all SAG actors make over forty grand a year. You may be part of that two percent one year and not the next. It’s brutal. Read more>>
Jordan Brett
The short answer, yes, and a lot of it comes from perception (mentality). I worked in office/corporate jobs shortly after high school and I knew I had some form of creativity, but I was too naive and really didn’t invest enough time to explore what it was exactly. I just know that I used to hate working in an office, doing a pointless job on spreadsheets that meant nothing to me. Read more>>
Mark Brockman
The truth is it is very difficult to make a living as a fine artist unless you have a strong business side, which many artists, including myself, do not have. But, and I’m speaking just for myself, it is the creating that is most important, the money has always been secondary. Having said that I do feel I have been very successful in that I have participated in many shows, won awards and have earned the respect of my peers. Read more>>
Alyssa Stormes
I have successfully been making a full time living solely from my creative work for about two years now. There is no good time to make the switch to an alternative lifestyle, but if there was it would’be been 2020. Remote and freelance work was already on the rise, and the timing was crucial for me. It was obviously scary to leave what you might think the only option is, but I still always felt like I could do it. It was attainable for me, and I am so thankful that I advocated for myself and realized I could have the life I wanted and that nourished me and my community. Even though I felt ready to bet on myself, so there was still a lot of trial and error in finding what would contribute to my income each month. I anticipated it being inconsistent, but in the beginning it was REALLY inconsistent, haha. Try your best to really save that first year, and do your research on platforms for finding and presenting work. So many artists have taken the time to share extensive reviews on what works and what doesn’t – learn from them! And don’t try everything at once. I was spreading myself way too thin at the beginning – chasing every opportunity I could across four industries. It wasn’t until I chose film and built on it that I was able to invest my time and money in other pursuits. Read more>>
Haley Watson
I recently heard someone talking about a professor they had in film school who said, “If you don’t want your life to be a roller-coaster of emotions and uncertainty, switch majors.” I would agree with this statement, especially in the context of the film industry. Read more>>
Kosta Lois
It’s often very interesting to me when I get asked this question of earning a full time living doing what I love. Because, in reality, I would have always been doing this work whether it was full time or not! For me, that’s how I arrived at where I am today. And in fact, I’ve worked several an extra job to make money and support the work that I love to do. Mainly things in the service industry like waiting or bartending. However, eventually I’ve established a pretty wide client base that continues to return to me for their music recording, writing, producing and performing needs. I don’t know if I would have sped up the process, because again it’s all about building and working at your craft every day. If I had to go back to any other jobs to support my music, I’d do it all over again. Read more>>
Sciarra
Being an artist and songwriter, I had to find ways to make a living. It lead me to writing for sync, growing my social media, doing brand deals, and learning how to build a business with my passions. Read more>>
Jose J. Najar Olalde
It’s easier said than done. I am super blessed to have the ability and creative mind to help businesses grown through visual marketing. I learn something new about my field everyday. I picture my brand growing to other fields and expanding in the near future. Thanks to all my clientele that make this a reality. Read more>>
Jordan Lucky
Do I feel like I am earning a successful full time living from something that I have to create and build on my own? That is kind of a hard question to answer. Are we ever actually feeling like we are doing it? I mean, the proof is in the pudding. Yes, I totally have been for almost 6 years now, but at the same time there are days, or maybe even weeks where you start to question if you’re making it or not. Now, that comes to personal goals and everything else that an individual holds themself to but, sometimes those thoughts can be incredibly intrusive on your personal growth. At the end of the day, I’ll always feel like I’m making it because I have a few solid years now that tattooing has fully paid for my life, my daughter, our bills, and even being able to treat ourselves. It has been hard sometimes of course, you might have a slower month than the previous year but if your get roped into the stress and worry of that instead of being positive and just sticking to what you know, the rest will come with you. (If you build it, they will come) It sounds super clique, however, just simply believing in yourself and making sure to tell yourself that you’re focused and making the correct moves towards what you want, it will make it easier at the end of the day. You still have to put in the work, you gotta draw when you really don’t feel like it. You gotta wake up at a decent hour and make your bed, you gotta stay on schedule and always make sure that you’re working on your communication with yourself and clients. You gotta push yourself in your personal life to try things that are naturally hard or off putting to yourself, it will make growing in your career that much less scary and even more fun. Read more>>