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.

Zach and Corinne

Yes, we donate $1 for every Manitou Incline Coin sold to the non-profit Incline Friends. Incline Friends conducts trail maintenance on The Incline which was a great way for us to help assist in the preservation of the trail. Read more>>

Keenan Wilson

Earning a full-time living doing creative work can be very complicated. I am a model/actor and social media influencer so I do not receive a weekly or bi-weekly paycheck. While the pay can be great for certain jobs, you really have to manage your money. I currently create content on popular social media sites as well as starring in national commercials, print jobs, and independent films. Read more>>

Thomas Colohan

Over the course of my career, I have developed three key insights about making full time living in the arts. First, rather than a “big break” appearing that changed everything, there were a series of crucial “small breaks” that moved my career forward. In each case I was willing and ready to take risks to seize those opportunities. when they came along. Read more>>

Tammi Brazee

Several events happened in the last couple of years that changed my course. I finally moved into and am working in a fully functioning studio with heat, plenty of space, good light, and running water. It’s amazing how a working studio changes everything! Since graduation from grad school, I’ve worked in a basement, a garage, a yurt (where I only had 2 hours of good light coming through the sky dome daily), the back of my car, and in a camper. Read more>>

Joshua Fishbein

Earning a full time living from my craft… That’s the actual dream! It was never about being a star or celebrity or money or anything like that. It has always been about just making a living without having to do any side gigs, which I’ve had to do plenty of. Read more>>

Suzy Eaton

Yes, I have been able to make a very nice living using my creativity. I have always been artistic. After working in basic everyday jobs, I knew I couldn’t be happy unless I did something I liked to do. I started painting for people as a side gig. I painted wall murals and faux finishes over the years while working other day jobs. I also learned graphic design so I could be more creative. Read more>>

Jordan Ann Martone

“Cool, you play the violin. But how do you make a living?” It’s a valid question and also probably the one I get the most in my career. They don’t teach classes on this in college, wouldn’t that be valuable? Read more>>

Yin Fu

Yes, I have. My interest in the arts has been with me since a young age. When it came time to choose my major in college, I opted for animation. Even though my parents believed that a career in the arts might not provide a stable livelihood, I engaged in a years-long struggle to pursue my passion. Eventually, their resistance yielded to my persistence. Read more>>

SheRon Knight

Earning a full-time living would be a dream come true. Achieving my creative goals, having more time to brainstorm, and creating amazing content for the world to see. With my current position in law enforcement, I’m not always able to give my time to my creative side due to the demands of my field of work. The goal is to wake up, create content, inspire others, and create a positive atmosphere for everyone to learn and thrive in. Read more>>

Des Grayv

When it comes to my journey as a creative, I had to read the interview questions multiple times, just to ensure I responded in the best way possible. My creative career started at a time when social media wasn’t as prevalent as it is now. Although I wasn’t entirely focused on it back then, my main goal was to build a strong portfolio to attract the artists I wanted to collaborate with. Read more>>

Drew Cole

Being a full-time musician in Los Angeles doesn’t come without it’s struggles, that’s for sure. I’ve been playing music full-time for about 5 years now. I play at small venues, restaurants, corporate, and pop-up events. It took me years to realize my value as a live performer. I would play for little to no pay because I just wanted to play. Read more>>

Bree Ahern

There’s never a dull moment in the life of a freelancer! Earning a full-time living while finding a sustainable work life balance is an ever-constant challenge in a freelancer’s life, and there’s no perfect answer for one individual. Straight out of my master’s degree, I intentionally had a year of saying “yes” to every musical opportunity and taught and performed constantly, without a day off. Read more>>

Carla Harris

am able to earn a living from my creative work; however, it requires quite a bit of strategy and diligence. The key, for me, has been establishing multiple streams of income. I am not able to rely solely on art sales. Over the years I’ve leaned into commercial art, public art, curating, commissions and art direction. Read more>>

Krystal King

With a classic sound, freckled face, and a full heart, rising country artist, Krystal King, brings a voice to Nashville that we have all needed. Originally from Hickory, NC, Krystal King has a fresh take on a true country sound, combining raw and emotionally laced vocals with vivid, imagery infused songwriting. Read more>>

Mackenzie Cornwall

My journey in the visual arts started in middle school in Los Angeles, California. Being so close to such a large, creative scene I spent a lot of my time being an extra in film and television. This strengthened my passion for the visual arts and it was then I realize that I wanted to work in a creative field such as this. In high school and college, I studied video production and wanted to be a Director or Cinematographer. Read more>>

Elena Aleksandraviciute

For the last 3 years I have been able to earn a full-time living from creative work through Ellenfinds Creative Media Inc. I didn’t start slow by dipping my toes in, I started out strong by diving right in. It was overwhelming and it turned my world upside down in the best possible way. Read more>>

Simon Cherkasski

It’s not easy for an artist to convert his artwork into a product, especially psychologically. Artists create artwork from a desire for creation and the feel of beauty and harmony, and converting all this into a desirable product for sale is a big compromise for the best majority of creators. You are required to create artwork that is in demand instead of what you have in mind and soul. Read more>>

Wendy Klemperer

Like most artists, I had many jobs to support myself after art school: teaching art in the public schools, working in some metal fabrication shops, scenic painting for film and commercial, and my mainstay, 12 years of waitressing and bartending. Once in a while someone bought a piece, but it wasn’t until I started showing work outside of New York that I began to sell more steadily. I was in a group show in – of all places- Johnson City, Tennessee and sold some small sculptures. Read more>>

Josh Wei

Yes, I’m fortunate to be able to do what I do full-time for a living. Read more>>

Darcy Bly

After nearly seven years as a full-time Videographer & Photographer, I am earning a living through my creative work. Years 1-3 were the building phase. Building a business while navigating the industry and by year 4 I was fully committed to the craft, earning a six-figure salary. Read more>>

Xiaodie Huang

n my case, earning full-time living as a graphic designer is not an easy path. I started studying Graphic Design out of pure enthusiasm and interest in the subject. It’s an ongoing learning process for me. Read more>>

Kate Merrill

Yes! I earn a full time living from my photography business. But, it took years to get to that point. Read more>>

Preston Miller

I did this as a hobby during my military, and once I retired, I got an LLC and started it full-time from my house. It tasks a lot of work, finding out how to price everything and how the taxes work. I got a little head start because I did this already in the Army and had income coming in. But once I did it full-time, every month can be different. Read more>>

Mykaela Shoaf

I am not going to lie, it is extremely hard to earn a full-time living from creative work. In order to be successful, you have to be extremely dedicated and diversified. You must constantly be marketing yourself through word-of-mouth, social media, and different freelance websites. While you should focus mostly on what you are most passionate about creating, you should also be open to taking gigs that may not be your exact field of expertise. This not only helps you make money but further expands your work experience. Read more>>

Steven Salgado

Indeed, achieving a sustainable full-time livelihood through my creative endeavors has been a gradual process, rather than an instantaneous achievement. My success is not attributed to a solitary creative venture, but rather to my engagement across a spectrum of creative disciplines. As an actor, filmmaker, video content creator and an acting instructor, among other roles, it is the amalgamation of these multifaceted pursuits that furnishes me with the means to sustain myself. Read more>>

Enda Scahill

Being Irish and a creative is an oddly double edged sword. Irish music is an incredibly well valued and deeply resourced niche abroad, but not so in Ireland. Being Irish brings great advantages when it comes to opening doors across the world, but it also carries the weight of expectation of the struggling artist, the impoverished soul. Read more>>

Chris McElroy

Earning a living as a film composer comes down to where you are developmentally in your career. The crux of your living across your lifetime comes in the form of royalties, but this is not a luxury someone young can take advantage of. Often in the beginning you give your time in the form of being an assistant in return for getting time and opportunity to write for things and build a royalty stream. Read more>>

Antony Ware

Earning a living off of your creative work is definitely not always easy. Doing this is something that I always wanted to do, but I was extremely afraid to take that risk until this past year. I got to a point where I felt that i was dying inside by not fully exploring my passions. It is one thing to live comfortably but it is another to live LIFE! I was put into a position where I had to choose my full time “big boy” job or shooting a film in New Orleans. Read more>>

Sandra Duran Wilson

Hallmark cards had nothing on me as a 6-year-old card designer. That is where I got my start, that, and painting with my great aunt, Santa Duran. I even had my own oil paints and brushes. I grew up with artists as role models. Read more>>

Magali Wuarin

I am so grateful to be able to earn a full-time living from my jewelry work. Since my business became official in December of 2015, my progress has more so been measured by an ongoing series of mini milestones rather than any major steps. These mini milestones come in a plethora of different forms: creating new bodies of work, reaching new financial benchmarks, reaching new followers on social media, ironing out the tax process more each year, selling to new wholesale accounts, hiring help, adding to my retirement savings, etc. Read more>>

David D’Angelo

Earning a living through one’s creative expertise can often be a challenge, especially in the music industry. However, when it came to determining that I would make this my career, that was the easy part. I have always loved music! Read more>>

Blair Bai

I have a decade of experience in the field of film. A significant portion of this time was dedicated to education, as I attended both undergraduate and graduate film schools. Throughout my journey, I’ve taken on a variety of roles including screenwriting, project development, producing, camera work, teaching assistance, editing, and assistant directing. Read more>>

Tiffany Franklin

definitely have been able to earn a full time living from being a full time professional makeup artist. It hasn’t always been easy to gain clientele on the beauty industry. I’m on a field where it’s forever evolving and growing. Since 2006 my ultimate love for cosmetics has grown into a passion to work full time one day. Read more>>

Darien Martus

I was hired by my choir director to play the organ for early masses while my older brother sang the chants and responses. I was 10 years old! I had to stand to reach some of the keys and pedals! At 16, I started playing guitar and singing at weddings. I did have other jobs that weren’t directly related to music but wait…everything is related to music! Read more>>

RAHA DABIRI

I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work! I went to school at California State University, Fullerton, studied Entertainment Arts/Animation for 5 years. After MANY applications. and MANY rejections, I scored an internship at DreamWorks! After my internship, and after more applications and rejections I got an opportunity to be a Production Assistant on Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. Read more>>

Joel Pierson

No teacher or course ever really prepared me to be a full-time artist. I struggled with how to achieve my goals for years, but at some point had a powerful realization: to be an artist in today’s world means to be an entrepreneur, and the product is myself. When I learned to sell myself like a startup pitches their product, I started convincing more people of my value. Read more>>

Tim Smith

I have been lucky enough to just recently take the leap in to my full time artist career. It did not come easy or quickly by any means and it has only been a little over a year. I have learned a lot about myself, the art business, what my time is really worth, and how to have a healthy work life balance. However, it is always evolving. My journey began 8 years ago when I picked up a pencil for the first time since high school. Read more>>

Alexander Ray

Since moving to Los Angeles 3 years ago, I’ve done nothing but work in front of and behind the camera. Read more>>

Ryan Reveles

Being a creative is who I am, its apart of my identity. if I don’t have an active project I’m working on, I get stir crazy. my mind is always inspired by something, whether it’s things I come across or ideas I come up with myself, my imagination is like a wild horse that I rope and try to reign. completed projects are those moments when that horse (my imagination) and myself, ride in synchronicity and create a work of art. whether I’m working on a commission or just drawing for the sake of creating, it will always be a part of my life. Read more>>