We’ve seen way too many talented creatives quit because they couldn’t make it work financially. No doubt, the financial challenges of pursuing a creative or artistic career are daunting, but we felt there wasn’t enough discussion around how to make it work. So, we connected with artists and creatives who’ve been able to earn a full time living from their creative work and asked them to share their stories with our readers.

Lamar Harris

It is not the easiest thing to do. Being creative takes work within itself, but earning a consistent living from it takes planning. When I first started out being DJ Nune full time it was a slow process. I had a few gigs but was trying to figure out a way to get more. I had rent, a car payment, and just everyday expenses to deal with. Sometimes the emotional worry of trying to figure that stuff out takes a toll. Read more>>

Matt Rogers

This is the most difficult thing once you decide you want to chase your dreams full time. It is almost overwhelming trying to breakdown all of the number to make it work. I took an unusual path to get here. I was doing my artist thing as sort of a side hustle when I knew if I ever wanted more I would have to pursue it full time and really go for it. I saved as much money as I could in my day job while finding every single way to make money doing what I loved. Read more>>

Yee Lim

I would have never imagined myself being a full-time newborn and family photographer; AKA ‘baby whisperer’! My journey began when I was very young, around 12 years old. I carried a Kodak film camera everywhere I went, and took pictures of anything and everything. My first job working as a newborn photographer was in the hospital; I didn’t become an independent contractor until 6 years later after working for 2 different companies. Read more>>

Sheridan Gates

When I first moved to Nashville 6 years ago, I had a big dream of getting a record deal and touring the world. There is nothing wrong with that! But what I didn’t realize was the investment I was going to have to make in myself not only financially, but also emotionally. I was going to have to get really real with myself to understand my WHY. Why do I make music? Why am I the way I am? Why is my message important? Read more>>

Elaine Burge

I have always had my hand in creative projects since I can remember. I am lucky that I have been able to earn a full time living creating art. It was not like this from day one. I worked over the summers in highschool with a local muralist, I had two jobs in college, one being a mural artist and the other bartending. I painted murals behind miniature train layouts. I don’t know that there is a way that I could have ‘sped it up’. Read more>>

Kenzi Green

I was able to graduate fully self employed in 2019 with my bachelor’s in design. I only made $20,000 my first year as a full time designer & was able to get by utilizing the small savings I had created while freelancing in college. One of the keys to creating a full time living as a creative is NOT giving up even when you have no idea how you’re going to pay your bills. Read more>>

John Hartness

I make a full-time living from my novels, and support my wife and three very needy cats as well. I got very lucky hitting the market at the right time with something that was different than the vast majority of the books out at that time. I published my first novel as an ebook in 2009, with a very modest internet presence as a poker writer and blogger, and published in=progress chapters on my blog to build interest. Read more>>

Christina Gandara Crown of Beauty LLC

Yes I’ve been able to earn a full time living from creating beautiful hair for my wonderful clients. It definitely starts with Trust and building a relationship with clients. Also listening to their hair care needs and desires. Clients want someone easy to talk to and someone to understand them. They want to feel pampered and to feel beautiful. I’ve taken lots of educational classes that has helped me grow into the artist I want to be . Read more>>

Varonica Mitchell

Yes, I have been able to make great money from doing what I love to do and so far it has been amazing. I started off just posting video with my parents to entertain them, because I have always enjoyed making people smile and laugh and with my passion for dance, acting, comedy and entertainment, I fell in love with using my gifts to being joy to others. near and far. My parents would post my creative and inspirational videos on their social media and then one day I created a mini skit called “The Hold My Hand, Read more>>

Tiffany OBrien

The past three or so years I have been earning a modest full-time living from my art. It’s really a dream come true. Recently I have moved and am starting all over in a way. I moved from a very heavy tourist town. I was in a co-op gallery and I did the local farmers’ and artists’ market each week. Every week I had a brand new audience to present my work to. Meeting and establishing relationships with these buyers has been one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. Read more>>

Anahi Arellanes

In June of next year I will celebrate 20 years in the media. I started in Minneapolis Minnesota in 2003 and since then the road has not been easy. I worked hard and knocked on many doors and it was in 2019 when I launched my magazine here in Atlanta. a completely entertainment magazine with which, in addition to publishing everything about entertainment and shows, I have also created great events here in Atlanta where I recognize the work of great personalities of our Latin community Read more>>

Jalen Nelson

I have been a full-time Fashion content creator and Marketing Mentor since mid 2020. It’s crazy because I actually pivoted into these niches, before I was a stylist working a 9-5. I was making income with both but it just wasn’t enough to sustain me and where I wanted to go. I wanted to move into my own place, experience a new chapter, travel and do things that I hadn’t done before. I was living pay cheque to pay cheque and wanted to change my life around. Read more>>

Anna Hashizume

I knew I wanted to be a performer since I was very young and when you’re young, you dream really big! I dreamed of big stages, movie sets, and glamour. I thought that was the measure of being a successful performer. As I got older, my perception of success shifted. I still think I’m a big dreamer, but I think I’m able to balance those dreams with my reality and I’ve struck a happy medium. This is all to say, once I graduated with my masters, my dream was to be a working artist. I wanted to be able to sustain myself with my art. I didn’t want to have to work a job I didn’t love or feel like I had to clock in hours at a place about which I wasn’t passionate. Read more>>

Brandon Flores

For a long time throughout my career as a creative I had to diversify my skills to be able to be as much fully vertically integrated as possible. You plan correctly you’ll get some wins throughout the process but definitely will go through some losses. Each win and loss hitting differently in their own way. Yet Lord blessing I continued to build a foundation to a point I was able to earn some money but nothing to pay the bills. I worked alot of time in different kitchens while in school and doing what I can to flip what I could get. It was never much but you gotta make it shake with what ya got. Read more>>

Austin Coyer

I am officially a full time photographer, but for many years that wasn’t the case. I worked at a movie theatre, I did dishes, I delivered pizza. None of them were particularly enjoyable jobs, but I made it work. When I decided I wanted to pursue photography it started with friends and family. A friend of mine in college knew I was taking a photography class and asked if I could take some photos of him and his girlfriend. Read more>>

Chrys BonnayLewis

Diversification is the name of the game! My business is successful not because I design and create lovely functional porcelain ceramics, but I also teach and offer studio experiences. Offering a mix of products and services is the secret to my successes. Chrys’ Porcelain was created as an inclusive space where creating with clay is the foundation of the business and the studio is open to all that want to learn and create. Read more>>

Amanda Moon

I am happy to say that I am currently working solely as an artist, and earning a living from my creative work. This has always been a dream of mine, and I did not always believe that it was possible. Like many other creative artists, I have had several different part-time jobs throughout my journey to support myself. All of these jobs have helped me get to where I am today. I have worked as a preschool teacher, art teacher, airbrush artist, therapeutic artist in addition to working as a nanny. Read more>>

Ashley Chiang

I am now earning a full time living as an artist. In 2022. Ten years in. And that’s the thing I wish people really knew. Really, I have had a few years of a living wage but I am feeling stable, profitable and like I know where to expend my resources and where not to now in 2022. The first few years were full of thrills and excitement. Wow! People bought $4,000 worth of my art this year! Just so cool. Read more>>

Carrie Cameron

When I was a teenager, I wanted and needed money to get by in life. My parents always did what they could and were always as generous as they could be. There were always people that loved my artwork and asked me to draw things for them. I would eventually just ask for $5, $10. That eventually led me to buying more art supplies and learning more ways to create different pieces of art. My parents gave me an airbrush for xmas one year, I believe 2003/2004. Read more>>

Alex Koebke

I graduated from film school in June, and for awhile I wasn’t sure how easy it was to find consistent work in the film industry. I had moved to Atlanta to finish my last term at SCAD, and before then I’d only been paid for film work on one other occasion – a low budget short film that paid me under the table, and though it was great experience it didn’t lead to any further work. Atlanta seemed like the best decision because I’d be able to finish school and, unlike Virginia where I grew up, Read more>>

Laura Stamper

I have been fortunate to be able to support myself through my art for over 30 years. I think there are a few key elements that have allowed me to do this. First is the understanding that creativity is not static. Being willing to always learn new things and the understanding that reinvention is crucial have been paramount in my artistic journey. Secondly, failure is part of the process. There are so may things that I have worked on, that never made it far enough for anyone to see. Read more>>

NaTania Parker

I would like to say I’ve been lucky to be able to make my living this way, but luck has nothing to do with it, it’s because of how hard I work. My love for being creative and my hate for “regular” jobs come together to make sure I earn my living creatively. Now in most cases that includes multiple projects at a time, but I carefully make sure they all lend to my artistry in some form or fashion. I graduated from a performing arts conservatory just last year. However, I wasn’t your average fresh grad. Read more>>

Cameron cottrell

I haven’t been able to earn a full-time earning just yet, i understand its a process to get to that point but thats my goal is to do what i love full time, but i will not quit and i will continue to work my day job until then Read more>>

Shyann Brinson

I started off doing photography in 2015, my first ever shoots were of friends and relatives out of my house. I finally decided to take photography a little more seriously after changing my major in college from nursing to fine arts. in 2018 I officially established my business and got my first ever studio. Photography was always my side gig, I would shoot durning any free time I had. In 2021 I decided to give photography a shot full time, but shortly ventured into the filed of teacher. Read more>>

Steve Rudzinski

Between creating indie films and acting it’s a dream come true to be able to earn a living to create and make people smile. It took a few years of keeping at it but thanks to CarousHELL and the Meowy Chronicles helping establish me, I finally feel like a success. There is certainly some give and take when it comes to how much I make has artistic reasoning versions marketability for financial reasons, but I think I walk a solid path of both. Read more>>

Lisa McCormick

Working for yourself is weird in a lot of ways. When I say that I’m a freelance illustrator, it feels like most people have this perception that I don’t have a real job or don’t make any money. There’s also a perception that being a freelancer is sort of a lazy way out of a “real career” and that people think I probably work a few hours a day and get to just doodle whatever I want and that’s that. The irony is that neither of those perceptions are even close to the truth. But, I get it. It’s hard to understand someone’s work experience without having gone through it yourself. I wonder how many people’s jobs I’ve misunderstood… Read more>>

2Digh4

We have definitely been able to earn a full time living doing what we do, whether it be releasing new original songs into the world, performing live shows, or building a business from the ground up. Sure, there have been obstacles we have faced and sacrifices that we’ve had to make in order to pursue our full time career in music, but we like to think of it as paying our dues for something we wouldn’t want to live without instead of working for someone else who is making all the money while we grind for them. Read more>>

Bianca Jenkins

I’m blessed to say I am a full-time creative. This is something I truly never thought possible, and while I am still at the very beginning of my journey, I can honestly say the last 5 years have been life changing. There is no perfect way for someone to make their creative dreams come true, and let me tell you it isn’t easy. When you are on your creative journey you have to be prepared to take risks, put yourself out there, and know that you will have some high highs as well as low lows. Despite it all, you have to keep goings. Being consistent is really the only way to see success in field. Read more>>

David Wilson

Before I realized that graphic design could be a “real” job (this was in 2004 or so) I had an inkling that I didn’t want a normal day job—the type of job I thought would be doing the same thing every day, over and over. So, when I stumbled into the world of graphic design I thought “if I’m going to do something every day for the rest of my life at least the projects and clients and subject matter will change.” Read more>>

Jenny Hahn

I took a big leap of faith eleven years ago when I left my steady day job as a graphic designer and entered the world of self-employment as a visual artist. My letter of resignation traveled with me each day in my backpack for almost two years before I had the courage to make the decision final! Leaving the office for the last time I was filled with exhilaration, only to have nightmares later that night with dreams of flying a plane with no wings — bracing for what felt like an inevitable crash. Over time I found truth in the quote: “leap and grow wings on the way down.” Read more>>

Ardith Goodwin

I actually make an amazing living running my creativity and fine art business but it didn’t happen overnight. I was actually on full disability due to a lot of medical struggles and turned to art as part of my treatment plan. I quickly realized that using my creativity and the arts held a key to my healing journey and I had a gift for visual transfer. This led me to the passion of working hard to give my body a chance to heal. Read more>>

Luke Haynes

I have been a full-time quilt artist for 15 years. The critical thing to know is that there are a LOT of ways to understand “Full-time”. I have lived in 10 states in those years and in places such as a bus and a garage and on a llama ranch all the while making quilts as the way to feed and house myself. BUT there was also the work on the farm or the help on a home renovation project that filled in the gaps for rent and creature comforts. Read more>>

Brian Hoffman

I came from a small town in North Dakota. Actually grew up on a farm. From as long as I can remember I had chores that I did on that farm and was paid a small allowance in return for my hard work so I learned the value of a dollar early on in life. While growing up I never really had a specific goal in mind as far as my career was concerned. Spent most of my adulthood doing manual labor including but not limited to farming, welding in the oilfields of ND, digging ditches, building fences and eventually becoming an over-the-road truck driver. Read more>>

Adan Bautista

I fortunately am able to earn a full time living from my creative work as a make up artist and stylist. At first, it was not easy letting go of an industry that shaped and gave me customer service skills and confidence to be a leader and to pursue my passion. I worked in the hospitality industry for over 12 years. The transition to work as a full time artist made me realize the needs of companies and individuals that wanted to elevate their professional image and brand. That became my niche. . Read more>>

Deanna Martinez-Bey

I am a 14-time published author and always enjoyed the aspect of creating on social media. In 2018, I started offering social media management services for authors. In 2021, I started pitching articles and columns to magazines. I have been a blogger since 2009, but in 2022, I made the switch to WordPress and am making a go of that as well. Between all four, I make a living working for myself. Read more>>

Brian Kuhlmann

I started as a yearbook photographer for my high school, and the local newspaper published this action shot I took of someone scoring a goal during a soccer game. . Someone reached out after seeing the photo to hire me, and I loved how that felt. I immediately sought out additional clients, and started photographing weddings. Wedding photographers are always in demand, and it was a great way to get experience, but ultimately it wasn’t the type of work I enjoyed whole-heartedly. Read more>>

Isaac Cole

This is the goal that I’m working hard to accomplish. I was making a living doing music with my first full time job as a Utility musician at Dollywood Theme park. I really enjoyed being a part of the “Back Porch Band”. The. I sustained a serious injury to my left wrist as a result of a fall where I landed on glass that damaged an artery, and required emergency surgery. It took about half a year to recover from it, and then Co-vid hit and I no longer had a job to go back to. Read more>>

Jeffrey Day

I always had a fantasy of one day performing as a magician, I never thought I would actually be doing it. I had a good paying job, but I was also performing the odd magic gig now and then. One day, I decided to take that “leap of faith” and give working as a magician full-time a try. If I had not had a good amount saved up it probably wouldn’t have worked. It took several years before I was actually earning a good living off my shows. Just when I was not expecting it, COVID hit and that put a stop to just about everything. Those 18 months that followed were very difficult. Read more>>

Victoria Griffin

To make a living from my creative work, I had to learn to apply my creative thinking to more than just writing. Since I was very young, I knew I wanted to write fiction, but I was realistic enough to understand that I would need another source of income. None of the cookie-cutter paths were right for me, and after school, I had no preplanned road to travel. But I applied my skills to become a freelance editor. Read more>>

Kaleb Mitchell

I have been earning a full time living doing creative work. It began during the pandemic. Prior to covid I was working three jobs. After I lost all three I began brainstorming on what to do next until I could work again. I always wanted to make films, so I decided to find a way to bring income. Thats when we started Mitchell Media Team. From day one it was terrifying. Trying to create a brand, trying to figure out how to be of service to to others who need video, and essentially figuring out what kinds of video work we would be open to. If I were to go back and do it now. I would definitely brand ourselves sooner. Read more>>