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.
Warren David
I’ve been working in music full-time since 2009. Upon moving to Nashville in January of 2011, I interned at Recording Studio. Being the first one to the studio, the last to leave, and saying “yes, I can help with that” were the key elements that snowballed into more work. My availability at the studio exposed me to more opportunities while my attitude and. character kept me at the top of peoples’ minds. Read more>>
Kayla Rice
I graduated from Syracuse University in 2013 with a B.S. in Photojournalism and I’ve been lucky to have held jobs in the field in various forms since then. I started off working as a photographer and multimedia editor for a small newspaper in Southern Vermont (The Brattleboro Reformer) from 2013-2015. I always thought that I would stay in the news and journalism world, but that changed when I was looking for work in New York City and applied for a job in sports. Read more>>
Abby Flynn
I kind of listlessly went through high school and college, not knowing what I wanted to do for a living. After graduating from college, I went into the music industry, then tech, then publishing. But it never really felt like I fit anywhere. I desperately wanted to do a creative job but still make enough to live. Read more>>
Lana Guerra
yes, i started as a teen painting portraits for people, i have had a lot of different creative jobs, all self employed. for a good 15 to 20 years i was a hairstylist, so i could get up and go where ever i wanted,i did a lot of big hair extensions & was in a lot of magazines, books when i lived in nyc. i would still paint and be in art shows. the hair led into crazy wig making from being in the fashion world and my wigs started turning more into art pieces, like 6 foot long octopuses, hairplanes (like airplanes but hair). Read more>>
Brandon Coleman
I have to say, I’m super grateful to have made a respectable living thus far from music. When I was much much younger and fantasizing about being a professional musician, the overarching thought was that you would have to be super famous to earn a decent wage, or take on a full-time teaching job for the benefits, etc. Read more>>
Caity Gyorgy
I am so fortunate and thrilled to be earning a full time living from being a musician! My income comes from many different places, which helps me to live my dream lifestyle as a recording artist and touring musician. Read more>>
Keenan Daniels
Yes I’ve been able to earn a six-figure income working for myself since 2015. It has really been a blessing. My wife and I got married in 2004 and things got off to a Rocky start. We’ve experienced many financial hardships so to be able to utilize my gifts and talents to create a strong source of income has been life-changing to say the least. Coming straight out of high school I began working for a company here in Chattanooga Tennessee. Read more>>
Diane West
I feel incredibly fortunate to have carved out a successful career in the arts. It has been my full time job for almost 20 years, but the first 10 of that journey were pretty slim. I am a self-taught jeweler and the first time I picked up a torch I absolutely fell in love with it. At the time I had 3 other jobs – substitute teaching, doing part-time counseling work for an adoption agency and trying to get a gemstone business off the ground. Read more>>
Julie Jennings
I was in high school and I was making clothing, casual resort type of clothes for men and women and painting tropical themes on the fabric. I painted shells, fish, palm trees/sunsets, and the biggest seller was the surfing themed mens shirts with big waves of Hawaii. This is when I knew that I wanted a profession in the fiber arts. Read more>>
Cassidy Croot
I have been able to earn a full-time living from my photography business. It was definitely not that way to start, but once I learned the difference between working as a hobbyist or a “side-hustle” to making this my career it was much easier. I started photography as a hobby and took a few low paying sessions a month – for fun, creativity, and to make a little extra pocket cash. I was nervous to take the leap as I was 21 at the time and was not fully aware of what it would take to run a real business. Read more>>
Christine Juhas
Making videos as a content creator started as a way to make people laugh and also to utilize my creativity and turn all my ideas into actual finished products and content. That still is the #1 overall goal but about a month after my video went viral I did start to realize there were many avenues to make money as a content creator. There are brand deals, merch products, YouTube ad sense money, etc. Read more>>
Srvent (Spencer Richcard)
A bit of context: Before I made a living as a filmmaker (www.srventfreelance.com) I didn’t even know it was possible. I was pursuing my creative passions as an aspiring author and self-produced rap artist while working a joe-job on the side. Read more>>
Kelly Dunn
Yes! I am reminded constantly how lucky I am to do this. Read more>>
Mista Caswell
I have always loved and enjoyed taking pictures! When I was in middle school my sister and I got our first digital cameras for Christmas. We would get all ready, do our hair and makeup and take photos of each other all the time! It wasn’t until high school when I got a little bit of a nicer camera. Read more>>
Mick Burson
I have hit the 12th anniversary of surviving off my work. The question of how it works is still a mystery to me, at this point I just rely on the history to give me hope for the future. I made the decision that I was going to be a full-time working artist and I am still figuring out what that means and what that feels like. I make money from painting murals, painting signs, house-call tattoos, and selling work through a gallery. Read more>>
Melissa and Marc Tantillo
October 1st of 2020 was the launch date of our business. Date night was always experiencing a new restaurant. We started to realize that many of the restaurant’s Instagram accounts or websites did not do the actual dining experiences we were having justice. Read more>>
Tara Tucker
Yes, I’ve been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work, and when I look back over my life, I’ve earned from my creativity often. Before starting my coaching and publishing business, I was a full-time hairstylist. I thought that would be my life’s work, and I was genuinely content to live in that space, creating hairstyles and making men, women, and children happy; when you look good, you feel good. Read more>>
Janky Dood
As of June 2022, I can say that I am earning a full-time living from my creative work. I started Janky Dood in 2020 during the pandemic, and it took working some odd jobs to sustain myself while creating my art on the side. I applied to several “professional” jobs and got ghosted/rejected from all of them, so it sort of forced me to be on this self-employed journey (which I’m actually very happy it happened this way). Read more>>
Zackary Petot
Yes, but not at first, working as the Exhibition Director at the St. Louis Artists’ Guild as my full-time job has allowed for a guaranteed income amount. While I am regularly selling my artwork at Houska Gallery here in St. Louis, my creative work doesn’t provide enough income to completely rely on on its own. Read more>>
Moneek Pines
Until now, I’ve never publicly shared my struggles as an anxiety survivor. The anxiety attacks were brutal, but my paintbrush and canvas eased my pain. I call it “painting the pain away”, and somehow it’s become my full-time job — more like a profitable, fun life-calling. Read more>>
Ava Kinsland
When someone asks me what I do…….. there is really not one simple answer…….. Read more>>