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.

Jack Thomas

Earning a living as a musician is never an easy task. I dropped out of music school and moved to Nashville where I bussed tables and hung out for years. There really is no singular path to “making it” and my journey including many lean years. But during those years I made great friends, learned from great musicians, and got a real hands on look at how these great men and women had been doing it for years before I arrived. Read more>>

Julie Vu

I’ve been very fortunate to be able to make a full-time living off my art; although, it wasn’t easy in the beginning. I started drawing during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I had just graduated from university when the world shut down. Much like everyone else: I was navigating the uncertainty of the job market while trying to pay bills. Read more>>

Idrissa Sanogo

Currently a full-time actor. It was a crazy ride here from From dropping out of school and working outside in the cold to pay my rent. To being able a full time actor and living more comfortably than I ever had. One of the major mile stones was booking a supporting role in a box office feature film a couple months after dropping out of school. Only thing I’d change is having started sooner! Read more>>

Kelsey Melville

I took my business full time during the pandemic, with all of us working from home, it gave me more time to devote to my art and business, which had always been a side hustle. As my business grew and sales picked up, I realized I could really do this full time! I quit my job in September 2021 and fully dedicated myself to running my ceramic business. It was so exciting to commit all of my energy to my true passion, a life long dream! Read more>>

Ebonie Carzo

In 2013, I retired from my corporate career at the young age of 29, after working for the company for 7 years. I climbed up the corporate ladder and followed all the prescribed steps, but eventually hit a glass ceiling due to racism and sexism. During the last two years of my corporate career, I started cake decorating for friends, family, and co-workers. Read more>>

Evan Enslow

One can dream. If I had known working behind the camera was as creative and fulfilling as it is, I would have gone to film school. Or maybe business school. Or at minimum, gotten on set every chance I had when I was fresh in the LA scene. The American Academy of Dramatic Arts was an excellent school, but the survival job frontier is bleak and exhausting. Putting my initial energy more directly into Film and TV certainly would have planted stronger roots in the passions I care most about. Instead, I went the classic route as a struggling actor slinging pasta. Read more>>

Jerel McCants

I started my architectural firm during the Great Recession back in 2010 and starting my own practice was a goal within my career but the economic decline allowed for this opportunity to arrive sooner than anticipated. With thousands of jobs being taken out of the workforce, there were few options to stay within this design profession. I, along with many other colleagues, ventured into the world of small business practitioner. Read more>>

Ghamar Waldon

As of early 2022 I was able to finally go “all-in” on my barber career. and it has been my major source of income. Now because I’m a Master Barber and work in a private suite I am able to move around the industry freely with all the skillsets have and services I offer. I’ve never liked the whole “walk In” setup at barbershops because I like to control my environment. Read more>>

Karen Sako

I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t know that I would be an artist. As a two-time pre-school dropout, I admit that all I wanted to do was stay home and draw. My first job at age 15 was teaching drawing classes at a pre-school and I have been teaching drawing and painting classes ever since. Read more>>

Harriet Hadfield

one of the biggest misconceptions about being a creative is that it’s hard to earn consistent income, let alone create a scalable business and build wealth. When I started out as a freelance makeup artist I was told I would have to assist, I would have to have an agent, and yet even when I did do both of those things, I still found myself broke, lonely and frustrated. The biggest change came when I decided to see myself as a CEO and a creative. Read more>>

Priya Handa

Art under the umbrella of capitalism is truly a weird thing. Throughout my years of being a full-time artist, I have had moments of picking up restaurant jobs, barista gigs, or even being a substitute teacher. As of late I have been able to do it full time without any side gigs. But I think a part from consistently building my art, a big contribution has been a change in my mindset and perspective. Read more>>

Claudia Echeverria

This is actually a work in Progress, with that said, I was a full time artist for 7 years, living off selling my original art pieces. All of this recently changed when in summer of 2022 I had no other choice than to find a job. I was drained emotionally and cerativelly of so much finantial stress, New York had been a bold move from my save networked eviroment of over 20 years in Miami, I had a steady rising career as an emerging artist, Read more>>

Ron Smith

After a 25+ year hiatus after breaking both wrists in a motorcycle accident, I find joy and peace to finally paint again. At the time I was a full time graphic designer and working at the post office full time. It was my son Austin, who is also an artist, that gave me the inspiration to pick up the brushes again. After a challenge from him, I told my mentor and friend about my thought process. Read more>>

Amber Wegner

First, let me start by saying, thank you so much for inviting me to share my story with your readers! I joined SAG-AFTRA in 2014 after booking six commercials in six months in 2013. I thought that for sure this was going to continue for years to come. And then I was humbled with the harsh reality that this business has its ups and downs. Read more>>

Miguel Rivera

Yes. To be honest it was by pure chance and luck. Before I started doing music full time I was a Public School teacher for 2 years in Newark, NJ. I taught Pre-K to 8th grade music. Even while teaching, I was still gigging, producing and trying to make something happen with my music but eventually it became too much. I decide to quit being a teacher to pursue my dream of becoming a full time artist-producer in late 2019, early 2020 – right before the pandemic hit. Read more>>

Francis Andrews

Earning a full time living from your creative work is no easy task especially as DJ in this day and age. Growing up I fell in love with hip hop music in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. In high school I started experimenting with the different elements (b-boying & graffiti), however I found myself gravitating towards the music. I began DJing in 2003, my little brother had a pair of turntables and a small record collection that was gathering dust. Read more>>

Brandee Gaar

I started my wedding planning business in 2007 and paid myself less than $20k/year for years! I worked all the time and for barely any income. When we had our 3rd daughter in 2012 I wanted to throw the business away because I couldn’t work so much for so little anymore. Instead, my husband and I went all in, he quit his job to help with the kids and I focused on creating more profitability in the business. Read more>>

Alexander Scarfe

Earning a full-time living from creative work can be a challenging process that requires a combination of talent, hard work, and strategic planning. One common path to achieving this goal is to start by developing a strong portfolio of work that showcases your skills and creative vision. Fortunately, I was able to forge these things while studying at the AFI Conservatory. Although I had previously attended film school at Columbia College Chicago and felt that experience had given me a structure as an artist, my time at AFI united those building blocks into how I work now. Read more>>

Kierra Gray

Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? I currently earn a full-time living doing all things music. I’m a songwriter and write songs for other artists along with film/TV. I’m a singer-songwriter and write songs for myself as an artist. I work with companies and organizations as a jingle writer. I’m a music educator, doing workshops and seminars with students, aspiring songwriters, and music lovers. I’m also an assistant director for the national online music school, The Young Musician’s University or YMU. Read more>>

Ann Torralba

It’s amazing that I’ve been able to earn a full-time living from being a kids musician. Before I was a kids musician, I was a full-time Chicago Public School teacher with benefits, a pension, and all that! When I was a Chicago Public School teacher, I felt stressed a lot and grouchy but mostly I felt like it wasn’t the right environment for me to inspire kids. My daughter was just 3 years old and I made the decision to leave my full-time teaching job with no plans in sight. Read more>>

Sarah Kinder

Yes, before I started my business, I was working full time in social media marketing for a jewelry company for almost 9 years, and switched jobs in 2021 to work for a cosmetics company doing the same thing. From the beginning, I could tell that the company wasn’t doing well, and it was the middle of the pandemic still, so I started weaving Macrame and learning the cement trade as a way to meditate, and transfer some of my anxious energy into something positive. Read more>>

Bethany Sauer

I started my company about 6 years ago, soon after I got married (and I knew food could be put on the table with my husbands career if my dreams didn’t work out haha). I started offering simply wedding calligraphy (on envelopes, place cards, paper goods). I grew up in Houston so had enough connections to keep me busy. After a while, I taught myself watercolor and turned out I was pretty good at it! Read more>>

Uma Ruffin

Yes, for the past year I have been a full-time creative. I have been a creative since I can remember but I didn’t consider it to be a career option until the pandemic. I had put painting in the backseat to pursue a more “traditional” job but quickly realized the corporate world did not suite me well. For 2 years my tech job funded my passion. I built a small community through social media and through social media I was able to secure multiple brand partnerships. After being let go from my tech job last March I realized I had an opportunity to pursue my passions full-time. Read more>>

Rachel Lanzi

Yes, I have been making a full time living producing creative content for brands through photography and video for 4 years now. When I started this work I hard a full time job managing a boutique for a whole year before I could move to photography full time. Even after starting The Content Agency I had to pivot the business a couple times offering additional services like social media management and website design for the first couple years before I was able to be 100% content creation. Read more>>

Sarah Hone

I stepped into the real world after graduating college with false hopes that my 4 year degree plus a 6 month co-op would open all the doors for me. This was simply not the case. Most design agencies required a minimum of 7 years of experience. It was then that the hustle began. I found a free internship that at least allowed me to gain more experience in the field I wanted to pursue. Read more>>

Courtney Yasmineh

I have earned enough money to live on some years and other years I’ve supplemented with small but fun or meaningful jobs and projects that allow me to be at home more and not out on the road on tour. Read more>>

Chelsea Darling

Here’s my formula for what it took to build a profitable creative business: + 16 years of professional experience in advertising and marketing + Which is also 16 years of professional experience in design + Plus 10 years of professional experience in the craft I am selling (custom metalwork) + At least two other failed businesses and couple decades of entrepreneurial experience + A decently thought out business and financial plan + A functional system of self motivation and self management (which took longer than all the other things to earn, but is quite essential) Read more>>

Elijah Walker

Yes, I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. It has taken a lot of hard work, dedication, and persistence, but I have been fortunate enough to turn my passion into a career and make a living doing what I love. I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. My journey started 10 years ago, but I was afraid to fully commit until I made a promise to myself to take it more seriously as I became older and more mature. Read more>>

Dercyni Ruiz

The journey from then to now has definitely been a huge rollercoaster. When I first began my entrepreneurship journey, the company was actually a Virtual Assistant company. At the same time I was working at a coffee shop full time to make ends meet. As I started to continue in the journey… I had to find another way to make more money. So I decided to add another service to my list that would be more appealing to the crowd. BOOM! Social media management. Read more>>

Jeremy Hinds

Doing creative work full-time definitely didn’t happen over night. I started photography as a hobby but got serious about it my senior year of high school. That year, I started creating music videos with my friends who made music. I wasn’t the best but I think they were just happy somebody had a camera. I’d say consistency is how I made it happen. Read more>>

Kate Rebel Socials

I failed as an influencer so I started earning as a UGC creator instead. Last year UGC went mainstream and it was all over Tiktok. I am an introvert and I could never make myself be on social media on a daily. But I always thought that the only way to make money on social media is to become an influencer. That means I have to chase followers, I have to put out content daily to keep my engagement rate high. Read more>>

Deva Yoder

Doing music full time has been a long time coming! Throughout the week, I perform at Old Folk’s homes and write custom songs for birthdays and anniversaries through a website called Songfinch. During the pandemic, I got laid off twice. Once from the bar my brother owned that was forced to close its doors, and the other was a cannabis job. So I got a quick job somewhere I knew wouldn’t lay me off: Read more>>

Carolina Rivera

Yes, I have been been able to turn my passion into full-time work and earn a living. When I first had the idea to do this. I think there were necessary steps I had to take in my mind to grow a brand. I knew the importance of marketing, branding, and social media in today’s market. It was not like that from day one. I basically had a business plan running around in my head without even knowing what a business plan entailed. Read more>>