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.

Taylor Widmann

Earning a full time living from creative work is not only possible, but has no ceiling on how far you can take it. The risks are higher, the stakes feel higher (but working for one person can actually be less stable) but you have so many more experiences and learn so quickly in the freelance world that your growth is accelerated. After a few years, you can command a much higher rate and have the confidence to ask for it. That said, the journey is long! I am about 10 years in, and am constantly making mistakes, trying and failing, and getting better. Read more>>

Kiasi Young

By the grace of God, I have been able to maintain being a full-time entrepreneur for almost 6 years. At the age of 19 I took the leap of believing in myself and my artist abilities and started my art business. To give you a visual of where I was at the time; it’s 2017, I am a sophomore in college, it’s my first time ever living away from my small hometown, and I’m determined to prove to myself that I can be successful. Read more>>

Abbie O’Brien

My business launched in the pandemic. At the time, I was laid off from my decade as a Creative Director working in-house for a top home services franchise. When I pitched my first client, I agreed to design and build a website for under $500. My total income in my first quarter of business was nearly 2k. That’s it. The New Year turned and sparks began. Consistent posting on social media told my connections I was available to hire. Read more>>

Amanda Coelho

I’ve always been creative, but never knew how to hone my skills. I didn’t have the courage to pursue an education in the arts, so I took the practical route and studied business. After almost 8 years in business and management, I realized I was headed down the wrong path. I took an entry level job at Honest Tea, a local beverage brand whose mission and product I loved, taught myself graphic design, and became their in-house designer for over 17 years. Read more>>

Kimberly Butler

I’ve run my own photography business since I graduated from NYU in the Arts. With the exception of working for two photographers full time over the first 3 years, I have been enormously successful. My attitude from the beginning, is to do what made me happy.. I loved the idea of being my own boss, and building my portfolio one shot at a time, and raising the bar to showing my art to bigger and bigger publications over time. Read more>>

Tom Dheere

Yes! I’ve been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work for over ten years now. It wasn’t easy getting here and it’s not staying here, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My voice over Journey started in the mid-1990s. I was a recent theater graduate and I wasn’t sure what to do with my life. Read more>>

Max Kaplan

Earning a living as a musician is more about what you’re willing to give up than what you’re willing to put in. Don’t get me wrong- putting in the hours on your craft is absolutely necessary. But to make a full time living as a musician you have to be willing to give up a lot of stuff. A normal life for one. You have to be willing to spend most of your life in the back of a van. You have to be willing to spend hours every day sending emails trying to book your band. Read more>>

Jim Livingston

I have been a full-time fine art photographer since 2013. After years of social work and legal work, I was burned out. While I was already fairly mastered at film photography and dark room work, I knew very little about the digital world and by 2013 most of the commercial photography work was digital so enrolled in local junior college to learn the digital aspects of photography. This sped up the learning curve immensely and even before I finished, I was earning money with my photography in a number of ways. I was doing architecture, landscapes and wildlife which I began selling online. Read more>>

Celeste Perez

I definitely believe that there are pros and cons to having your own business. In my opinion, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. My father always taught me growing up that I should learn how to do something really well, and some thing that I love and make a living off of it. After being in the workforce for a couple years after high school, I got married during the pandemic. Read more>>

Johnny Segura

I have been able to make a full time living off of my art. It’s been pretty rough, honestly. Art’s not a necessity. So, it’s kind of equivalent to living paycheck to paycheck. I started when I was 17 going to school for commercial art at Sowela Technical College in Lake Charles, La. It was a horrible experience. The head of the curriculum would tell me, literally, every day that my art style was ” A passing fad and I needed a ‘ real ‘ art style “. Read more>>

Eric Stevenson

My partner (Elizabeth Jancewicz) and I have been full time artists for about 12 years now, since we decided to try to tour full time behind our band Pocket Vinyl in the summer of 2011. Our show primarily consists of myself slamming a piano and singing while Elizabeth creates a painting on stage, which we auction off afterwards. Without a doubt, the painting sales are what have kept us afloat financially over the years. Read more>>

Sun-Ly Pierce

Growing up, something my parents would tell me that has shaped how I approach my job is: “We will not work harder for you than you’re willing to work for yourself.” When all is said and done, working in the performing arts is a collaborative effort. We, as contributors to that process, owe it to our colleagues and the art we are trying to service to always show up, be present and do our best. While “our best” can look different day to day, I think that is the key ingredient to being successful working in a creative field full-time. Read more>>

Trevor Michael

I have been doing this full time for about 2 years now. I used to go into my finance job with a knot in my stomach every morning. Being self employed certainly isn’t the easiest but it’s rewarding spending your time on things you truly believe in. I would reach out to 20 venues each week when I was getting started and now I’m trying to focus my efforts more on the creativity side. Read more>>

Nicole O’Connor

If someone had told me when I was a kid that I would be doing what I love in the creative industry and earning a full-time living from this work, I think that it would have helped me open my eyes to more possibilities earlier in my life – To more of those opportunities that were in line with my passions even if they came with some risk. While this path – of walking away from a full-time job with benefits – certainly held some challenges in my journey into this creative field, I would not trade it for anything. Read more>>

Svetlana Tulasi

Making money as a full-time performing artist is always hard at first, especially if you don’t come from a family of creatives already established in the industry. It takes a ton of training, time, injuries, mistakes, “no’s” and self-doubt, but also a lot of faith, motivation and discipline. With proper guidance and technique, and with time, you can achieve the competitive level to start earning. Also, social media growth can be key to your success. Read more>>

Kimberly Van Driel

I have always been a creative since I can remember. I loved doing arts and crafts and took every art class available growing up, however I was never any good at it. I was an idea person but when it came to putting pen to paper and actually executing (painting, building, illustrating, etc.) what I had envisioned in my mind, my design would fall flat. I had no patience for actually doing the art. I would start projects but never have the endurance to see it through. I had no clue what I was “going to do with my life”. All I knew is that I wanted to get away and create something. Anything. Read more>>

Priscilla George

This is my first year as a full-time fashion designer and business owner relying on my creative talents alone to earn a living. I juggled being a corporate recruiter by day and sewing all night to get to a point where I could focus on my goals and dreams. I spent the last year as an employee saving and planning but ultimately you can never plan for something you’ve never done. I knew God would never forsake me or leave me so I leaned in and had a lot of faith. ” Use your paycheck to pursue your passion and make that your payoff!” Read more>>

Luna Tieu

It’s truly a blessing to be able to say that I earn a full-time living by providing an audition taping service for actors. What’s crazy is that I initially bought all the equipment for myself. I had no intentions on creating a business, but rather started taping friends for fun and gradually learned about all the technical aspects of self-taping (framing, lighting, optimal camera settings, etc.) purely through trial and error. Read more>>

Lizzie DiSilvestro

I don’t make a full-time living from my art, but I think that’s a really important conversation to have. For a long time I’ve said that being an artist full time is my ultimate goal, but I’m not really sure that’s true anymore. I have found a lot of fulfillment in making a living from multiple streams of income (selling art, my part time nursing job, teaching workshops etc). Read more>>

Megan Correa

As an up-and coming musician, it’s not only difficult to find a sustainable income in order to financially support yourself, but to also have enough income to re-invest back into your music. Just like any business, in the beginning of your career as a musician you’ll spend a lot of time, energy and resources on brand awareness. Music is such a competititve industry and there are so many platforms filled with hungry artists all vying for our attention. Read more>>

Francis DiClemente

My story is a little different. I do not earn a full-time living from my creative work. I will likely never earn a full-time living from the words I write or the films I make. And so I compartmentalize my existence. I work full-time as a marketing video producer at Syracuse University, and I write and work on creative projects in my spare time. I rise at 4 a.m. Read more>>

Daniela Arenas

When I first thought about opening my own business I was a junior in college and started slowly creating paintings, but never thought of actually selling them until I was in my last semester of college. At the time I was a full-time student and had two part-time jobs. Throughout this whole process, I have had all the support and help from my mom and I am extremely grateful we both have created this amazing team together. Read more>>

Lisa Erbacher

In 2018 I made a difficult decision to leave the corporate world to take care of my mom. Little did I realize that going full time for my with my jewelry business would bring me so much joy. I have always been making jewelry even as a little girl. I started in bead work then realized I love to use the torch and to sculpt metal. During covid I took the time to learn a bunch of things on-line that were really out of my comfort zone. Read more>>

EDWARD VIDAURRE

FlowerSong Press plans to continue a full publishing schedule of 20+ titles per year for the foreseeable future, including anthologies and single author titles. One key challenge is the continuing rise in costs across the board, from production of books into print publication to associated costs such as marketing and promotion. In addition, there is an increasing necessity to support staff who work with the Press—as the organization has expanded, so have demands on their time and effort to work with authors through the publication process, Read more>>