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.

Akari Endo

I started my acting journey in musical theater and later transitioned to film and TV. I also ventured into the music industry and gained experience in commercial work and voiceover. Making a full-time living as an actor has always been my ultimate goal. However, despite having seemingly consistent work throughout my 15-year career, I haven’t achieved this milestone yet. Read more>>

Tony Red-Horse

I do make a living as full time musician, mostly from my band The Rocketz. It wasn’t always that way but in the first three years of our band (est. 2004) We were lucky enough to catch a wave of the rockabilly explosion and build a fair fan base from our first record. Touring revealed income potential and the ground work was laid for full time music as a career. Read more>>

Bethany Nauert

I have officially been on my own for 14 years running my photography business from the ground up. I actually quit my full time job of 3.5 years to pursue photography full time because I was getting so many job offers. Some of the major steps and milestones would be that you have to stay current on how to run a business. You have to be present on line. You have to have a good body of work and if not be consistently working on it. Do test shoots, meet people, ask to mentor, put your name and work in front of the people you aspire to work for. Opportunity is out there you just have to find it. Read more>>

Almudena Caminero

I moved to New York City back in 2014 from Spain after I finished my Masters in Set Design from a Film School in Madrid. At that time It had been pretty difficult for me to find jobs in film working in the Art Department which was my main goal when I graduated. Read more>>

Becca & Marcello Lira

I’ve been an entrepreneur for the last 6 years now, and I firmly believe that creatives provide such an incredible perspective in the workforce. I graduated with a bachelor’s in Graphic Design in late 2017, and started my business right out of college as a wedding photographer. Read more>>

Samuel Apata

It all began when I joined T-Mobile as an intern immediately after college. Although my background was in Animation, I felt ill-prepared to pursue my dream of working in advertising due to the rapid changes in technology. It was during another internship that I discovered instructional design, and I couldn’t resist an opportunity to help learners enhance their learning experiences. Interestingly, many instructional designers stumbled upon this career path by chance. Read more>>

April Sapp

It wasn’t an overnight success, but a journey filled with learning, growth, and perseverance. Read more>>

Diana De Lange

Let’s make it very clear from the beginning: it is very easy to be broke doing creative work. Read more>>

Alex Righetto

want to start this interview by focusing attention on a “crime” committed every day by many schools around the world. Read more>>

Colin Dussault

Yes, I have been fortunate enough to have been able to make a living working as a full-time band leader/harmonica player/lead singer in my own band. Colin Dussault’s Blues Project. I formed the band in 1989 on my 20th birthday and have worked full-time as a musician ever since. The only exception being the “war years” as I dubbed them, when we were forced into isolation due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Read more>>

Jalen Terry

This was definitely not built up in one night. God has shown me tough times, adversity and placed every kind of obstacle in my way in order to help me build a solid business. A major milestone that happened began with the Pandemic. This essentially shut down my professional career as a basketball player. Like many, I had no clue what I would do with my life. I was a 25 year old broke recent graduate. I had no clue if/when overseas basketball was going to come back so I had to mentally overcome that obstacle because up until this point basketball was essentially my life. Read more>>

Andy Medway

My name is Andy Medway and I think the best way to describe me is to say I’m an entrepreneur. I have always been creative as long as I can remember, I think of creativity in the purest sense of the word: the desire to create things. I don’t feel creativity is limited to things traditionally thought of as art but includes a wide range things. Read more>>

Kai Scates

Being a full-time influencer as a plus-size fashion creator is an exhilarating journey filled with creativity, opportunities, and empowerment. Through platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, I connect with a vibrant community of followers who look to me for fashion inspiration and advice. My short-form content captures the essence of my style and resonates with curvy women seeking affordable yet trendy clothing options. Read more>>

Chris Sellers

I have found the most success in being a full-time artist through being multidisciplinary. As a creative, it is important to focus on a thing you’re passionate about, but by spending time towards versatility you can expand in extra opportunities. My story comes from a formal education in drawing and painting and I have a degree in painting, but I also own a small screen printing business from no formal training. Both practices operate in my studio and often intertwine, such as sewing surfaces for paintings or starting a screen printing design with pencil and paper. Read more>>

Adam Swanson

I wasn’t sure for a long time whether I could make a living as a performer. The styles of music I love the most — ragtime and early jazz — are not taught in academia. Everyone I talked to from my parents to college professors said, “You can’t play ragtime for a living”! After several years of graduate school (which I did not enjoy), I finally decided to pursue concert piano work full time. Read more>>

Sarah Erickson

I’m thankful to say that my creative business currently provides the primary income for our family. Read more>>

Denishia Macon

Indeed, I have been fortunate enough to earn a full-time living from my creative work. However, it wasn’t a straight line and it definitely wasn’t like that from day one. Read more>>

Aubrey Linnea

I have so much to be thankful for as a full time companion and content creator. I left a full time job working as an esthetician and jumped right into being my own boss when I first started in the adult industry. Don’t get me wrong, I love skin care and it’s still something I practice on the side. But being able to make my own schedule, travel when I want, and take time off whenever I feel the need to is such a blessing. Read more>>

Fred Croney

In 2015 I was performing at Cosmic Charlie’s, on Euclid Avenue. The crowd was maybe a hundred and fifty people. My closest friends were there and at the time I had considered it the apex performance of my career, as each new headlining show was at the time. One by one I watched as groups broke off towards the bar in the back of the venue. I was out of my element and still relatively inexperienced at how to win over an unfamiliar crowd. Read more>>

Gabriella Gonzalez

Being able to earn a full time living from doing something I love is absolutely the best feeling in the world. Did it come easy? No lol I have definitely sacrificed a lot to finally be in the position I am now. My first 5 years as an Artist were rewarding but I definitely wasn’t making any money or able to do this full time. I was always working 2 jobs minimum and doing makeup and hair on the side. Read more>>

Grace Mandl

Yes, I have been a full time artist since the inception of my business in January 2021. Prior to that, I was a footwear designer at Sam Edelman for nearly 5 years. I resigned from my job and launched my business the next day- I haven’t looked back since! Read more>>

Becky Escher

It’s been over 5 years since I started my business, and I’m financially thriving, but it didn’t start out that way. The process of building a business takes patience, a positive attitude, and lots of nurturing especially when you’re running a one-woman-show. Read more>>

Gina Sanchez

After many years working as event and concerts logistics and promotion, when the pandemia came all those shows that I was working on canceled, I need it to be creative, so I started to work with local companies Read more>>

Jaden Estes Carlson

I’m not sure earning a full-time living from my creative work will ever be in the cards for me. When making, my happy place is definitely in the realm of conceptual sculpture (insert art meme here). I’ve tried to make functional ceramics for monetization, but it does take the enjoyment out of it for me. I have my K-12 Art Education degree and I really do see that as a great day job that can provide me a living in order for me to pursue my creative research nights, weekends, holiday breaks, and the summer. Read more>>

Jamie Fitzsimmons

My creative business didn’t start out as full time or something that I expected to earn a living from. Being home with my children, I started a Wyoming inspired blog in 2017. I drew my Floral Bison Logo for the blog. Little did I know the logo would grow into an apparel business. Something that started as a creative outlet and just for fun turned into a business that supports my family. A friend requested I print my bison logo on a t-shirt. Read more>>

Verena Lehner-Dittenberger

Managing to turn my hobby into a full time career, able to make a living from it, has been a long, and not always straightforward journey. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifice. But looking back now, it is very rewarding to know that I have managed to secure a full time living from being a Concept Artist. I essentially get paid to solve complicated design problems in an entertaining way. Read more>>

Steve Zwillinger

I selected the topic. Not sure what I am supposed to add here in regards to the chosen topic? Read more>>

Michael Cavazos

I have been fortunate enough to work full time as a video editor for a company called Interactive Life Forms, AKA Fleshlight. It was not day one. I started off as a photographer when I bought a camera back in 2015. From there I tried to do everything I could to gain experience as a photographer and as a videographer, but it’s very hard because photography and videography aren’t necessarily in-demand skills. Read more>>

Jahnova Kamil

If you were to ask me 5 years ago if I believe I could make a living off of art I would have said no. As a child, I’ve always loved drawing and over the years I started to post my art on social media. After gaining some attention online a tattoo artist in Atlanta reached out to me and offered the opportunity for an apprenticeship. I packed my bags and left California to pursue art in Georgia. Read more>>

Anna Marie

Landing a full time job at one of the biggest radio stations in Cincinnati is a dream come true for me. I grew up on the Westside, listening to B105 among other stations. As a young girl, I always thought- “that is the coolest job in the world. I wish I could do that”. As I got older, my self esteem was very low. I didn’t believe I was capable of much. I did not go to college after high school. I worked in the restaurant industry and eventually found a job at a factory. Read more>>

Autumn Chisholm

Yes, I am currently working as a librarian. And in my time here I’ve been able to implement programs based on podcasting. Read more>>

David Berding

I’m incredibly fortunate that I make a full-time living from sports photography as a freelancer. And even moreso because I don’t have to rely on youth sports to supplement my income, I only cover pro and college athletics. It’s something I’m grateful for every day and I make sure to remind myself to not take things for granted. The journey isn’t really all that different from anyone else’s experience in any field someone pursues because they’re passionate about it. Read more>>