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.

Alex Otey

I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work, however , it was a journey for me to get here. My father was a concert pianist and not focused on the business side of music, so I didn’t get a lot of direction on how to earn money in music aside from being paid to perform. Read more>>

Matt Shapiro

I have been involved in the creative world in one capacity or another for over a decade and never had a clear idea of how I could sustain a living without working for someone else. I slowly started to see a pattern between my love of racing and photography and as I began to marry the two things started falling into place. Read more>>

brittney evans

Thankfully I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. By the grace of God, there has been an extremely high demand for my DJ services ever since the first event that I DJ’d. This has been confirmation for me that I’m living in my purpose. Read more>>

AMY STEINBERG

I have been living from my creative work exclusively for quite some time. Included in this concept is music direction at spiritual Centers and teaching music and art to kids. I don’t do either of those things anymore, but those were a part of the journey to getting to the point where I could just do art and music and speaking without having those side gigs. Read more>>

Jake Jeong

Earning a full-time living from music was definitely not easy; it wasn’t something that happened overnight. After graduating from Berklee, I juggled low-paying gigs and did a lot of work for free just to build up my portfolio and clientele. I also taught music production and piano on the side. Read more>>

Amy Oostveen

Twice, I have been able to earn a living from my creative work – aka starting my own business. The first time, I started a women’s only fitness studio, I imagined a new hobby being a fun, part time business. It grew to three studios and a license to Franchise within 6 years. At one point, I had over 50 staff members reporting into me as the Owner. Read more>>

maya agasi

I believe one of the sentences that often accompanies a dancer at the beginning of their career is, ‘So what else do you do besides dance? How do you make a living?’ Generally, society’s perception and norms relegate dance to merely a hobby. Read more>>

Brennan Gilbert

I’ve been working in the graphic design industry for nearly 2 decades. High school was when I first realized people would pay me to design. And so I earned a BFA with a concentration in graphic design at CSU in Fort Collins. I graduated during the economic downturn of ’08/09. It took me 6 months to get my foot in the door but finally, a boutique agency took a chance on me.  Read more>>

César Barroso

Knowing what you want to do with your life is a rare privilege, especially as a teenager. For me, this clarity came early on, and I knew I wanted to be a creative. Whether through photography or filmmaking, I was certain that my path lay in the arts. This sense of purpose felt like a gift, something given to me by providence, and not something I could take credit for. Read more>>

Claytia Gonsalves

You know that saying, “Man plans and God laughs?” Well, my God must have a wild sense of humor! When I packed up my life, my new hubby and our dogs in a Jeep Patriot and drove cross-country to L.A., I could never have imagined the rollercoaster journey that lay ahead. I had even planned to hit the ground running, but mostly met speed bumps instead. Read more>>

Alicia Beller

I currently make a full-time living from my creative work and it makes me feel very happy and fulfilled. I have worked full-time in the beauty industry since I graduated college. I then started doing freelance makeup artist work after starting my family, which I enjoyed, but for the past 5 years I have been able to make a full-time living with my own business. Read more>>

Cinque Smith

I have had the ability to create a space to where my creativity has enabled me to make a full time living off of my craft. It wasn’t an easy road by any means and to some degree it still isn’t. I worked tirelessly and diligently from 5 to 10 hour days everyday since I was a youth. Read more>>

Thomas Duffy

I graduated Kutztown University in 1987 with BFA In Communication Design. I completed with a beautiful portfolio and all communication design projects executed by hand without computer programs. At that time, every add in the Help Wanted required computer programing experience. Read more>>

Carlos Herriott

We’re proud to say that Losproductions has evolved into a full-time income for our team. However, it wasn’t an overnight success story. In the early days, video production was a side hustle alongside our full-time jobs.  We took on projects during evenings and weekends, gradually building our portfolio and reputation. Read more>>

Nora MacIntyre

Ah, the perennial paradox of it all — yes and no, to great nuance! In many ways, indeed; I’ve enjoyed the fruits of my curious nature, all of which have led me to survive and thrive on an ever chameleonic career path. I’ve worn many hats that allowed me to flex my creative muscles: Read more>>

Haixi Ren

Yes, I have been fortunate to earn a full-time living from my creative work. Before launching my own brand, I worked as a designer for various fashion houses in New York City. This experience was invaluable, as it allowed me to understand the intricacies of the industry, including operations and business management. Read more>>

Vicky J

It’s so funny I get asked this cus I’ve literally been thanking God all day. Today I woke up overjoyed! Each day I get up and pray and thank him for today but today I’m more thankful than others. Today I woke up knowing that I’ve been in Texas going on 3 years just crafting. Read more>>

Monifa Angle

Yes, I’ve been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work, but it wasn’t an overnight success. My journey began by doing graphic design for my church, which provided a foundation for honing my skills and understanding the impact of visual communication. It was a faith walk from the start, and I trusted God to guide me through each step. Read more>>

Jade Renee

I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 10 years and I can still remember my last days of working my 9-5 at Nordstrom when I was 19 years old. From day one, I knew I wanted to work at a design or marketing agency but it wasn’t until I was fired from my job that I decided I’d rather be the CEO. Read more>>

Jens Honoré

Photography has always been my passion, and I’ve been fortunate to turn this passion into a thriving career. After graduating with a degree in photography, I started my professional journey at a studio, specializing in catalog work. This period was crucial for me—it was a time of learning, earning my dues, and honing my craft from the ground up. Read more>>

Be Hunter

I’ve always been led by the vision. The vision is why i am able to do what i do, and be how i be…  — wow, it’s all been super fast… To walk u all thru it might take a century (ha).  however— I’m certain it took a world of patience, I’m certain It took a world of uncertainty, I’m certain It took every ounce of faith the kid had, Read more>>

Greg Zopke

Yes, I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work in music production, but it wasn’t like that from day one. My journey began with a passion for Pop Music, particularly the vibrant sounds of LA, which inspired me to dive deep into every aspect of music production. Read more>>

Brian Taylor

Nearly all of us played paper. rock, scissors as kids and some of us deploy this ritual of chance to this day to decide who buys dinner or who will be the designated driver. But what if rock ultimately beats paper? For me, I believe, it has. A passion was born in me by pure accident. I began making jewelry during the winter of 2019. Read more>>

Arrica Rose

I do earn a full-time living from creative work. I am first and foremost a musician. My father was a working actor, singer, and acting coach and my mother a teacher, administrator, and writer. They both valued the arts and education so I studied music from a very young age. Read more>>

Nikol Sedef

In the tattoo industry, nothing happened overnight for me. I learned to tattoo at a studio where I worked as an assistant in 2017. I actually started tattooing during a time when tattoos were rising in popularity on social media. And for me, the most important point has always been to create ‘unique’ designs. Since I knew I would eventually learn how to tattoo, I focused on finding my desired style. Read more>>

Je’Vel

Luckily I’ve been able to create sustainability off of my creative endeavors and have been operating as an individual freelancer since 17 years old. I think I can sum up my journey in a few steps. Step 1. Decide on the product/service/area, i.e. music, fashion, writing etc. Earlier on, I chose fashion as the umbrella, unsure of which definitive direction. Read more>>