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.

Maya Griffin

I am currently a full-time artist and writer as of 2022 but the journey was not a quick one. I have always been creative since I was a child and my mom was highly encouraging of our creativity and imagination as children. I ended up studying Studio Art in college and graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a focus in painting in 2010. However, I felt like a tiny artist in an infinite pool of creatives and I assumed it would always be a hobby. After living in Europe for 2 years, I moved back to the Bay Area to go after an art career and managed 1AM Gallery for three years. It was an incredible experience working in the street/urban art world but being an artist in the Bay Area was highly competitive. Read more>>

Luis Martinez

Born in Long Island, N.Y. I started my journey as a DJ in 1985 spinning at high school homecomings and local New York Tech College parties, weddings, and such. After graduating high school in ’86, I landed a Quality Control position at a record pressing plant called HRM. 40 pressing machines there so every day I had upper-hand access to test pressings and promo copies of all the trending hits. Read more>>

Xinqi Huang

As a creative producer, I currently earn the majority of my income through independent work-producing commercials, mini
vertical TV series, branded digital content, and independent theatre. This includes stream ad campaigns, ticketed live
performances, and occasional grants or fellowships.
Early in my career, I dreamed of being an executive office professional-wearing polished workwear and thriving in a
structured, corporate creative environment. After graduating from the UCLA Producers Program, I landed a full-time  Read more>>

Sophia

I’ve been able to turn my creative work into a full-time career, but it definitely wasn’t a straight path. I grew up in a Greek-Italian household where food was the center of everything. I learned how to cook from my parents at a young age. School was never my strong suit—I had a hard time focusing and didn’t really know what direction my life would take. For a while, I thought I’d end up in beauty school and just “figure it out” from there. Read more>>

Tay YuccA

It is my dream goal to be able to earn a full time living from my creative work. Everyday I become a step closer. Major steps and milestones I’ve made have been traveling to perform in multiple cities and meeting radio personalities. Read more>>

HECTOR GUERRERO

I’m Hector Alejandro Guerrero. And no, this isn’t some ChatGPT response—I’m literally typing this on a break while producing a podcast (LOL).

So how did I get here—making a living off what I love? By being brutally honest with myself and having a deep desire to serve others.

Confrontation was key. Not the kind rooted in anger or fear, but the kind that says, “Alright—what lies are you still believing about yourself?” Facing the truth about who I am helped me uncover the real me: someone who genuinely loves to serve. And for me, service looks like video production and the food & beverage world—two passions that somehow perfectly collide in my life. Read more>>

David Peche

I’ve been an artist my entire life. I grew up in my dad’s independent commercial art studio in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s so, at a young age I was able to experiment with any type of art I wanted. I burned my first silkscreen on my own at the age of 10. It was a Japanese battle flag shirt for a band I liked at the time. I pretty much worked with my dad since I can remember. I learned sign painting, fabrication, sculpture and more with him. My middle school and high school years I would make drawings and airbrushed t-shirts to sell them to classmates. Read more>>

Zach Shinske

No, I have not yet reached a place where I can rely on my creative endeavors for a full-time living. Obviously, the industry has suffered continuously since the pandemic and that has made life really difficult for gig workers and indie filmmakers. It’s not exactly how I saw things when I first moved to New York City, but you can’t predict the timing. You have to make your life meaningful in any way you can, and that might mean doing something different for a time. It’s ok to do other things while also making the art you want to make. I believe doing other work will make you a better artist. I’m a proud food-service worker, and at the very least, it has given me the means to invest in my own projects to work on my craft. I trust the process and try to keep the big picture in mind. Read more>>

Karin Kraemer

I have made a living being an artist. I had to start by working for other artists and jobs in restaurants, offices, etc at first, also. I got my Masters, which allowed me to teach at colleges, and that was great. Eventually. though, I wanted to make my own work more, and adjunct is a hard way to make a living. When I moved to my city, there weren’t a lot of opportunities to teach. I was also wanting to work on my work more. I started doing fine art fairs, and getting into some galleries. I did many shows for 15 years or so. It allowed me to decide how much to work, and introduced my work to many other communities, and to collectors. Read more>>

Tami Hughes

I have been building my business for 5 years starting in full 12 years ago in high school I was my high school yearbook photographer and then 5 years ago my daughter was born and I decided to try and get it started, I worked 2 jobs and babysat, while trying to start my business slowly dropping each job as I became more successful, finally I was able to quit everything other than photography, and after a year of full time I was able to retire my husband and he is not going on 2.5 years of being able to be a stay at home dad with our kids! I think picking a subject to focus on at the beginning could have helped me grow faster but it is so hard to choose! Read more>>

Thuraya Altai

Yes, I’ve earned a full-time living from my creative work—but it wasn’t like that from day one. My journey into content creation started more as a passion project. I was sharing my life, beauty routines, style, and thoughts online without thinking of it as a business. But over time, I noticed my content resonating, and brands started to notice. Read more>>

Francisco Ratti

Yes, I managed to do so by seeking out artistic-related activities, such as giving private art lessons in my studio. This allowed me to connect with art and also earn a stable income. After graduating from college, I worked there for free for 12 years until I got a job at the art school. Read more>>

Dung Ngo

Yes, I’m able to earn a full-time living from tattooing now, but it definitely wasn’t like that from the start. I started learning to tattoo about eight years ago, but I only began doing it professionally in 2020. Today, I have my own studio, a stable income, and the freedom to travel and guest-spot at studios around the world. Read more>>

Levi Ponce

I was fortunate enough to have a sign painter for a father. From an early age I saw painting as both a business and an artform. As i grew older and my skillset grew I was able to do smaller paint jobs. I started by painting houses because I knew the tools and materials. eventually I added sign painting to my palette, then graphics and murals, then a bachelors degree in Animation. If I could go back I wouldn’t change much, instead of speeding up the process I would tell myself to slow down and enjoy the different stages of my career more. Be more present. Read more>>