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.

Luke Mizel

Doing parkour isn’t necessarily the most lucrative career path. You’re required to train as if you’re in the NFL, as top athletes are working out twice a day, 6 days a week, in order to stay in competitive shape, yet the star athletes get paid less than the janitors for said NFL teams. Read More>>

Ramon Alejandro Urdaneta

Yes, I’ve been able to make a full-time living from my creative work — but it wasn’t that way from the start. Back in Venezuela, I worked mostly in marketing and visual communication, creating campaigns and content for local brands. That phase shaped my understanding of how ideas and emotions connect with people, and how strategy can elevate creativity. Read More>>

Jared Rolf

It definitely was not full time from the start. Piercing does not hand you stability just because you know how to hold a needle. In the beginning I was working side jobs, staying up late, and wondering if this would ever really pay my bills. Read More>>

Fiona Murphy

I’m extremely tenacious, almost to the point of painfully so. I have been a reader since I was five years old and by the time I was eight, I was bored with the childrens books. I fell in love with Dean Koontz and the way I could escape into the worlds that were created. Read More>>

Topo

It hasn’t been an easy path, but I feel really lucky. I actually started making money from my art before finishing my studies in Graphic Design and Fine Arts. One day I was painting in the street with a graffiti friend, and he told me to contact someone he knew at a Spanish brand I had always dreamed of working with. Read More>>

Isis Kenney

Yes, I’ve been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work, though it definitely wasn’t that way from day one. My journey began long before I launched my own brand. Early on, I started in sales and then moved into advocacy. I had the opportunity to work with both businesses and nonprofit mission-based organizations, especially those focused on social justice. Read More>>

Rebecca Roudman

I was a barista for 3 weeks, and other than that, the only jobs I’ve ever had have been music related. For many years, people have been told that being a full-time musician is unobtainable unless you are super-famous, but I’d love to get the message out there that this is not true! Read More>>

Tanvi Pisal

How I Landed My First Product Design Job in Silicon Valley — and Why Upskilling Was the Key to Surviving When I graduated in the spring of 2023, I already had a Product Design job offer, which was converted from my spring internship. But it wasn’t a smooth ride — in fact, the path was filled with uncertainty, setbacks, and constant pressure to prove myself. Read More>>

Raymond Holman

I have been a professional photographer for over 20 years. It was a hobby that I was able to turn into a career when I became a freelance photographer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The switch from a hobby to a career in photography took a ten year period to complete. Read More>>

Hilmar Gottesthal

The first show was in Vienna Austria at the city gallery and first sale happened there of a wood sculpture and a painting to a German collector. It was encouraging. I was then given a grand from the Austrian Ministry of Education and Culture to follow my interest in Byzantine art and classical archology to Istanbul, Turkey. Read More>>

Nicole Simeone

Yes today I earn a full time living from my creative work, but it definitely wasn’t like that from day one. I started creating content when I had absolutely no guarantees it would ever become a real career. In the beginning I was doing everything myself learning branding, studying audience psychology, building relationships with brands, and saying yes to opportunities even when they didn’t pay. Read More>>

Carlos Torres

My name is Carlos Torres. I’m an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in publications such as Time, Sports Illustrated, Barron’s, The National Review, The LA Times and The Chicago Tribune. My clients have also included, Pepsi, American Airlines, Macy’s, DuPont, Time Warner and Scholastic. Read More>>

Shelley Zentner

My first art commission was for a family friend, I was about 11 or 12. The woman asked for a copy of a picture of a dragon for her curio cabinet. She gave me a picture to copy, a letter sized image of a flying dragon she liked. She just wanted a bigger version really. The fact that she offered to pay me was thrilling for my young artist self. Someone thought my talent was worth money! Read More>>