Earning that first dollar is incredibly special and a moment many never forget. We asked some very talented creatives from the community to tell us the story of the first dollar they earned from their creative works.

Levi Morarie

So the first time I made money playing guitar, I was 13 years old. My dad and I lived in central Florida near Daytona Beach, and we would play music at old folks homes. I was also in a band at that time. I didn’t realize it, but I was getting great experience; I had to learn setlists, parts to songs, and also how to perform live. I felt like I was playing Guitar Hero in real life, like it didn’t actually sink in that this was real. When I was younger, I would wear striped polo shirts and red Supra Chimera’s (that was a shoe designed by Lil Wayne). I thought I looked so cool. Since I had the look down, that made me more confident about my chops. At that point, I did not care at all about professionalism or making mistakes. All that mattered was having fun, so I played relaxed and easily. It turned out that I had stage fright really badly; I fought through a lot of guilt and dread. Read more>>

Rei Xiao

There are two instances that I can consider as the “first dollar” I earned. One was back in high school when one of my English teachers saw a small painting I made on Facebook and offered to buy it. After she messaged me on FB, I gave her a quote, which was apparently slightly above her expectations. She ghosted me on Facebook and didn’t respond until I followed up several times. We eventually talked in person and agreed on a price, and she said, “This should prepare you for the real world if you are going to be an artist, you need to learn that you will never get what you want, or it will always be below what you ask for.” Read more>>

Candra R.

I remember my first year at Prince George’s Community College, I was in the Paramedic Program. I was also working part-time as a security officer to pay for school. But I wanted to take music courses on the side to better understand what I was playing, as I was self-taught. I remember meeting so many amazing musicians and music teachers in the jazz band and related classes at PG. I met a guy name Russel who was a highly accomplished/skilled pianist. He wasn’t even IN the music classes (that I know of)! He would just come by and jam with us sometimes. Read more>>

Jennifer Arzt

While studying for my MFA in film, I directed a talented young actress in a few of my short films. When she got an audition for a feature film out in Los Angeles, her parents asked if I could help her prepare. I was happy to volunteer my time—they had shown up for my unpaid student projects without hesitation. At the end of our session, her mom thanked me and handed me a folded bill. I accepted it with a smile, assuming it was just $20. Later, when I unfolded it, I was shocked to see it was $100. She had valued my work, my time, and my vision enough to go above and beyond. I couldn’t bring myself to spend it. Even as a broke student sinking in debt, I held onto that bill as a reminder to always value what I bring to the table. Read more>>

Dylan Vassallo

The first time I made real money from booking an acting job was earlier this year. I booked a small role on a feature film shooting on the Gold Coast in Queensland and I was a little unsure of what the pay was going to be when I got my first pay slip, I was more worried about taking everything in, the flights over, the pre production stuff that I was doing before even getting on set; When it finally came, I wont say the exact number out of respect for the production, but it was five figures for 3-4 days work, plus I was staying in a apartment on the beach in Queensland. That was absolutely surreal to me. Not one did it feel like work while I was there and thats what I got paid at the end of it. Absolutely amazing.  Read more>>

Ebony Primadonna

My first time on stage in front of a live audience was at the country music awards on 2006 for Brooks & Dunn. The feeling that I had on that stage was incredible, and I said to myself this is the beginning of my journey as a recording artist. After I received my first Sag check my mind was blown at how much I made singing background for a major artist. I remember it like yesterday. Read more>>

Aaron D’anthony Brown

Another stressful day at the daycare came to an end. Then came my quick jaunt over to the local grocery store. With a frown on my face, the priority was to get in, get out, socialize with no one. Then a male voice said, “You have some nice shoes.” I looked from the cheese over to a young man, probably a little older than me, staring back. He held a few groceries. I thanked him and hoped the conversation would end there. A stranger complimenting me was beyond random and strange. I didn’t trust him. Instead, I was wondering what he was hoping to sell. He approached and asked me where I got my fancy shoes from. I answered and a conversation ensued. Unlike my fear, he didn’t have anything for me to buy. He just wanted to get some shoes of his own. Chatter about what to wear turned into curiosity about my life. A genuine curiosity. I told him that I worked at a daycare and was desperate to do something else. My heart had been aching for what I was passionate about – writing. I admitted to being desperate, to praying about it, and to being frustrated. He had good news for me. Read more>>

Abiyeksa Gathan

The first time I earned money from my creative work was when I was 15. I loved drawing, especially portraits, and spent most of my free time improving my skills. One day, a friend asked me to draw her favorite character. I worked on it carefully, making sure to capture every detail she described. When I showed her the finished piece, she was so happy and paid me $40 for it. That was my first commission, and it made me realize how much I enjoyed creating art for others. It also motivated me to keep drawing and exploring more opportunities to sell my work Read more>>

Armando Ortuño

The first time I earned money from my creative work was a moment I’ll never forget—it felt like stepping into a new chapter. Before that, I had been working on student films, honing my craft and building experience. But the opportunity that truly marked the beginning of my professional career came when I booked my first big paid job on Ted Season 2 showing on Peacock. Auditioning my way through the process was definitely a learning process, but the hard work paid off when I landed the role. Getting to work with Seth MacFarlane as the director was a huge thrill—his creativity and vision were incredibly inspiring. It felt like a massive leap from where I had been. Read more>>

Peggy Christie

It was the fourth story I ever wrote and at the time, on-line magazines were starting to become the thing. It was Winter of 2000 and I’d submitted a short story for an on-line zine called Planet Relish (that has since gone the way of most webzines – into the ether.) It was titled, “Keeping Up with the Joneses”. Basically a story about two neighbors trying to outdo each other’s holiday decorations, being goaded on by the spirits of their loved ones. Needless to say, it gets out of hand to the point where blood and mayhem and murder ensue. Read more>>

Nick Young

I never planned on attending college. I had a passion to perform and the motivation to pursue that, but realistically had no plan to get there. As a senior in High School watching everyone strive for acceptance into their top three, I had no reason not to pretend to do the same. Chasing dance was my only goal in sight. I dedicated myself to High School Show Choir spending each additional moment stylistically shaping my dance quality. As graduation approached, I had a conversation with one of my choir’s band members, working for a professional ensemble at the time, who asked about my future plans. Truly having no answer, he revealed The Young Americans was looking for an additional male dancer for an upcoming Summer project. A Dinner Theatre held in Harbor Springs, Michigan, halfway across the country. Hesitation for leaving my friends and family overflowed me with concerns, but to capitalize on this opportunity to turn my passion into a reality was stronger than any doubts. Two days after school finished, I was on plane wide-eyed and eager, to step into the future opening before me. I am confident when I say this job brought me to where I stand today. Read more>>

Catherine Potdevin

While I have been an artist since my teens, it wasn’t until my 50s that I began to monetize my work. Prior to this, my quilts were a gift I shared freely with friends and family, a practice that seems a bit ludicrous in hindsight. However, in the quilting world, this is quite the norm – it’s even frowned upon to sell handmade quilts rather than give them away. My first sale to a non-family member happened at my gallery show at Garel Fine Art in Manhattan Beach. This event marked a significant milestone, as it coincided with the official launch of my artwork brand, SpencerManon, and was also the first time I had ever showcased my work in a professional setting. I wasn’t just nervous about how the brand would be perceived; I was also plagued by the fear of what would happen if no one bought a piece. Luckily, we had an amazing show – selling a total of six quilts! Read more>>

Niki Kay

The first paid partnership I worked on was with a travel app company. At the time, I had been building my social media brand for about two years and was still fairly new to the space. I was in the process of figuring out what worked, what I was comfortable sharing online, how I wanted to tell my travel stories, and getting used to the ups and downs of the industry. We were still very much in the COVID era, so my travel was limited to destinations within the United States. I made the most of what was possible under the circumstances, and when the deal came through, I was beyond ecstatic. I was finally going to make real money from my creativity. Part of me felt like I had “made it” and imagined that things would only go uphill from there—but I soon realized this was just the beginning. Read more>>

Janet Rothholz

I have spent most of my adult life working a day job to support my art endeavors. For many years, I worked in the IT departments of a few different law firms affording me a steady paycheck and health benefits. My salary enabled me to study ceramics, buy materials, and make artwork. I sold my very first piece to a co-worker who came to a show I was in, my very first, on Staten Island. He bought a hand-built coil vase for $50. At the time, I was shocked that someone would spend “so much money” on a piece I made. One hopes that co-workers will come and support a colleague’s artistic endeavors but not necessarily to put down money. But he did, and he still has that vase all these years later. Read more>>