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.

Jeff Orson

I got into my music career later in my life and wasn’t sure where it would go. The first dollar I ever earned from music was from a royalty check back in 2018. It was a little over three dollars but you would have thought it was a fortune when I received notice in the mail. It was for some early radio play I received in the Maritimes from one of my first singles. It spurred me on to keep writing and confirmed that at least someone was listening and found value in my work. Read more>>

Xian-hao (harry) Liao

The first dollar I earned from my creative work was from designing a music cover, and it was a moment I’ll never forget. It wasn’t just about getting paid—it was about seeing my work come to life in the real world. The project was for DJCK, a friend of mine who has produced over 50 singles for well-known Taiwanese singers. After several rounds of discussions and refinements, we landed on a final design that truly captured the essence of his music. Read more>>

Nina

Reflecting on my journey as a creative entrepreneur, my first experience earning from my passion was both unexpected and transformative. At 18, a childhood friend inquired if I offered face painting services for parties. Despite never having done it before, I confidently said yes, seizing the opportunity. That initial leap into the unknown not only marked the beginning of my professional path but also ignited a passion that has propelled me forward ever since. Read more>>

Everett Andrew

I’ll be honest, I can’t remember the exact time that the band made its very first money, but I can clearly recall the first time we made a semi-serious amount. It was at our first show of last year, a little over a year ago today, at a venue here in Provo called The Rise. Just for context, my band used to be called Last Chance when I first joined up, and a big purpose of this show was to announce a rebrand and name change. We pushed hard with the marketing and promotion, and we played alongside local bands Recently Decent (the headliner) and Internet Lover Boys, who were also promoting the show a ton. I remember when we got on stage thinking that the crowd was absolutely massive, bigger than any other show we’ve played. Read more>>

Anna Latzer Latzer

So, I work in animation. And the first real job I ever got in the field was a remote job for this little boutique studio called ARG! Cartoon Animation, based in Bolder, Colorado. I was living at my parents’ house in Erie, PA. I had just graduated with my BFA in animation from Rochester Institute of Technology, and my advisor set me up with this job to get experience. The job paid peanuts–the guy who owned the studio was actually losing money on the project, but he wanted to get the studio’s name out there. It was a Nigerian kids’ cartoon called Turtle Taido. You can watch some of it on Youtube. It’s very cute and very obviously low budget. It was all done in Adobe Flash with mostly puppet style animation and occasionally some very rough traditional animation as well. It was my job to animate scenes of this show from scratch. Read more>>

J.c. Hoffman

I was in a rundown motel right out of a horror film. I played a serial killer in a short film—a character who kills and gets killed all in a single day. I applied for the role online. I received a quick call from the director saying his original serial killer dropped out. Landing the role felt like a dream come true.
I had just decided that I was going to peruse acting more seriously as a potential creative outlet and discipline. That first paycheck is still special to me. I’ve kept the cash in its original envelope, my name scribbled on the front, tucked safely in my top drawer. I’ll never spend it—it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come. Read more>>

Alexa Lostaunau

Thankfully, my first paid acting job came not long after graduating from the NY Theater Company 23′-24′ at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. It was for a project unlike anything I had ever imagined myself being a part of—but it was pure joy. The show, MAD MAD MAD, was directed by Michael Toomey and devised by the cast, director, and crew. We first developed it during my second term in the company year, and I was one of nine students chosen to be in this devised clown theater piece. Yes—clown. Read more>>

Stanislav Moshkivsk

There came a moment when I realized I needed a change in my work. I was beginning to burn out. As a 3D Generalist in the game development industry, my days were spent working on projects, and in my free time, I continued creating 3D art—still related to game dev, but more for myself, for artistic expression. It felt like an endless loop of work, and I knew I needed to learn something new. Read more>>