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.

Maya Ikegami

My first dollar earned as an artist was a small gig at a tea shop. This was summer 2023 and they were looking for local musicians to play outside. I practiced for hours trying to create an hour long set. I had to rediscover some of my own songs and relearn how to play them. Even though it was only playing on a patio at a tea shop, it was my first official gig all on my own. I had sung a few songs for my brothers band here and there, but was never paid. And I as all alone this time. I invited a lot of friends, my parents, a few people who had expressed interest in hearing me play. I was so nervous. Read more>>

Nigel Semple

The first time I earned a dollar doing music , I was shocked. It gave me an extra push to continue going. I was paid $250 to get on someone’s record. I knew it wasn’t much but it was a start to open up the gates for more to come. I worked hard years before ever getting paid. Read more>>

Federico Velez

My first dollar as a creative came from Fiverr, where I landed my first gig as a video editor. To be honest, the work itself wasn’t the most exciting—I was editing YouTube videos for a guy who made movie recap content, cutting down full feature films into tight 10-minute summaries with a voiceover. It was pretty straightforward, nothing too creative, but for me, it was huge. I was actually getting paid to edit, and that feeling was exciting. Read more>>

Chloe Alexander

My first dollar earned from music came when my YouTube channel went viral.

I started my channel in 2019 to begin my journey as an independent artist. Until then, I had only pursued music through classical theatre. An “a-ha” moment made me realize my true passion was in rock and becoming an original artist.

Before I could start writing and performing my own music in a new genre, I had to teach myself guitar and re-learn how to sing. I did this by creating covers of the songs that inspired me. Read more>>

Sasha Leslie

In a way, my creative career began at a young age. I was always making and selling work to others, which is something that has followed me well into today. The first dollar I earned from any of my creative endeavors was actually back in middle school. In sixth grade, my group of friends at the time really enjoyed making rubber band bracelets, so I began to make and sell them around my school. What appealed to me the most were the colors and styles of rubber bands – ranging from solid colors, to glittery bands, to even glow in the dark variations, I found that there was always something new to create. Soon enough, I had different people buying from me, asking for specific color combinations, styles, with each request being a reflection of how the wearer presented themselves. Read more>>

Taarena Rathore

Despite COVID’s hardships, being in quarantine during 2020 made me start my journey with social media and art. With being isolated from people for so long, much of my time was spent online through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. I was 15 at the time, watching photographers and artists online, and it inspired me to try new mediums and projects and even start my own social media account. I learned how to use colored pencils by watching people draw on TikTok, and it soon became my favorite art medium. I would draw using my photos or photographs I found online for reference. I would then post videos of my process on TikTok, and a few videos gained traction. Read more>>