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.

Bingo

The first painting I sold was at my first art show which took place in a bar in Brooklyn. It was very crowded and I was having a conversation with someone when the curator Dave Ellis walked up to me and whispered, “You sold a painting”. It took a minute to sink in. Then I thought to myself, do I know the buyer?. I did not. I felt the kind of adrenaline rush I would get from playing a live show with my band. Read more>>

Yoojoon Kang

It was in May of 2024 when I suddenly got a DM from a brand called Pocket Dispo that sold these 3D-printed film camera lenses. As someone who had just entered the bigger picture of social media, I thought it was one of the coolest DMs I had ever gotten. I remember being kind of nervous thinking of ways to reply to the request to collaborate. But with a little bit of thinking and a bit of time, we had successfully scheduled a time to do a meeting to brief the collaboration and settle with the final plans. It was all good to go. I was so happy. Read more>>

Jordan Jones

My first time monetizing performing was completely accidental. I joined a children’s choir in Saint Louis and they asked me to audition for this mysterious new opera at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. At this point I was like 10 and was a good singer but didn’t know much about opera or classical music. The same night of my audition my mom, because I didn’t have a phone, got a call that I booked that show. It was Champion by Terence Blanchard where I played the younger version of the main character. It was an insane opportunity that even now over a decade later I still can’t wrap my head around. I got to work with some truly amazing performers who I still look up to today. Read more>>

Frank Palangi

I remember when I started out back in high school we got a band gig that paid $50/100 and sold $50 in merch, and received a few more at a place in Lake George NY called Sweet Cravings. When I was solo acoustic, I got hired for a new years eve party and got $95 plus free food for my first gig. Read more>>

Mike Danner

The first dollar I made as an actor was back in 2011. I had been in acting class for 2 1/2 years at that point and had done a few short films, which gave me credits but no money. One day, a mutual acquaintance that I had gone to film school at Chapman University with a few years earlier reached out to me. She was producing a short film called “Daddy Issues” about a lesbian couple meeting with a potential sperm donor for their baby. There was a small role in the film of a waiter who keeps coming by the table at inopportune moments, which would comedically add to the tension of the situation. Read more>>

Ryan Arrison

The first show I was ever booked on and paid for was in Atlanta where I started performing standup. I was studying engineering at Georgia Tech and after my first internship, I realized that was not for me, so I started going to open mics at night around the city. After a couple of months, my friend Phurious Stylez booked me on a show he was running. It was my first show, so I didn’t ask any questions other than “What time would you like me to get there?” I got to the show and had an amazing time! The comedy show was held in East Atlanta right after a group meeting, NA, and was followed by a dance party. Read more>>

Sinejan

I had to draw some organs and body parts when I was an art student, for a doctor who was preparing brochures. I’m gutted that I no longer have the brochures or remember the doctor’s name to track down my drawings. I don’t remember exactly what they looked like, but I remember it was the first time I got paid for my work. The next time I got paid was when I painted running horses for a café in Istanbul that hosted Turkish coffee fortune readers. Read more>>

Adiba Tamboli

The first time I earned money as a creative was actually through my school. I was hired as an Academic Master Tutor to help students in an Adobe Illustrator class. I’d used Illustrator a lot in my own projects, so it felt natural to help others with it-troubleshooting, explaining tools, and giving feedback on their work. Read more>>

Loryn Dave

My first customer was from someone who found me on social media! I was so excited because they ordered multiple handmade things and there was someone who actually liked my work enough to spend their hard earned money. Support means so much to me. On the other hand I was anxious because I always want things to be perfect and produce quality work. Read more>>

Flower Person

I suppose that would be the first storyboard job I worked, which was a documentary about the battle of Antietam. It was awful. I mean, it wasn’t technically the first creative job that I ever worked, but it was the first that actually paid my bills. It was made much harder by the fact that I was working as a performer at Universal, which spread me a bit thin. It didn’t pay much, but even so, I enjoyed that… a lot more. I mean, I got to be a death eater. Whether I like it or not, that’s necessarily more interesting to me than a documentary about the civil war. Read more>>

Diamond Bradley

The very first time I earned money from something creative was actually back in fifth grade. We had this student store project, and instead of selling candy or random stuff, I decided to introduce my classmates to where I’m from. I made New Orleans dishes like jambalaya and lemonade — things that felt true to me — and I sold them. That moment showed me that I could make something personal and still have people connect with it. Read more>>