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.

Isabel

I was selling my art on the side of the streets as a single mother along side the homeless people and drug dealers….And I would sell enough of my original paintings, for so cheap but would make enough to pay my rent. I would get spit on and yelled at to get a real job by people, but more so there were people who were connecting with my art more than I ever knew. People would look at the paintings and begin to cry. People were having profound experiences witnessing my art. One day I remember I sold an original for 5oo dollars and she was my Goddess Of Abundance painting. Read more>>

Ke Yu

The first dollar I earned as a creative came in my freshman year of college. I was participating in a challenge to create one artwork a day for an entire year. I would draw in a sketchbook and paint a cover for it once I had finished the whole sketchbook. When I posted videos of the sketchbook online, they received a lot of views. People asked if they could buy the same sketchbook I used and suggested that I should collaborate with the sketchbook company to create a special cover. I thought it would be a great opportunity, so I contacted their online customer service and told them about the video I made. Surprisingly, they had already heard of me. It turns out that the people who left comments on my video had also asked the company if they had a collaboration sketchbook with me. Read more>>

Talia Benitez

The first dollar I earned from my creative work was in 2018, and I’ll never forget it. At the time, I didn’t have a specific painting style—I was just experimenting, letting my imagination lead the way. I was really into painting these robot-like Buddhas. They were made up of rectangles and geometric shapes, almost like abstract spiritual figure. Read more>>

Signe Ballew

The first time I sold work that made me feel like an artist was at my thesis show in college. I was super happy with my work, but knowing that others also saw value and something special in it made me feel seen as an artist. I had just started a new technique and style with my work and for it to be received so well, was such a wonderful feeling. Read more>>

Cook McKoy

I remember well, the first dollar I earned. It was my first ever solo gig as a music performer. I had been toying with the idea of performing solo gigs, but lacked the right amount of confidence to reach out and get the ball rolling. I happened to be scrolling on Facebook back in 2016, and saw a local bar/restaurant post that they had to cancel their live music for the evening. On a whim, I called over, introduced myself and offered to play for free. It was a great learning experience for me, and a lesson in overcoming nervousness and strengthening self confidence. Read more>>

Andrew Levy

First time I had earned money off of my videos was when CW reached out to me about creating a video to promote the new DC show Naomi. It felt so rewarding knowing that I was going to go forward and make something amazing especially for a comic book company. Read more>>

Phil Summers

I was 17 it was high school and 1967. In Cardiff, Wales. I had a high school band and I played guitar. My first paid gig was at a roller skating rink. The band was called Deep Blue Center and I still have a picture of the flyer. It was a huge barn of a place with folks roller skating around and around the stage. Read more>>

Austin Taylor

My first full-time paying gig as a creative was with a touring children’s theatre troupe. I was fresh out of college with a degree in Theatre Arts and landed a job in New Hampshire. It was a short contract, and it didn’t pay much at all, but it was exciting for me then. I felt like I had achieved something. It was a sure sign that I was on the right path towards making a life as a creative. Read more>>

The Rudely (TheRudelyHonestPodcast) Honest Podcast

Our first dollar earned as creatives came through the sponsor of our podcast, No Heart No Hustle Clothing Company. This partnership with the brand’s owner began naturally; starting with us as customers. Shady made a purchase after seeing a post from a mutual acquaintance, and soon, the rest of the Crew followed suit. Before we knew it, the brand was getting a lot of attention in Baltimore and the DMV area, all thanks to word of mouth. Not too long after, we launched the podcast, and No Heart No Hustle became the first brand to support us purely out of love, we etched a Sponsorship deal and the rest is history. Read more>>

Crystal Boyd

My first dollar earned as a creative was a brand content deal with a company in New York after I graduated NYU- it was a connection I had made through a friend, and my writing trio was hired to come up with comedy content for a company.

To give some context: at the time, I had recently graduated from Tisch with my three best friends… there’s a funny moment I’ll never forget, where the day after graduation, I tried to re-enter NYU’s Bobst Library, and my NYU ID wouldn’t let me in. I tried again at the Student Center and at the cafeteria. Denied, denied, denied. I was cut off. That was my wake-up call: the cushy West Village life that I was used to living as an undergrad was no longer my reality. Read more>>

Sophia Sinner

I’ve been doing music for 6 going 7 years. I had a performance at Arlene’s Grocery NYC in my 3rd year of doing music and had my first 20 minute set. Being a performer is a huge dream of mine, the lights, live band, theatrics, and the audience has always been very electrifying to me. That performance is one of my favorites til this day. Having so many people come support and enjoy my set, I was on cloud9. The next day I wrote my first single out on all platforms “TROPHY” on the feeling I got after having an eventful night filled with nothing but passion and joy. This isn’t the first song I wrote but the first song I released that shockingly got 41K streams. As an underground independent artist I could not believe it. Read more>>

Alice Wang

While I can now consider being a creative as my profession, I realized that this endeavor started a long time ago. I always loved drawing, and sometimes people would ask me to draw things for them. Eventually, people would ask me if I could draw them something if they paid me a fee. This started around the time I was in middle school and continued into high school. Sometimes the requests came from classmates, while other times they came from teachers. It included projects like drawing a portrait, or create a painting for their kid’s room. I remember how it felt at the time – exciting! People were willing to pay me for what they considered a valuable skill. It made me feel like, “Wow, maybe this is a path I can pursue in the future. Read more>>

Umer Farooq

Although, the first time I worked as an actor and got paid for that was in 2006 back in Pakistan, it was a sit-com pilot run or a new TV channel, however, the TV channel didn’t go ahead with the show. After I moved to the UK in 2008, while I was at the university studying Msc. Telecommunications Engineering (I know .. I know) people go wait! what? But when you’re from a working class background you got to do what you got to do. So yeah during my university time I started getting involved as an extra in local TV shows etc but I think the first proper earning that made a special mark for me was from my first short film ‘Trust’ in 2011. Read more>>

Lady J Huston

My mother Loyce P. Huston performed extensively in St. Louis as a contralto vocalist song stylist of jazz, blues and the American songbook. I tagged along behind her at rehearsals in awe. I was a great dancer as a child so she started booking me on her produced shows, talent shows and other events. I would place in the talent shows and win money. I was also performing in night clubs and getting paid. At one show, people started throwing money on the stage. Mother was in the wings urging me to pick it up. I refused and just kept dancing. Read more>>