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.

Casen Alesi

When I was younger I would usually go to church with either my mom and dad or my grandma and grandpa when I would stay with them on the weekends.

We went to this small non denominational called Faith Family Church in Acworth (now called Greater Church). Around the time we started attending that specific church I started band in middle school. After a while my pastor took notice of me and invited me to play one Sunday. I earned a solid 100 dollars that day but as a little 11 year old that was alot. Read more>>

Christian James

The first time I generated revenue from a creative work of mine believe it or not, I was in second grade. I was going by the name Reckless, and my friend was going by the name Big Ben. Him and I recorded a mixtape called “Young, Fresh, and Fly” and printed up 30 CD’s ourselves, stuck them in plastic jewel cases and got permission to setup a table out in front of Semmi’s, a popular neighborhood Deli know for there chicken wings and mambo sauce. Our music wasn’t that great production wise, so people were mainly buying CD’s to support our hustle and fuel our decision to dream big, but once we realized they would pay the five dollars we were charging for a regular cd, we got a sharpie and signed half of them and sold them for two dollars more. We sold out our inventory in just a few hours. Read more>>

Melissa “Mel” Mederos

A year after graduating from college, I finally took the leap and started applying to paid script supervisor positions, and I stumbled upon a listing looking for a script supervisor for a Sony and National Lampoon project. At first, I thought it was a short film idea inspired by these creative giants. But, my first day on set, I noticed that it was indeed a bigger production. I had worked on big productions before but this definitely topped those. Read more>>

Anahita Bagheri

The time I sold my artwork was when a private collector bought my work in an exhibition I had back in Tehran. I exhibited a series of works on paper and sculptures. The first piece that was sold was a 39 x 27 inches drawing. That collector expressed genuine interest in my work and purchased the one they liked the most. I was happy my work was sold, but because that work was also my favorite, I felt like something I loved was being taken away from me. But then I quickly felt truly rewarded because one of my favorite pieces as the artist, deeply resonated with my audience. This person could continue enjoying and spending time with my art beyond the gallery walls and the exhibition duration, in their own space, whether private or public, at different times. My work would also find a new life. The fact that this purchase was a recognition of my art made the first dollar I earned out of my art even more joyful and memorable. Read more>>

Anthony Lee

For years, I enjoyed reading books, especially thriller novels, which included medical thrillers because I have a medical background (having gone through medical school before choosing a different career path). I’ve read enough to not only understand the conventions and nuances of medical thrillers, but also feel inspired to write my own. Read more>>

Joshua Gagnon

Let me tell you, every sale I make feels just as exciting and fulfilling as the first piece of art I sold. I’ve been a creative most of my life, and have been fortunate enough to experiment with multiple mediums. I used line in L.A. and was a glassblower, and that was where I generated my first sale. Taking the time to come up with a vison in my head, dedicating the materials and effort into creating the piece, and then finally seeing it come to life was oddly only half of the journey. I sold it to a friend at the time for far less than it was worth but it made me feel like a million bucks. It wasn’t about the money…we were all poor at the time. Read more>>

Jared Egol

I met an executive at a screenwriting event in LA, who wanted to stay in touch based on a sample. While I was working as a middle school teacher, this executive put me in touch with the brother of a famous producer who decided he was going to pay me in “exposure,” which pays as much towards rent as being paid in mothballs might. Read more>>

Meaghan Aitkens

I didn’t earn my first dollar as a creative in the typical way—no film sets, no commercials, no TV gigs. My first paycheck came from performing as a street character at Six Flags in Jackson, NJ. I was 17 when I auditioned, which involved a ton of improv, and landed the role of a “tacky tourist”—think wild outfits, over-the-top personality, and nonstop interaction with guests. Read more>>

Jillian Speer

I got a call from a movie producer saying we want to use your song “Angel Among Us” in an HBO film and the lead actress in the movie will be lip syncing to it. I was super excited. A few days later I got asked from a music supervisor of the TV show Dawsons Creek and Party of Five if they could also use the song for an episode. So that year I got a few big checks for music licensing from the HBO movie, and then from the TV shows. Publishing checks rule. I was in my early 20’s so I thought I made it hahaaa…..These days, they don’t pay as much for tv or movie song licensing like they used to, so at least I got to feel what’s its like to get a really big check in the mail for a song I wrote straight from my heart. Read more>>

Mikki Ulaszewski

I’ve been selling my artwork since I was a small child, not a joke either! My grandmother ran a print shop and my mother was an artist. At the age of 4 I really wanted this lion king toy of Simba. He made noises and everything. We weren’t the most well off, so my mom challenged me to raise money for it. So, I did just what my mom was doing. I drew up some cute pieces on regular paper, made copies, and sold them for a dollar a piece, some were a little more expensive; five whole dollars, to clients coming into my grandma’s printshop. Before the month was over I had sold enough copies of my drawings to afford that Simba toy myself. I jumped for joy for the whole day on the way to the mall to get that toy! That was the first time I really sold my work. Read more>>

Maeve Doyle

My first real job as an artist happened during my senior year of college, while I was in a studio art program. A local business heard about me through word of mouth and reached out, looking for someone to paint a mural in their soon-to-open shop. I had never painted a mural before, and I had absolutely no idea how to approach it—or how much to charge. I was broke and hungry for an opportunity, so when they offered me $1,200 (including supplies) to paint a 100 sq. ft. mural in just two weeks, I said yes without hesitation. Read more>>