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.
John Keough
I submitted poetry through the mail for years, to magazines and periodicals found in the PEN America annual listings. For a long time, I got rejection after rejection. Then I started to get acceptances, first from college presses and then from larger magazines. For years, this was without pay, just copies of the various publications. Read more>>
Donn Rabot
I started my Rack City Low Bikes business during the pandemic when I tore ACL playing basketball end of 2019. I had surgery 2020 and riding bike was part of my physical therapy. I would ride lowrider bikes all the time. I started a instagram to promote my bikes and my first client was Saweetie and jhene aiko they was looking for a lowrider bike for their music video “back to the streets” their team hit me up on a rush call to bring some bikes out so I rented them out and the rest is history. I’m the go to for lowrider bikes for tv/music/film production. Read more>>
Rodney Royal
It was February, and the Coconut Grove Art Festival was in full swing. The streets were alive with color, music, and creativity. I desperately wanted to be a part of it — to showcase my art — but a booth was far beyond what I could afford at the time. Still, I wasn’t ready to let that stop me. Read more>>
Jen Solomon
About two years ago, I started a passion project–a sustainability blog that combines my desire to write with my mission to educate and inspire others to care for our planet. Initially, I didn’t consider this as a potential source of income until a friend suggested incorporating affiliate marketing. As an ancient Gen-Xer, I had no idea how that worked, but I decided to give it a try since I was already linking to eco-friendly products throughout my content. I figured it would be worthwhile if I could at least break even to recoup my out-of-pocket costs. Read more>>