Earning that first dollar is incredibly special and a moment many never forget. We asked some very talented creatives from the community to tell u s the story of the first dollar they earned from their creative works.

Leland Klassen

I had been working on my stand up comedy act by myself and had plans to try it, but I didn’t really know where to start. I told very few people that I was working on it. I did however tell a guy I had worked and when his parent’s comedian canceled for their Christmas party, they called me and asked if I was a comedian. I said…”yes, I am”. Read more>>

Kashmira Tare

Doing what you love makes you happy, but selling or giving away your very first artwork brings a very different satisfaction and smile to your face. I started drawing and painting at age of 5. The biggest motivation and reason behind recognizing my talent was my mother, and building something out of it was only possible because of my better half. Read more>>

Alessandra Maria

The first dollar I earned as a creative was right after I graduated from college. At the time, I had to leave New York for a bit and back to my parents house, waiting tables in between so I could save up money for renting an apartment. I was offered a spot in Zach Tutor’s Supersonic Electronic group art show, at Spoke art in San Francisco, and I had to make one piece for the show. Read more>>

Albert Lew

My very first paid gig was for an independent web series pilot in late summer of 2021. I finished filming my first ever principal role on a short film a few months back that would later win awards, but was unpaid (I’m still proud to do it because the project was for a greater charitable cause). I was hitting a lull so I upgraded my headshots and more auditions started pouring into my inbox. Read more>>

Adrian Jennings

You know, when I started painting, I had a 9-5 career and 2 young children. I also had absolutely no clue what I was doing. But I remember saying to myself, “You have something to say. And it’s worth saying.” I had this idea of a painting celebrating the beautiful, tired, overwhelmed mothers. And one of my favorite pastimes was taking a bubble bath with my little ones. Read more>>

Sydney Burmoodz

My first dollar made being a creative was designing stickers for the Skate City in Westminster. I knew the manager there and they needed stickers done for an event. I was so excited and so I went right to work. I used the blue and red of the logo to make a cool gradient of “SC” with wheels (since it is a skating rink). I was paid my first $50 and I knew I could really get paid for doing this. Read more>>

Amanda Wathen

I was born the 6th of 8 children, to free spirited parents. My father, an artist himself, used porcelain tiles as his medium. When I was about 13 years old, my father noticed my desire to paint. So my sister and I began painting murals on tiles. This was the first taste of being a professional artist as a young adult. Then I had 2 children in my early twenties, this put art in the background for a while. Read more>>

Joyce Iacono

About 20 years ago, soon after getting married, I began painting. I enrolled in my first art course at a neighborhood community center. I fell in love with painting as soon as I began blending the colors. That feeling of blending the colors and coming up with a purple or an orange or some version of it was luxurious and inspiring. Of course, at the beginning, it’s all about exploring different styles, mediums, and colors. Read more>>