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.

Holly Hammeren

The first time I sold a commissioned painting was in the summer of 2013, when I turned 19 years old. A woman who my mother cargave for requested I paint a portrait of her two adorable great grandchildren. I was working as a server a lot that summer to save up for my first trip to Europe for my sister’s wedding. Read more>>

Jeremiah & Heather DeLoatch

The first market we participated was a Lush Art Maker Market that I (Heather) helped organize. It was the Christmas after Covid and the local small markets were all still closed. It was intended as a way to help our staff of makers get the word out about their individual projects and make some extra money during the pandemic. It seemed like a prefect opportunity to try to sell our own products for the first time. Read more>>

J Shuler

The first dollar I earned creatively came from music. I had earned money acting doing theater, but making money from something I created from start to finish hit differently. It was fall of 2016. My manager and I at the time had spent all day in Manhattan and Brooklyn meeting with engineers to mix and master my new project. These studios were super nice, the engineers were very professional, and those prices….as O.T Genesis would say were “Way too high, you need need to cut it.” Read more>>

Shelley Helms Fleishman

I’ve told this story many times. I feel like it speaks to the support women give each other and the value of community — as well as giving context for my work. To set the scene, I was in my early 30s. I had a baby and a toddler. I’d quit my Buckhead job in IT, gone back to school for my MFA, taught briefly at a couple of universities, and then moved to the suburbs —where I felt a bit like a fish out of water. Read more>>

Jessica Ashley

So the first time I’ve earned money from acting was for a commercial for a Hospital in Mississippi. Its funny because prior to this I had absolutely no acting experience And I had only been an extra on a Disney Channel show and that was it. So I booked this commercial after seeing the casting call on Facebook and I went in and had no idea what I was doing. Read more>>

Travis Cherry

It was 1999, I was just starting out as a new producer and I was hanging with TOo Short. He had a guy who was hanging around and he worked at Jiffy Lube as well as he was rapper. Too Short told me to do sine beats for him, and barter. I went to the guys house, did some beats, and he changed the oil in my car and filters, That was my first time earning anything from my music! Read more>>

Monroe Chatman

At the time I was in the Navy stationed in Sasebo, Japan and there was a rap contest at this Hip Hop/Reggae club. Honestly, I don’t think it was legal for us to be in that part of town. There were parts of Sasebo that Americans were not allowed. I remember being nervous for this contest cause there was a cash prize for 1st and 2nd place and I wasn’t prepared at all! Read more>>

Elizabeth and Jeffrey Warner

In October of 2014 we uprooted our lives in Dallas, Texas, and relocated to Franklin, TN to be closer to family. It took us some time to find our footing, but by the Summer of 2016 we made the decision to open a small wood working business. Jeffrey had a background in metal smithing and sculpture, as well as experience as a set designer and carpenter. Read more>>

Jordan Miles

Well it started out by me paying to be in a showcase in Atlanta Ga. Coast2Coast Live Show back in 9/25/22. It was 33 artist performing and I won 1st place. So every year Coast2Coast has a championship in Miami of all the artist in every state. Winning 1st place gave me the opportunity to go to Miami. Nov 10, 2022 I performed in Miami it was so exciting. People loved my song LOVE LETTER that I dropped world wide 2 weeks before we went to Miami. Read more>>

Mae Lorenzo

The first dollar I made as a creative is, ironically, one of my most priceless memories. It wasn’t so much the validation as it was the incredible affirmation that people not only saw value in my art, but they were willing to pay for its worth, too. It was a dream turned reality — and proof that the risk and leap of faith was worth it. Read more>>

Guruhustle

I probably earned a few cents here & there before this moment, but the moment I really made any money was when I sold my first painting. No, it wasn’t Picasso – money, but it was still money! Someone valued my Artwork enough to pay for it. This made me realize I had something to offer straight from the heart . Read more>>

Jeni Stratton

The first dollar generated to any passionately handcrafted piece of jewelry is exhilarating! Can you imagine having someone like a piece of work so much then make an offer on something that’s not even for sale? I mean how flattering? The client was a regular at a common small hometown restaurant. I had gone in to have lunch with my husband and the restaurant was packed so we had to squeeze in next to tight table. Read more>>

Viviana Garcia

It was back in 2018-2019 when I made my first dollar. I was always selling items. At the age of 10 my family started to own an ice cream truck; selling ice cream, candy, chips, soda, occasionally toys. I tried to sell handmade jewelries through there. As I got older, in school I would get custom orders for friendship bracelets. Years passed and around 2018-2019, I focused my works in art and design. Read more>>

Paige Booth

The dollar I ever earned from my art was when I sold a collage to a complete stranger in another state at the height of the pandemic. Read more>>