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.
Calista Garcia
It was my senior year of high school and one of my friends kept asking if she could buy a print of one of my photographs. I felt strange selling her my work since she was my friend, but the more I thought about it I realized that other people could want to purchase my work too. It was then that I decided to start start selling prints of my digital art to my classmates. I sold a lot of prints that semester and it made me feel so much more confident in my work. It reassured me that my work has purpose and it deserves to be shared. Read more>>
Hayder Ghadhban
In 2008 I soon to be graduated as an Electrical \ Electronics Engineer. During this time the institute of electrical and electronics engineering “IEEE” made a famous competition among 3 top Universities, one being the University of New York. The challenge was for the best art design for the IEEE of 20th anniversary. I won that compaction among thousands. Read more>>
Caitlin Rogers
I love this question because I love telling this story. The first dollar I earned as a creative wasn’t from a client exactly. But a stranger. I could mention so many stories of clients, the grind, the cleverness of getting to a satisfying result; But what I count as my “first dollar” as a creative (as an adult and with my degree) was at this restaurant called “Pure” in Atlanta. Read more>>
Kelly Hanlon
The first time I received revenue was this year on 1/27. I was emailed by Facebook inviting me to the bonus reels play program. My first few hours I think I made like 20 bucks. I felt on top of the world. I did a solo victory dance in my room alone. Felt so great to finally have my content recognized. It was empowering. Read more>>
Carolina Coto
When I was about 9 years old, my dad taught me how to make bracelets and rings with this colorful electrical wire scraps he had. I started taking my creations to school and my classmates would buy them. I had other creative entrepreneurial experiences like that, at around the same age. I made these little things to hang on the wall with cute pictures in them and motivational phrases, like the ones I’d seen at a local stationery shop. Read more>>
Melissa Kelley
About 10 years ago, there was a small art gallery located near my home. I loved going in there to look at all the paintings, handmade cards, clothing, ceramics, and other items that were made by local artists. It was a great place to go and buy gifts knowing the artists lived and worked in my area. One day I met the owner and told her how much I love to paint and that being in her store gave me inspiration to create my own paintings. Read more>>