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.

Andrea Godin

Some of the first money I earned as a creative was when I locked in my first music licensing/sync deal on national Canadian Television. The show was called “Out There With Melissa DiMarco” which aired on City TV and OMNI and I secured this deal a couple years after I began writing. I believe I was around 17 years old. I was still brand new to learning the basics of the music business and I was really excited that myself and my producer at the time made this happen. Much to my surprise, the show aired over and over again for years which resulted in years of royalties. Read more>>

Kree Tremble

I earned my first dollar as a creative at the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative “Visions in Black” Exhibition. It was my first time having my work in an exhibition through an organization outside of school, interacting with potential buyers, and eventually selling my first piece. Being in such a new environment was very dazing, but being able to sell my first piece really cemented my progression as an artist in my eyes. Read more>>

 Nova Jay

The first dollar I ever earned as a creative was I think my second real photoshoot. I was just starting out and i was working with a jewelry company. I honestly can’t even remember what they paid me but I know it was just a couple hundred. I remember feeling so proud and excited to be making money from doing something I love and so soon at that. I still have that same feeling of gratitude today. Read more>>

Zi Moreira

I earned my first dollar when a colleague asked to buy one of my paintings. At this point I had dedicated several years to honing my craft at a local art school. During one of these classes, a fellow student was captivated by my artwork and expressed a desire to own one of my paintings. This was a pivotal moment for me. I embraced the opportunity to share my art with others and agreed to sell the painting to my colleague. Read more>>

Karl Hibbert

In 2015, shortly after beginning my self-production in my apartment alongside my heat press and printer – my biggest hurdle was being seen and infiltrating the fashion scene in the city. Without a team or strong base in the urban community I didn’t have an influencer friends or conglomerates to tap into for promo. Working at Finish Line through college I have always been a sneakerhead and attended Shoe Expo’s; Read more>>

Janae White

When asked about earning my first dollar as a creative, I recall my experience at a women’s wellness conference in Rialto, California. It was a significant moment for me because it was my first time showing my art in a public space and I was able to make money from it. The event was particularly special because of the encouraging and informative atmosphere created by the women in attendance. This experience helped to jumpstart my art career from a hobby to a professional pursuit. Read more>>

Nancy Reyna

My first customer was my watercolor teacher! After the self-portraits lesson in class I did three portraits from old photos of my children, finding that I enjoyed it and had a knack for it. My teacher then commissioned me to paint a portrait of her niece and nephew, insisting on paying me. At that time I was a third grade teacher and I was encouraged to offer commissions to my fellow teachers. Read more>>

Austin Addams

This is a funny story.. When I first moved to Nashville, I didn’t have any music jobs lined up. I had a few friends from college who moved to Nashville a few years before I did and were working in the music industry but that was it. I had a lot of free time that I spent going around town finding guitar shops. One day I was just playing some guitar off the wall at a random shop and an older gentleman introduced himself and told me that he was a music producer in town. Read more>>

Bri Frey

My first sold artwork was an extraordinary moment. But before that sale happened, there were countless rejections. I adapted my prices after these rejections- gouging my price points but maintaining the quality. Fortunately, a persuasive art collector went out of their way to teach me to value my work. Read more>>

Jennifer Chang

Prior to creating content on my own, I got into the “creative” industry as a part time gig as a model. A local agency was looking for people for a hair booking, and I decided to submit for it since I needed a new hair cut. While I didn’t book that particular job, it led me to being signed with an agency and having a few jobs here and there, but it most importantly led me to explore my creative side which is something I never did in the past as an Engineer (my day job). Read more>>

 Elisa Rossi

Surprisingly I found my first committed collector while doing deliveries for Postmates during summer 2020. Mr Kelly approached me at Starbucks on Melrose Avenue as his attention got caught by my hand painted backpack. He asked me if I was an artist and I said yes, doing my best. Read more>>

Alec Burnright

I remember the first song I was able to sell as a digital download. It is fitting that the song was titled “Transmutation”. I had been recording music for a while at this point. I would find and purchase a beat I liked, book time at a studio to record, pay to have the song mixed and mastered, then invest more money into promoting the music to wider audiences. Read more>>

Mladen Batizić

It was a spring 2020. Covid was a big thing back then, the situation in my country (Montenegro) was very bad. Everyone was struggling financially. I had my page (@designsbymladen) just for fun and to communicate with other graphic designer. After a month of designing only for fun, a client came by my page and contacted me. It was a famous basketball page BallDawgs. We agreed on terms and we began to work together. I was so happy that i started earning from my hobby, even my parents couldnt believe it. Read more>>