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.

Kelly Ferguson

The first dollar I made as a creative was $400 in cash handed to me in a parking lot. At least that’s the first sale that I consider or even remember to be significant. I was in the process of officially moving out of my parents house into my own apartment. Stacking all my many paintings, which had grown in canvas size over the years, was not exactly an encouraging task. Read more>>

Shawn Kelly

The First Hundred: It all started when I paid $1200 for a beat machine, my father said something that sticks with me to this day. He said “make sure you make back the investment” I am paraphrasing a bit but I took it as, make sure you at least make the money you paid for the beat machine and more of course. So the start of that journey was a months later and I’ve been making a decent amount of beats. Read more>>

Brieze Levy

After graduating college, I found it easy to get a job teaching dance. I love teaching, particularly teaching other adults, yet there was something different about getting paid to perform or choreograph vs getting paid to teach. I remember when I got booked for my first gig, it didn’t pay well, and I didn’t care at all. Read more>>

Jackie Loeb

Ha Ha…this question makes me laugh. I spent two years as a comic before I earned a brass razoo! I would do open mics after thinking when am I going to be offered a paid gig! I began to think I was being exploited when in actual fact…I just hadn’t done enough open mics to truly hone my craft. In hindsight I was up to the standard of booking paid work. Of course I could never admit that at the time. Read more>>

Danielle Taylor

My very first music dollar was earned in 2012. Read more>>

Johnny Muñoz

My first dollar earned as a creative is tied to the initial period of discovering my passion for painting and in particular spray painting. As an Austin native and local, my friend had introduced me to the Hope Outdoor Gallery a.k.a Castle Hill. Going there for the 1st time had opened up a new world for me and I knew I had to try painting on a wall (legally). Read more>>

Lorraine Devon Wilke

I was fifteen. There was a group of musicians getting together in the new town to which we’d just moved (Crystal Lake, Illinois), originally tasked with playing the folk masses at the Catholic church my family belonged to at the time. I didn’t play guitar, so wasn’t sure there was the place for me in this project, but my mother insisted: “Honey, they have plenty of guitarists… they need singers!” Read more>>

James Lucas

The first time Dear Banshee got paid was mind blowing. It was our first gig at amnesia in San Francisco’s mission district. It was only $50 but I will remember that forever. Read more>>

Spitty

I actually did this performance at a middle school back when I was in first year of University. I was out at Western University and had to take a 7am train back to Brampton which I almost missed too. Then I had to take the train back at night right after the show, super hectic day and half the money went to Via Rail. Still, an unreal experience as a barely adult really making money off the music. Read more>>

Mariya Pyter

The journey of Magic Hour Productions, Inc. into the world of creative filmmaking took a significant turn with a remarkable project: a documentary commissioned by the producers of the Rotary Club Utah. Their mission was to bring the heartwarming story of Bear-o-Care to life, a facility dedicated to supporting children with multiple special needs. This project marked a pivotal moment in Magic Hour’s history, not only as a creative endeavor but as a meaningful opportunity to make a difference. Read more>>

Na’eem Walton

My very first dollar earned as a creative/artist was from a streetwear brand name Yakuza Premium based out of Berlin, Germany. The company produces all their content for spring/summer campaigns in Los Angeles. At that particular time I had no personal social media accounts, but a business page my partner operated for our start up fitness application. Read more>>

Gabriel Da Rosa

This is not my very fist Dollar earned as a creative story. But It’s a good one. Read more>>

Shellane Zonicle

I remember like it was yesterday, my very first paid gig. It was for some hair care company lol, I never heard of. I was so excited for my first real check. At the time I was heavy on YouTube doing my lil thing and this particular company reach out to me and offer free product for a review and stated they would pay me if my video made over 10k. Read more>>

Halah Miller

I started drawing from a very young age, but didn’t really begin to hone my craft until I was about 15 or 16. I started drawing my first graphic novel while I was a sophomore in high school, and self-published it by the time I was a senior. While I was still in school, my mom showed my work to one of her friends who was working on a children’s book and she hired me. Read more>>

Ro DelleGrazie

I’ll never forget the first time I earned money doing stand up comedy. It was a restaurant on Staten Island, called Gibs Ribs. The bathroom had cow and pig noises playing while you peed. They offered me either a sandwich or 10 dollars. I took the 10 and I still have it to this day. I went home and pinned it on my bulletin board. Eventually the restaurant flipped into Jewish cuisine, the only problem was they couldn’t figure out how to turn off the cow and pig noises so as you can imagine it didn’t bode well. Read more>>

Katt Naz Viloria

My first dollar earned as a creative was back in 2012 when I started making jewelry. My friends were always supportive but when the first stranger bought one of my necklaces at a pop up I was stoked and felt like this was something I could do. It was in a time when Wynwood was a very different place then what it’s now. Read more>>

Robert Shearn III

My first dollar earned as a creative came from posing nude as a Figure Art Model. I remember it being a challenge trying to get my first Figure Art Modeling gig. I lost interest pursuing it because of the rejection. A Nudist, Model, Actor friend pushed me to pursue it at a place he modeled at and I got my first opportunity. So it was exciting to finally acheive it. Read more>>