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.

Jaywall

The first money I earned from Music was through Distrokid. Which is an online platform where you could distribute your music to major platforms, such as Apple and Spotify. When I received my first dollars from creating music. I immediately knew new in my head that I could make a living from what I’m putting out. Read more>>

Chris Courtney Martin

I started out doing script coverage for WeScreenplay not long after I got out of college. I’d had multiple internships at that point and had learned how to analyze scripts for a production house at 20 years old. Read more>>

John Green

I can remember making my first tee shirts for my podcast. This was a great achievement for me due to for years buying others peoples clothes. It gave me the incentive to make my own clothes instead of relying on another brand. This gives you a sense of satisfaction knowing that you can put your own creations out in the world. Read more>>

Lindsay Taylor

As a creative, especially as an artist there is a certain stigma tied with being an artist. “The starving artist” or that’s not a career more of a hobby. When I was younger hearing things like that was discouraging. I would always find myself watching documentaries about Walt Disney and how he started up from nothing and almost going bankrupt twice to being one of the most influential people and names of his time. Read more>>

Katelyn Marks

Back in 2017 is when I first started painting. I’ve always been a creative person and my partner convinced me to give it a go. I tried it and enjoyed it so I started a page for my art. I kept at it for a bit when someone sent me a message saying they’d like to purchase a piece I had made. I was over the moon excited, turns out she was located in the u.k. which was also very exciting. I had to learn how to ship things and to ship overseas. It was the first sale I had ever made. Read more>>

Rob Lawless

I started my journey to spend 1 hour, 1:1, with 10,000 people on November 11, 2015. I took a picture with everyone I met and shared their stories through the captions, connecting with just over 100 people over the course of 8 months. At the time, I was also working full-time as a sales rep at a tech startup; however, at the end of those 8 months, the company I worked for was acquired and I was laid off. Read more>>

Zé

First dollar I ever earned from music was when I would produce beats and sell them. And then when I performed down at my college after I graduated, I was getting paid for shows. That was the best feeling. Because I get paid for doing what I love to do Read more>>

Nelson Estevez

My First Dollar earned as a creative was performing as a background performer in a major feature film. This was a defining moment for me since this gig fed my curiosity of pursuing an acting career. The most memorable dollar for me was when I booked my first principal commercial ad. I couldn’t grasp the amount of money that was made in those few days. Read more>>

Yeakun Yoo

When I was a sophomore in college majoring in composition, a friend of my parents was developing an English vocabulary game app. While he was looking for a person who could create game music, my parents recommended me as a game composer to him. He wanted to give it a shot with me and that’s how I became a composer engaged in revenue-generating activities for the first time at that point. Read more>>

Elizabeth McIrvin

The first dollar I ever earned as a creative was ironically, the first time I was ever cut from a music video. I drove to a shady warehouse downtown and spent six hours, along with thirteen or so other extras, eating crafty and waiting to be called for our turn to be on camera lip singing the words to an upcoming R&B songstresses new single. There were group shots taken, which I actually was impressed that they were able to smoothly cut me out of, kudos to the editor. You might be wondering why? Read more>>

Jessica Bell

So my first official order was in Fayetteville NC and I had to make a softball cake. Listen I was SO proud of that cake, we went out to celebrate at Targets lol. It was not only first official order but it was also my first order from my website. I was so happy for the opportunity that I’m sure I was floating around like gravity didn’t exist. Read more>>

Natalis Rubero

In 2018, as a budding songwriter, I was determined to make a mark. I embarked on a mission to translate Eleni Foureira’s hit Eurovision song “Fuego” into Spanish, enhancing its global appeal. After countless hours of dedication, the translated song was presented to Eleni’s team. I came to find out shortly after that my version resonated with Eleni, and she chose my translation, allowing me to witness my words come to life on an international stage. Read more>>

Rohitash Rao

The first time I got paid to create anything was during my sophomore year in college. One of my professors saw some of my drawings in class and thought I might be able to sell some of them to her father who created coloring books. It was the strangest “interview” I ever went on because all I did was show him my sketchbook – which was filled with random black and white drawings. Read more>>

Cyazon

The first significant amount of money I earned as an artist was in 2020. I was working on a sound pack for a big artist’s sample pack for Splice, a place where music artists can download royalty-free sounds. The project took about a whole month and a lot of sleepless nights. I was paid about $1,000. Read more>>

Moana Avvenenti

When I was 16, I started a band with my dad and one of his friends called “Moana & the Toopah Peas” (2 papi’s). We got a weekly gig at a bar. Read more>>

Voyce Voyce

My first dollar earned as a creative was at the Fillmore in Silver Spring MD. I was opening up for Jacques and it was a cool experience to be a part of. I had to sell tickets and I got a percentage of what I sold. My ticket sales were so great, I sold all my tickets, and had a blast during my 20 min set. Read more>>