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.

Wendy Batts

t was a few years ago. My brother had passed away, and I turned to art to work through the grief. Wasn’t really sure what I was expecting, except to process the loss, and hopefully design something that could resemble a memorial tattoo, then give it to a “real artist” to create the actual piece. Read more>>

Mark Banks

People who aspire to earn money from being a recording artist are a dime a dozen. The reality is much like another industry I’m in (Financial Services), the amount of people who never earn a dollar is staggering. Audiences are constantly bombarded with new music and new artist hoping to make their way. Read more>>

Siena Solinda

In college, I was in a music video for a metal band in San Diego. It was my first ever music video I auditioned for and booked on Backstage. I LOVED every second of it. They paid me and gave me 2 free tickets to their show! This was definitely the project that inspired me to be in more music videos. Read more>>

Christie Jean

My first dollar earned as a creative was a couple of months ago when I had the opportunity to be an extra in one of Tyler Perry’s upcoming movies. It was a super fun experience and learned what it was like to be on set. Read more>>

Tyrone Williams

The first dollar I ever earned from content creating was being a guest on the @GirlThatsScary podcast for Dread Central. I was shocked someone wanted to pay me for something I’d do for free and to be honest pay to do. Read more>>

Yiqing Zhao

I made my first paycheck at 7 when a short story I wrote was published on a local newspaper. I was born and raised in China so that story was written in Chinese. I was in first grade at the time, and couldn’t even write many Chinese characters, so the piece my mom helped me submit was a mixture of pinyin (the phonetics of Mandarin) and the characters. Read more>>

Amber Moneé

I’m thrilled about sharing this experience! It brings me immense joy. I vividly recall my relentless efforts to perform at various restaurants without any compensation; I was eager to share my talent, take the stage, and simply have a blast. When the opportunity to perform and get paid for doing something I love finally presented itself, it was truly incredible. Read more>>

Loy Lee

As a stand-up comedian, the journey to earning your first dollar is filled with small gigs that pay mere five or ten bucks scattered throughout the comedy scene. You’ll encounter tip jars passed around like Sunday Mass collections, where the audience chips in to support the performers. I can’t distinctly recall the moment I pocketed my very first comedy earnings, as it likely vanished into the abyss of parking meters and bar tabs at the shows I was performing in. Read more>>

David Rio

I want to tie this in with, “Unexpected issues” as well. First dollar I received as a creative was for being on ,”What Would You Do?” For ABC. Shoutout to my brother, William Gallego! The most I have gotten in one check was for my Makers Mark commercial in 2021. Read more>>

Moabit

I was like 10 years old when I got my first dollar for drawing. I loved this cartoon on TV, and after each show, I spent an hour sketching the characters on a regular paper. Read more>>

Vickie VanHurley

I earned my first “dollar” after graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I returned to my hometown of Flint, Michigan after graduating with an Associates Degree in Fashion Illustration and Advertising Art. I decided to spend the three months before continuing my education at Albion College at home. Read more>>

Rachel Austin

After graduating with a degree in Management and Finance, I floated about and landed a part time job at an art supply store in downtown Portland while I figured out with to do with my life. Working at Art Media gave me a good lesson in art supplies and materials and I started painting on the side. They used to have group employee shows in the store and I decided to put a few paintings in. Read more>>