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.

Lauren Battistini

The first time I earned money as a creative was at the ripe old age of 5. I remember distinctly selling my colored coloring book pages door to door at our small four plex apartment in New Orleans, Louisiana, where my mom and I lived. The first door I knocked on was answered by a lady who did indeed purchase my “artwork” for a dime. Read more>>

Natasha Lehman

I always knew I was an artist. When I was in grade 3 or 4 and I put my art in a show. I remember that piece was of a rainbow. I remember the thrill of having my piece on display. I think I was hooked from that point on. I continued with art lessons at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) throughout high school. Later I got my degree in Visual arts at Western Ontario. Read more>>

Sylvester Hill

My first earned dollar as a creative came in the form of upfront payments for ghostwriting for rappers who needed their songs polished or help the artist achieve their creative levels with guidance on song structure, melodies, bar counts etc. Read more>>

Nathan Jarelle

My first book sale happened at a post office. I was carrying a copy of my first novel around when a cashier noticed its cover and asked if I had one to spare. I didn’t at that time, but my house was a few miles away (laughing). I jetted back to the house, grabbed an extra copy and returned to the post office. I was just so thrilled that someone took notice of my book and wanted to support me. I still have that $15. Read more>>

Myra Scholze

I started making art slowly and purely as a hobby. I never considered selling it because, well, I assumed no one would want to buy it. Six months after beginning to work with ceramics, I hosted an informal sale on my instagram page. It was just a handful of small dishes intended to hold a used teabag, and they sold out instantly. Read more>>

Fiona Thomas

I started my business as a way for me to unwind after busy 24-hour shifts as a paramedic. As I also run a nonprofit dedicated to first responder mental wellness, this was the perfect way for me to “walk the walk” – I love candles, and I love coming up with custom scent blends! My very first customer was another paramedic, my partner actually – he knew I was starting to make candles and wanted an oak whiskey tobacco blend. It was the first custom order I ever took and it rapidly became a massive bestseller at markets. Read more>>

Kelley Batson-Howard

The first time someone gave me money for something I created, I was absolutely astonished. It came from a very unlikely place (never think you fully know who your fans will be), at a very hectic time of the year, and at a time I sincerely needed the cash flow to continue forward. To this day, I fully believe it was a gift from God. The buyer not only purchased one piece, but three and that purchase gave me the confidence to continue along the path I’d chosen just as I was having doubts. Read more>>

Sylvia Cervantes Blush

The first dollar I earned as a creative is something I’m very proud of because it taught me to believe I could make a living doing something that I love. Read more>>

Lové Iman

Now, I may have made an art sale or two prior to this, but this is the first dollar I earned that I remember vividly. 2 years ago I started a podcast with a friend of mine called the Eww Variety Show, we came up with a whole roll out and promo campaign and all of that. The first campaign was “Swipe Right on Eww” where me and my co-host, Bri, both did dating videos. Shortly after I posted my video, a friend of mine DM’ed me and asked how much I was charging for the painting behind my head. If only every sale was that easy! Read more>>

Roxana Izquieta

I clearly remember the first dollar made as a creative. It was at my first artisan event at the Hollywood Artisan Market. At that time, I would make my candles with bright colors that made my table look pretty. I had skulls, angels, teddybears and goddess candle on display, which caught a lot of people’s attention. That day i made about $800; and couldn’t believe it was all because of everything that I created. Read more>>

Saloni Dwivedi

That first dollar you earn as a creative executer is a liberating and addictive feeling. I truly can’t remember the first time I made money from just being myself, and I think thats because I know this is an innate skill I am able to practice to perfection. I do remember earning my first income in a foreign country in the airport through my craft and thats what shifted my perspective completely. Read more>>

Riski Wahyuningsih

I am a freelance Illustrator from Indonesia. I started working as an illustrator through several platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork. I got several projects ranging from NFT Art, Stickers, illustration posters/books, mascot logos for business food, and many more. Read more>>

Thomas Kwiat

We were about 9 months into Live and Amplified, and one of the musicians we had worked with on our Video Series had pitched us to a Jazz Festival that he was a member of. We would come in and film and record all of the sets (For promotional use). We made a proposal and gave an estimate of how much it would cost and as usual (for freelancers)… Read more>>