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.

Karl Powell

My first client came to me through a refferal from a friend. I wasn’t even sure what to charge him but I handled the production for him and he paid me $300. I was so happy and proud of my self. I took my friends out to eat to celebrate. I knew if I could make $300 that I could make $3000, $30,000 and so on. Read more>>

Stephen Horning

The year was 1996 and I was 14 years old. It was the golden era of JNCO jeans, tape decks in every car, and the birth of the internet as we know it. My buddy Wink and I started a two man band called ‘Prink’. He played drums while singing lead, and I played guitar and some bass. After watching me attempt to record my guitar through experimental methods for many months, my dad decided to get me a four track Tascam tape recorder. Read more>>

Nina Miller

I shared a tent with 3 other artists from a studio at my first show. I didn’t have much to sell, had never sold my glass art, and had no idea whether anyone would want it. I sold quite a few pieces, but what pleased me most was the interest people had in how it was made. I discovered that I loved talking about it. My only disappointment was having to pay over to the studio owner much of my profit for supplies, kiln firing, and my share of the show expenses. Read more>>

Edye Evans Hyde

The first dollar I made as a singer was right after I graduated from high school. One of my high school friends had put a musical duo together and was performing at a local restaurant. I few of my friends thought it would be a cool thing to see him perform. We had all been involved in high school choir and decided to all sing a song we had learned for a concert in the restaurant. Read more>>

Alice Wilson

As far as performing it was 1999. I was playing a nurse in a traveling children’s musical called Zink the Zebra with a theatre company called Circle Stage. My first $100.00 check was like finding a Golden Ticket.  Read more>>