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.

Susana Vijaya

I was born an artist and salesgirl. Around the age of 5 I made drawings and went to my parents’ driveway, trying to sell them to whoever passed by on the street. Read more>>

Billy Geoffrey

Over the past year, I have been jumping into a lot of creative endeavors that I previously felt too creatively blocked/unable to do before. Read more>>

Nina Luna

I started painting(October 2013) while I was going trough breast cancer. SInce I had a long time to sit during a chemo session I would draw to pass the time. Read more>>

Mohammad Solei

Earning your first dollar in a creative career isn’t just about doing what you love; it’s about focusing. At first, I thought being good at many things would help me succeed. Read more>>

Monzer Kotob

A lot of people nowadays go about their creative pursuits alone. The tools for creating are on everyone’s phone and laptop, and there are university courses worth of tutorials online for free. Read more>>

Camila Franco Ribeiro Gomide

In my opinion, the first job is always the most important one. It takes one person to believe in your craft to set the record and pattern for future hires. Read more>>

Hillary Reynolds

The first dollar I ever made as a performer was when I was a freshman in high school, performing at a local coffeeshop in rural Wisconsin. Read more>>

Jonathan Valdes

The first sale I ever made covered a lot of ground of what to expect going forward. Both good and bad amongst many avenues of observation. The first dreamcatcher I ever sold came just a couple of months after I started making them. Read more>>

Rosie Hodson

After 16 years in the teaching profession, bringing my love of art to the classroom, I spent 20 years running my own early years music business, which was brought to an abrupt halt by Covid 19. Read more>>

Nee Kirschman

The first time I got paid as a writer was for an animated movie. I thought working in animation meant I’d only be limited by own imagination– wrong. I was limited by what producers wanted to spend money on animating. Read more>>

Melinda Curtis

This isn’t quite a first dollar story, but it comes close. As a newbie traditional author, I was paid a small advance. I waited with great expectations for my first royalty check. Read more>>