The world needs artists and creatives. Unfortunately, being needed doesn’t often easily translate into financial stability. The struggle is real for so many incredibly talented artists and creatives and so we think it’s important to hear from creatives who have made it work – there is so much to learn from the folks we’ve featured below.

JuWon Lee

Yes, I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. My journey to achieving this success was not a straightforward one, as I initially pursued a different field of study before discovering my passion for visual effects. My interest in visual effects was sparked by a behind-the-scenes documentary about a Hollywood blockbuster film, which showcased how technology could be used to create awe-inspiring visual effects that looked incredibly realistic on screen. Read more>>

Reza Jackson

What started out as a hobby of taking pictures for fun to show of my outfits turned into a 6-figure business that is not only earning revenue but bringing joy to people. I remember it was back in 2017 when I had first posted some IG shots of my outfits and just started doing it daily. Then, I stumbled upon an upcoming content creator who encouraged me to buy a DSLR camera and start taking “pro” shots and that, I did. Fast forward 2 months, my followers grew to 5,000 and I got my very first collaboration. It was a free watch and at that time, this was a HUGE milestone. Read more>>

Adonis Tsilimparis

I have been lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love. Scoring music for Films and TV has been a lucrative and fulfilling endeavor. It wasn’t easy though. I had been playing on Bands for years making a small living. It took a while for me to find a way to earn a substantial income in this business. There are many ways to accomplish that, but you need to figure out where your strengths are and focus on that. Some people have a knack for teaching music, others might be more adept at production. Read more>>

Jorge Izaza

From the moment I discovered the craft of carpentry, I was instantly captivated by the beauty and richness of the wood with its intricate designs, tantalizing textures, and varied grains and colors. I’ve always loved creating art, and wood is the perfect natural medium offering endless possibilities, styles, and shapes. Living in Mexico, my life as an artist was limited by the lower purchasing power of a country where most people cannot afford to spend hard-earned money on sculptures and other pieces of art. Read more>>

Alex Magee

They key word here is funding, funding, & more funding! As a creative who aspires to be full time in ANY creative field you will definitely need funding and sponsors to contribute to bring your vision to life. Having early experiences in Hollywood has prepared me for the droughts that come with the industry. The best advice I can give to a young creative is to always have a financial plan B or find a job in an industry like F&B or DIY(lyft, uber eats, etc) that is flexible schedule wise, so if you need take time off you are able to! Read more>>

Grace Mattes

I think to how many creatives and, in this scenario specifically, hairstylists are struggling to make a living in this industry and it tears me apart. It’s no secret that cosmetology is an extremely saturated (dare i even say over saturated) field. It’s a dog eat dog world out here and from what i have been told, the introduction of social media drastically amplified this dynamic. It’s harder than ever to stand out in this field, and how do we get clients and make money? By standing out. I made it my mission to become a 6 figure stylist at maximum speed. Read more>>

Joanna Kaye

I have has the very good fortune to be able to make a living from my creative work. I graduated from college with a degree in vocal performance. I worked on various cruise ships and did the South Florida Condo Circuit. I moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to pursue an acting career. It was there that I became a club DJ and Karaoke host. After moving back to South Florida to be closer to family, I started working as a mobile DJ. I but soon grew weary of carrying heavy equipment around. Radio seemed to be the next logical step so I enrolled in the Radio Broadcasting program at Miami Lakes Technical Institute. Read more>>

Austin Heitzman

How has covid changed your business model- Few businesses escaped the impact of covid, mine was affected in both good ways and bad. The immediate impact was a high burst in demand. With everyone establishing new home offices and just wanting to generally improve the home environment they now found themselves stuck in furniture experienced the biggest boom I have seen in my 12 year career. I was fairly confident this wouldn’t last forever so I made a habit of saying yes to everything and raced to keep up with production. Read more>>

Randall Garrett

For over twenty years, I worked with Dallas College, as a gallery director and instructor in Arts and Humanities. During that time, I also opened Plush Gallery, and pursued my career as a visual artist. Having a salaried career gave me a level of comfort, but also held me back by never forcing me to push my limits. Two and a half years ago, the pandemic came, and I was laid off from my teaching job, and suddenly had to face the idea of rebuilding my career, when many of my colleagues were close to retirement. Read more>>

Shawn Adomanis

While attending the University of Maryland for fine arts, I was a graffiti artist and drew all the time. At this time, I was 20 years old and had just found out that my girlfriend, now wife, Meredith, was pregnant with our daughter. Since I was not taking many art focused classes yet, I felt I could teach myself better than that school was. So, I left school to find a job in order to support our growing family. Read more>>

Ann McDonald

I started Half Moon Designs as a business page on Facebook. Mainly I wanted something to write on the forms for craft fairs. Slowly, my sales moved from craft fairs to online sales. I`ve been incredibly fortunate to have had a wonderful customer base. Eventually, I tried my hand at making TikToks of different items I`d made. One of those TikToks was a short clip that I had my eight year old film for one of my burrito wallets. In only a few seconds, I showed how I wrapped the handmade wallet in tin foil and put it inside a brown paper bag. Read more>>

Zeek Taylor

The big break that helped launch my career as a professional artist came unexpectedly. After finishing college, several years passed when I was not working as an artist. I found a profession in the arts to be a difficult way to make a living, and instead I chose to work as a haircutter. Eventually I did start painting again, and I displayed some of my artwork in the salon where I worked. One of my clients noticed the paintings. At the time she was working for the Franklin Picture Company of Chicago as a sales representative covering the state of Arkansas. Read more>>

Romuald Pliquet

the golden age of surf photography was mostly in the 90s/2000s. Brands and magazines at the time did not hesitate to send you to the four corners of the world to photograph surfers at their expense. Surf trips were also in vogue at that time with the heyday of vhs. Today all this is over or at least the floodgates are closed. The global economic difficulties in several sectors, including the surfing industry, no longer make it possible to continue benefiting from these advantages. Read more>>

Gem Jaxx

It has taken me 12 years to get to where I am professionally and I continue to push to further within my career. There were risks that I have taken such as spending many hours on my art and less time working so I can master my art. I risked relationships because my art came first. In the beginning I was living on a budget so that was the struggle but years later it paid off. With all the hard work and dedication I have finally created a brand for myself that people are recognizing and I can now work for myself and help mentor others. I never dreamed how far my art would take me and to be able to make a full-time living. Read more>>

Hannah Williams

In my opinion, making a full-time living as an artist is not an easy task and it can take a considerable amount of time to achieve. The first step to becoming a successful art entrepreneur is to view art as both a passion and a business. However, there is a limited amount of resources available on how to become a successful art entrepreneur. Furthermore, the category of art is vast, encompassing many forms and processes, making it subjective. While starting your art career, you may have a solid idea of how you want to express yourself, but as you begin to work on your craft, different opportunities may arise that lead you down different paths. Read more>>

Elolo Bosoka

At the moment, I can say i am on my way. I think i am proud of what i have accomplished so far eventhough I am not yet earning so much from my practice. Read more>>

Vincent Castiglia

Making art is like using a muscle. I’m not certain I believe in “talent” (aside from undeniable prodigies from an early ag), it’s a lifetime commitment unto death to develp and envision whatever is most ‘value’ to one to depict, and does not come easy, nor quickly. My largest, 7 foot tall paintings have taken 3.5 months, “exactly as much time required to *complete, in the truest sense) each piece to absolue outskirts of my ability and envleope that could be pushed tfor the catharis and relating to the world it afford me. Art for me was initially an “escape”. Read more>>

Chris Cartwright

I quit a lot of the numerous dead end jobs over the years that were taking up my time and focused on building through the network of people I already worked with in music and sports to work various places either full time, part time or freelance. Once I mapped out where I wanted to go and the main focus of work I wanted to do plus the help of reliable colleagues I started working more events and with great people across the board. It definitely helps being in a busy market such as South Florida to work in as well. Read more>>

Brenda Macon

I grew up during a time when there were not many obvious lucrative career paths for creatives. Thankfully, this could not be further from the truth today. The magic sauce for success appears to lie in being both an expert in your craft as well as in the business of your selected industry. If you sell jewelry, then figure out how to sell it and be as good at business as you are at your craft. I have been fortunate to make a full time living from my creative work, Read more>>