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.

Erika Rogers

Growing up a creative, it was always my biggest goal to figure out how to make an art-focused lifestyle sustainable and reliable enough to become my full time focus and career. I reached that goal pretty early on in my journey at the age of 20 and have been blessed enough to keep it as my full time career! I believe it’s really crucial to understand your goal and VITAL to understand the steps to reach it, early on. For me, I knew I didn’t want to rely on different waves of income from jobs that didn’t provide for me emotionally, physically, and mentally like dance does. Read more>>

Brandon Vogt

Yes I am currently supporting myself via my creative work. It has been a long process to get to this point in my life. I was born and raised in small Midwest towns with no musical family members or anyone that earned a living as an entrepreneur. I started playing guitar when I was 18 and was immediately obsessed with it. Not knowing how to make a living playing the guitar I went to college and received an accounting degree. It wasn’t until I had saved up some money in my early 30’s that I was able to quit my day job and pursue music full time.  Read more>>

Yasmeen Semaan

Yes, I’m incredibly grateful to be able to earn a full-time living from my music. It wasn’t like that from the start, though. It’s been a journey of passion, persistence, and a whole lot of learning along the way. When I first discovered my love for music, I dove in headfirst without fully understanding the business side of things. I just knew I had a talent for writing songs, creating catchy melodies, and expressing myself through my voice. So, I started working with any producer who was willing to collaborate, and they would release my songs under their profile. This allowed me to tap into their existing audience and gain exposure. Read more>>

Diana Suarez

I never imagined that content creation could become a full-time career for me. Initially, I approached it as a hobby, posting random videos without much direction. At that time, I was working over 40 hours a week at a supermarket, doing physically demanding tasks like unloading heavy merchandise from more than 10 pallets within tight deadlines. This work took a toll on my health—my hands started to fail, and I experienced severe pain in my bones and tendons, which made it difficult to sleep. Read more>>

Aviante’

Yes, I’ve made a full-time living as a creative, but it wasn’t easy. I always believed that if I could break free from the 9-5 grind, I could fully focus on my passion—art, content creation, and writing. I grew up hearing “play it safe” and “have a backup plan,” but I’ve never been one to follow the rules. Sometimes, you have to force Plan A to work—no safety net, no excuses. That’s when you really find out what you’re capable of. Read more>>

Stephanie Troxler

It’s taken me a couple of years, but I am finally earning a steady and predictable income as an artist. At the very beginning of my career, I first started selling on Etsy. I offered art prints, greeting cards, and gift tags. The sales weren’t consistent and Etsy would take quite a bit as their commission, so I decided to leave the platform and open my own website. At this point, I had learned how to use photoshop to create a variety of products using my artwork and patterns and had began selling my products to retailers. Read more>>

Anna Flowers

I have not yet earned a full time living wage from my creative work. I have been sewing for over 30 years with a passion for wearable art and am currently working towards that being my reality. I spent the last 20years raising two children and knowing the commitment both would take, I prioritized my family. I have only in the last year decided to go 100% into business and it has been such a whirlwind I am beyond excited to see where it goes. Read more>>

Miriam Coriano

Yes I was able to earn a full time living from my creative work It happened after I got laid off in 2018 and I decided to start my own bussines to do not depend on any one and use my creativity and talents to provide for my family . Initiallly I had my regular job and then came home 6:00 pm and then o started my own orders until December that I quit my job to dedicate me 100% to my own business. Read more>>

Danielle Powers

My journey as a professional artist began after graduating from the Art Institute in San Diego. I studied CG modeling and surfacing for video games and animation. In my final semester, a recruiter from Nickelodeon came to my school in search of new graduates for their new CG department at the studio. I applied and got hired, the timing of it was perfect. Read more>>

Jeff Williams & Mani Negarestan

Mani: Because of my deep fine art background and spending ample years practicing painting and drawing, when I began tattooing I was able to pick up the techniques much faster. It was pretty much like learning a new medium. Although there’s much more into tattooing than traditional art techniques. There’s no erasing and you’re dealing with a live canvas so there’s a lot more to consider. I also had great mentors which helped me learn quicker and the correct way. Read more>>

Deniz Cimlikaya

Like everyone else, I started creating things at an early age, and of course, it took time before I began earning money from it. I completed my studies in Graphic Design at high school and university in my home country. In fact, I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do since a young age. I can say that determination is one of the most important elements of this work. You need to be determined and stubborn on your path because no one will clear the way for you. I started carving out my path by drawing and trying to discover what I loved. Read more>>

Michelle Bordenkircher

I’m currently making a full time living from my creative work. I’m a wedding and family photographer, and absolutely love what I do. I used to be an ESL teacher and when my son was born I decided to stay home with him. After the first few months I knew I needed to do something to make a little bit of money and having always been interested in photography, I decided to jump in. I knew I needed to make a little bit of money to help out with bills, but I had no idea I could make a full time living through photography. Read more>>

Brian Nozny

While my career goal always involved music, it went through a number of different iterations before I landed on what I ended up with as a college professor of music. I first went to school for music education, planning on being a high school band director. After about a year I felt that wasn’t for me, and pivoted my music major to performance and composition with the hopes of writing music for video games. While pursuing a graduate degree in composition I burned out on writing music, and pivoted again to pursuing a career in academia teaching percussion. Read more>>

Raymond Wright

Build Your Brand: Develop a strong personal brand and online presence. Use social media, a personal website, or a portfolio to showcase your work.Diversify Your Income Streams: Explore multiple revenue sources like freelance work, commissions, teaching, selling products, or licensing your work.Network and Collaborate: Connect with other professionals in your field. Collaborations can lead to new opportunities and expand your reach.Understand Your Market: Read more>>

Seleah Simone

Before Covid, I worked part-time at a restaurant while covering red carpets all over the country in my spare time. Once the government shut down- I knew this was the time to jump into my journalism career full-time. I took a few courses with my peers. I hired a hosting coach who cast for companies I wanted to work for. I started to apply for jobs and directly contact the hiring managers via email. Eventually, I got hired as a field producer. My current job isn’t my dream position yet- it’s open doors I could’ve never imagined. I got my foot in the door. That was a big step for me. Read more>>