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.

Stephanie Arborn

I have been able to earn a full-time living through dancing and choreographing and I absolutely love it! What really made me want to choreograph for a living was seeing my competition team coach do it when I was about 16 years old. She inspired me to want that life and I strived for it. It wasn’t always like that. When I was younger, I used to want to be a vet. As I got older and into high school, I was looking into business management. However, after trying college out for a few semesters, I realized it wasn’t the right path for me and I decided to go forward with making dance my career. Read more>>

Jennifer Salaberry (aka Azuukichan)

After many years of difficult work, a lot of effort, sweat and tears, I can say that I can currently make a full-time living from my creative work. I don’t remember exactly the date I wanted to work on my art, but I think it was around 16 years old (I’m 38 now). It wasn’t good at all. It was a difficult time to stand out, because at our time, having access to the internet and finding resources was very limited. When I was eight years old, my grandfather gave me books on anatomy, drawing, perspective, etc., but I didn’t pay attention to him, since what I wanted to do was manga and I didn’t associate it with it yet hahahaha Read more>>

Don Kobasky

I walked away from a thriving career as a 13 year full time tattooist, going so far as to literally give away all my equipment and supplies, including a very expensive dentist chair, all so I had no possible retreat should my painting career stammer or fail. I was graced by God with a divine “download”, where one afternoon I was instructed to start painting, coupled with an odd surge of sudden knowledge…in other words, I was suddenly infused with both the instruction to pursue this new endeavor coupled with base knowledge, a know-how which prior to this divine encounter I knew nothing. I then accumulated a series of paintings and began applying to galleries and art shows, meeting only angry faces and complete rejection. Read more>>

Antony Zito

I have been making a full-time living from my artwork for over 20 years now. I have always painted portraits on commission but things really began to unfold for me when I opened a small storefront gallery on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 2002. It had long been a dream of mine to run my own gallery and, in the wake of 9/11, I watched the cost of rent plummet in the classified ads in the Village Voice. There was one shop I adored on Ludlow Street and when it dropped to $1325 a month, I pulled the trigger. I had only a vague plan but the building owner took a chance on me and I stayed in that space for 5 years. Read more>>

Kathleen Hope

Yes I earn a full-time living from my art. I have been supporting myself solely on my art for 20 years. It certainly was not from day one. I painted for 15 years prior to making a living. I made some money in those 15 years but wasn’t concerned about making money. There is no speeding up the process, you need to put in the time to produce good art and learn about the art business. I was never anxious to sell my art right away. I also knew if I wanted to make art full-time that I needed to move for more opportunities. Read more>>

Michelle Hotaling

There has been no greater gift than making a living from my creative work on my own terms. Before creating Michelle’s Sanctuary, I relied on others to say “yes” and book me for their projects. It was a constant hustle, and the erratic schedule of a performer left me battling insomnia. In 2015, I discovered sleep hypnosis and meditation videos on YouTube, which ultimately helped me overcome my sleep issues. This inspired me to start creating similar content that was more imagery focused. As a fan of choose-your-own-adventure stories as a kid and someone who has vivid dreams, I thought my stories would give people a chance to enjoy a second-person narrative that felt like a dream– where anything is possible. I also found how the art of storytelling and personal challenges could help me create meditations for pain relief. To date, my “Migraine Relief Meditation” has been licensed all over the world and every day I receive beautiful messages about how it is helping migraine sufferers ease their discomfort and fall asleep. Read more>>

Scarlett Jacques

I have been performing since I was 7 years old, and first was paid for my work at the age of 11 in Lunchbox productions NZ tour of Annie the Musical as orphan Kate. My next professional show was at age 14 in Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Billy Elliot the Musical as ballet girl Margaret Gormley. It took a lot of training and a lifetime of dedication to my craft in order to earn a living off my creative work. These two shows were as a child actor, so it wasn’t necessarily a livable wage. Once I graduated high school in NZ I decided to move NYC to pursue my passion and take the next steps in my career. I studied for 2 years at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and earned my Associate Degree in Musical Theatre. Read more>>

Nina Marie

My journey started back in highschool where I poured out my heart and soul into the arts. I was always known for drawing or painting in my school. I also felt deeply passionate about photography and was accepted into Maryland College of Art for college. However I soon discovered that I really did not like the lack of work-life balance that this fine arts school offered. Everything had to be eat sleep and breathe art and nothing else. I ended up transferring to a university that my boyfriend was going to out in Michigan and fell in love with it!! It offered fantastic facilities for photography and web design. I worked hard to build up a solid portfolio for myself. Read more>>

Debbie Smith

I’ve been able to earn a full-time living since 2018 from my photography work, but it was definitely a journey, and it didn’t happen overnight. When I first started, I was juggling photography alongside a full-time state job for 8 years. The turning point came when I realized that photography families, kids, and babies wasn’t resonating with me anymore and I realized that I LOVED photography just 1 woman. I realized I wasn’t just taking photos of her; I was helping women over 40 rediscover their confidence and see their worth reflected back at them.  Read more>>

Andy Adams

Yes, I started my artistic career while also working from home. This allowed me time to create but it also gave me the experience of self discipline and not having someone there to tell me what to do and when to do it all the time. One day I decided it was time to make the plunge and dive into my art career completely. It was not easy and it still is not easy. It’s a process of building upon your career and building your work at the same time. My first major steps were my fist solo show and the first art fair that I attended. These two things showed me it was a possible career. I don’t believe I could have sped up the process based off how I did it, I could have always planned better. Sometimes you have to just go for it and stay true to yourself. Read more>>

Mabell Rodriguez

Yes, I’ve been fortunate to turn my creative work into a full-time living. It wasn’t an overnight success; it was a journey that started with small steps. I began as a part-time makeup artist, working with locals in my community, friends, and family. When the pandemic hit, I turned to Instagram to share tips, helping my clients maintain their looks while in lockdown. Read more>>

Amarra Lopez

It wasn’t an easy journey, but it was worth it. I started creating content at 12 years old on YouTube, purely out of passion. Back then, I had no idea this could eventually become a full-time career. It wasn’t until college that I decided to take social media seriously. I realized there was potential to earn money and even turn it into something more sustainable. Read more>>

Sabrina Siebert

I began painting six years ago at age 32 as a hobby. I’m now three years into being a professional, which for me means I apply and and am admitted into at least 6-8 shows a year, I’ve bought and paid off all the necessary supplies and equipment to attend these shows (cargo trailer, show tent, display panels, frames, etc), and I am able to dedicate just enough hours during the week to produce a steady supply of new pieces. I do LOOK like I’m making a full time living. However I FEEL like I’m part-time dying because of all the extra shit I have to do to fund this slow-moving and financially cringey undertaking. Read more>>

Becca M

Despite what some people have to say, you can absolutely make a living from creative work. I’ve been able to make a full-time living as a photographer for over 10 years. I got a BFA in Photography in 2014, but I will be the first person to tell you, you do NOT need to go to school to become successful in a creative field. What you do need is discipline and commitment to learning and practicing it. Read more>>

Matt Polson

Earning a living as an artist has been an intense focus of mine for over 20 years. From the time I discovered I wanted to be a filmmaker at the age of 16, to four years later when I was cast in my first professional theatre production, I was determined and confident that I could – one day – find a way to earn a full time living as an artist. That said, it was a long road, as typical regional theatre productions can pay the equivalent of minimum wage, or less. Read more>>

Will Ramirez

Ideally, I would love to get to a place where I can create whatever I want and have it resonate with enough people to support me. At the moment, I’m still figuring myself out; creating art and selling at local art vending events and working as a freelance graphic designer to make ends meet. I used to work as an in-house graphic designer for an advertising agency and as covid hit I was laid off. I then landed another design job for a banking app and about six months later I was laid off again. The banking app I worked for positioned themselves towards small businesses and it was inspiring taking in the stories of successful people who figured it out. I decided all this effort I’m putting in to work for someone else, I’d rather put back into myself. So far, It’s been challenging and I feel unsure about the future but I’m still determined to keep going. Read more>>