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.

Joy Bijedic

I have never had a traditional job. Growing up I coached gymnastics for ten years throughout my schooling. After college, I waited tables while pursuing my dream of singing and acting. After another almost ten years of that path, I stumbled back on photography. I had always loved it growing up. My Mom was big on taking photos and videos. I even entered a photography contest in junior high. I just never viewed it as a career. At the time it was a male dominated field and not digital yet. Read more>>

Norbert Tsi

Building my business wasn’t easy, it was a long, uphill climb filled with uncertainty, challenges, and sacrifices. In the beginning, I was just trying to stay afloat. There were moments when I had to borrow money to pay rent, unsure when or where my next paycheck would come from. That uncertainty was terrifying, but I kept pushing forward, holding onto the belief that hard work would eventually pay off. Read more>>

Rachel Miller

It is a struggle and it all relies on not just creating work for people to purchase but to manage and promote your work as well. If you can be your own social media manager, shop manager and sales manager, you can sell your work! It was not a “instant” success and still requires a lot of promoting to make ends meet. It can take awhile to build a fanbase and direct traffic to your work. Read more>>

Eva Kolb

I have had an incredible opportunity to make a full-time living from my creative work. I am fortunate to work at an agency called SGK where I have been working at for about 2.5 years.

I’ve always been an artist. From the moment I could pick up a pencil, I was drawing anything and everything. I spent most of my childhood filling sketchbook after sketchbook with characters, figure drawings, and random things that inspired me on the internet. As I got older, though, I got more and more nervous as a creative person. Read more>>

Katie Ward

Yes, I have been able to earn a full-time living as a real estate photographer, but it wasn’t like that from day one. My journey started in portrait photography, but I eventually expanded into real estate photography to provide high-quality listing content that helps agents market homes effectively. Read more>>

Eric Wall

Yes, I’ve been fortunate to earn a full-time living from my creative work, though the journey has been anything but linear. From the beginning, I’ve had a deep appreciation for all types of art—whether working with museum collections, gallery exhibitions, or sourcing art for corporate and private collections. Read more>>