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.

Brianna Tucker

I started getting paid to do photography in 2019, although I had always had a love for it. I started out doing Senior at Tarleton State University where I got my Degree in Agricultural Communications. It soon developed in to working with influencers and brands as well as couples and weddings. I did an internship in the marketing department at Tarleton where I got to hone in on my marketing skills and take photos at the National Finals Rodeo on behalf of Tarleton which was an awesome experience. Read more>>

Kayla Shenk

I have been a full time business owner and photographer since I was 21 years old which was a little over a year ago! From a young age I have always had a drive to complete a task that felt ‘impossible’. I always made it my mission to come up with a new idea or do something out of the ordinary. Going through High School I felt the urge to go to college to become a teacher but something didn’t sit well with me on that vision. Read more>>

Courtney Giannone

Working as a dancer and Cyr Wheel artist is not easy. We all know a successful career in the performing arts is highly competitive and requires talent. This takes countless hours of training on a regular basis. I love this practice and regimen as much as I love to perform in front of an audience. I feel lucky that this is my job, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Read more>>

Lindsay Goldapp

Being a full-time Creative can be very stressful but is very rewarding. It took me a long-time to understand that the career that was right for me was non-traditional but totally attainable. Growing up we’re really only shown examples of people working 9-5 jobs; on TV or in movies we see characters working in offices, factories, or kitchens working 40 hrs per week. They attend happy hours in pencil skirts, somehow have a 2000-square-foot apartment, and then retire at 65. It’s very cookie-cutter. (and for some reason, TV and movies only had like three job categories, which is weird). Read more>>

Bonnie Smith

Confidently, Yes. I earn a full-time living providing luxury shopping and styling services to my clients. It certainly did not happen quickly, Like most creatives starting out, I had a full-time day job working as a sales associate for Neiman Marcus. It was there that I acquired the skills and reputation for style among my many repeat clients. I would offer to assist them in their closets on my days off. Read more>>

Shaochen Wu

Earning a full-time living from your own business takes time, so go into it with a long-term outlook and patience. The journey looks different for everyone; for me, I left my corporate job abruptly and when I reviewed my finances, realized that I had enough runway to work on starting a business for at least 6 months before having to worry about making rent. It seemed like “now or never”, so I took the leap and told myself I would evaluate where things were after 6 months. Read more>>

Ashley Moran

For some time I dreamed of having a glorious office space working from home as a graphic designer and a few years ago I started to freelance here and there branding while still working odd-end jobs. Communication wise I stumbled around at first not understanding how to talk to someone professionally, and when and where to be loose with conversation is still something I question at times. Read more>>

Britty J

I have been blessed to earn enough to live comfortably and raise my beautiful four kids from my creative work, my craft, my gift. It started off small of course, I had to continue my 9-5 in the beginning while I was still trying to get my name out there as well as continuing to perfect my craft and get better. However after a year and a half I was able to quit my 9-5 and haven’t looked back and that was in 2012 so I’ve been blessed to work for myself ever since. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Tilghman

Eight years into my career as a self-employed private music instructor, I have paid my way through a master’s degree in music education, opened a music academy, hired a handful of passionate music educators, spread our school internationally, and brought my husband on full time to work with me. Read more>>

Mare

In September 2019, I realized that being a music teacher was something that I was good at, however, it wasn’t my passion. I made a huge decision to quit my 4-year job and pursue a full time Music career. I had no money saved and I had no official plan! I just knew that I wanted to do what I loved and saw myself doing ever since I was a child. I followed the signs God gave me, like leaving the school only if my principal ever decided to quit. Guess what?…….she quit unexpectedly. Read more>>

Scott Takeda

I started out as an engineering student in college. Somewhere inside my brain resides five semesters of calculus. To this date, I still process everything from a math and science perspective. And yet it didn’t quite feel right. I didn’t like it. Heck, I actually hated it. Read more>>

Andrea Sipl

Yes, I have. I’ve been working as a full-time artist for the past 12 years. I pursued my BFA in Media Arts & Animation thinking that I wanted to be a Storyboard artist like you see in the “movies.” But once I was in school and learned about pre-production and pipeline of the animation world, I realized that I had a different calling. Read more>>

Gage Davis

I got into tattooing while active duty in the Coast Guard. I would work in the marine science field in the morning and in the evening head into the shop to work on my apprenticeship. Later on I worked on building up clientele in the evenings while still working in the morning. Eventually my time in the Coast Guard came to an end and I transitioned basically from 6 hours at the shop to 8 hours and had the clientele to keep me busy. Read more>>

Giselle Lelux

Thanks to the pandemic it feels like everyone is now taking a chance with working from home and pursuing hobbies and passions in out-of-the-box ways and being a full time content-creator or influencer is at the top of the list for many. So how do you do it? I have seen, heard and witnessed every side of the answer to this question, so here is how I would do it. Read more>>

Cease Martinez

Yes I have been able to make a full time living off of my Art. Wether it’s a tattoo ,mural,airbrushing vehicles or a canvas I’ve been able to support my self . It wasn’t always easy no. There were times I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay the bills and at the time raising a family it was difficult but I was convinced that my art was good enough to take care of us and now myself. Read more>>

Brian Holt

I have been able to make a full-time living since I started my business in 1998. It did take about a year before It was a profitable business decision. I was always interested in living my life as an artist. An artist that could survive on my work alone. I thought of different ways to make money as an artist and I decided that my best choice was to reach out to local designers and ask them to recommend me to their clients. Read more>>

Patrick Bertolino

I have the privilege of making a good living while creating within my passion. Once I specialized into a main area of focus, no pun intended, I was able to improve my product and specifically network for the clientele that would appreciate the niche. That’s when I started generating more sales and new clients. Before I did this, I was not saying no to any shoot. The work suffered, I suffered and was spinning my wheels. Everything clicked once I put my mind into architectural photography. Read more>>

Jose Miguel

Yes, I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. It started in 2009 when I started working as a Teaching Artist at the Orlando Repertory Theater. I was given the great opportunity to not only teach kids of all ages but also to perform as an actor in many of their TYA (Theater for Young Audiences) program. Simultaneously, I signed with a talent agency in late 2008 and right around the time my work at the theater picked up, my commercial work in Orlando Florida was slowly but surely growing. Read more>>

Miguel de la cruz Flo

Desde hace años, lo he podido hacer, cuando decidí venir a vivir a usa definitivamente en el 2015, que llegue a la ciudad de Miami., empecé a trabajar en la decoración para eventos y allí entre en el mundo de las flores, actualmente me estoy haciendo maestro florist, y voy combinando las dos cosas, las bellas Artes y la creación diaria de arreglos florales. He estudiado y he ganado premios en años anteriores eso me ha ayudado a hacer lo que también hago hoy en dia. Read more>>

David Robles

Always i like music. Since i know i like to imitated artist. Chayanne was one of them. Also i like to sing and play instrument. When i see a band playing live, my mind fly away. All I was singing in my house, in the school and any place. I remember that my family they told me to shut up, because i sing so loud. When i was in my first year of university, my best friend died the day of my birthday. Read more>>

Sharon Jenkins

I wanted my business to be unique and boutique in nature providing specialized services based on client need. Initially my perspective was, if I build it, they will come. But when my shingle started to get dusty, I realized I needed to narrow my scope to a certain kind of customer. I also studied industry leaders who were doing what I wanted to do successfully. I took good notes and created an ideal team of contractors that complimented my business vision and mission. Read more>>

Grant Wiseman

I have a lot of interest in this topic because how amazing it is to make a living on your own. So many important notes on this topic and I will start with wasting no time thinking or worrying about others. Direct all focus toward your craft and path. All things take time and there will always be people further along than you but that doesn’t matter when you realize its all just a personal journey. Read more>>

Jessica ‘Jet’ Houston

I have been blessed enough to earn a full time living from my creative work for several years. I never would have thought that it would a possibility when I decided to pick up a new hobby. That hobby became a craft that I’ve been loving to do since the beginning. It took some months to get to the point of pursuing my art full time. I worked a full time job and any free time I had was used to get better at wire wrapping. As a creative you can’t predict where your next dollar will come from and you just have to dive in head first and trust the process. Read more>>