
These Six-Figure Jobs Are Perfect For Artists And Multi-Talented Free Thinkers

Back in the day, many of us were often told we couldn't really make a good living doing anything creative. There was always this push for a "good, stable job," whether doctor, lawyer, government worker, nurse, or the like. I'd always had a knack for storytelling and writing and while I wasn't outright discouraged by my mom to pursue those things, I wasn't exactly encouraged to do them as a career.
I made the mistake of majoring in business by the time I got to college only to later be rerouted to my first love---exactly what God put me on Earth to do. There are indeed ways you can have a fulfilling and well-paying career as a creative, especially in today's media-saturated world.
And since y'all absolutely ate up the last list of high-paying jobs for creatives we published, let's continue challenging the status quo. Here are a few more options for six-figure jobs for artists and multi-talented free thinkers.
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Online Community Manager
In this role, you can earn up to $118,000 and the duties are diverse. From managing and creating a company’s brand voice and image online to ensuring engagement remains authentic and consistent, you can definitely tap into multiple skills with this role. If you love creating and publishing content on all media platforms, reviewing marketing and social media metrics, and being in charge of the engagement activities of building online communities, this is a fit.
Political Speech Writer
We all see the buzz going for Kamala Harris and her bid for the Democratic nomination to run for president, and what's behind a great campaign are great speech writers. With an annual salary in locales like California, for example, at almost $90,000 along with extra funds for any other speech writing duties that you can charge for, six figures is a feasible salary to make in this role. You'd need a knack for communication, writing, and storytelling in order to thrive.
Interior Designer
If you're a go-getter with an eye, knowledge of trends, and great at project management, get into the creative side of this industry. In certain markets, you can earn up to $111,000 a year as an interior designer. You can land gigs with hospitality, corporate, or private clients or work for a design, architectural, or hospitality firm.
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Campaign Manager
You can earn $100,000 or more per year and work in a variety of industries and sectors, including civil service organizations, marketing agencies, and nonprofits. Depending on your passions, experiences, and skills, the type of industry you choose with this job is up to you. Oftentimes you'll be tasked to craft and communicate messaging and manage the teams that create those messages. Professionals who are in this role often also have marketing, data analysis, and operations skills and have obtained advanced degrees in business administration, communications, digital marketing, or related fields.
Senior Copywriter
From ads to SEO content to commercials, copywriting can be a lucrative career if you love writing, coming up with concepts, and making someone's artistic vision a reality. In some markets, you can earn up to $183,000 per year writing for brands, corporations, nonprofits, or publishing houses. The potential for earning more money goes up when you're a tenacious freelancer with multiple clients.
Game Developer
Gaming is a multibillion-dollar industry, and women of color have the opportunity to disrupt. Annual salaries for this job can vary depending on where you are and your level of experience, and they can go up to $108,000. Some get far simply by taking design courses, while others earn advanced degrees in computer science, programming, and software engineering. If you love creating digital gaming products, have great ideas of games that might be popular, or can incorporate gaming into educational platforms, you might find this a good fit.
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Wedding Photographer
One thing that never changes: People are going to give birth and people are going to get married. It's a timeless tradition that will always entail some sort of capturing of memories. And with people spending an average of $33,000 for a wedding, trust me, people are spending that money.
If you love photography, have special training (especially in graphic arts, photographic design, or photojournalism), and love love, give this a try. You can either set your own prices by the hour or project or work for an events company that specializes in luxury weddings, earning $108,000 per year.
Erotic Fiction Writer
Tapping into this multi-billion-dollar market is not for the faint of heart, but if you believe in your gift, can offer something unique, and can build a loyal community of readers, you've got a six-figure career on your hands. Some writers sell their short stories online via platforms like Amazon KDP, Patreon, and independent publishers, while others release full books through traditional publishers.
Muralist
The market for craft and design creatives is expected to grow into 2032, and that means if you're into doing large-scale unique works of art, it's time to start now. When charging per square foot, the annual salary can easily reach six figures (like this artist), and if you're able to land a few great paying gigs, even better.
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
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Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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