By Jess Santacroce
Writer/Editor: The 315
Watching our favorite content creators raise money from nothing, or nearly nothing, is both entertaining and inspiring. Whether it’s YouTuber Ryan Trahan’s penny challenge to raise money to help fight hunger in his community, or a reseller showing you how you can make enough money to live on for the next month if you devote some time to flipping items for a month or two before, we watch, both because it’s an interesting, often inspiring, story and because we might get some ideas we can use to reach our own financial goals.
Then we sit back and think about it, and usually brush off the idea of trying this for ourselves. People who have spent years on social media building an audience have thousands if not millions of followers. Their channel is almost always highly monetized at this point, earning well enough to eliminate the need to spend time doing any other work. There’s no way we can do this between gigs or readings, second careers, day jobs, practices, and all the work involved in managing our career as a business.
What would happen if a perfectly ordinary local artist tried to raise money from nothing or next to it? Artist Cafe 315 is going to spend the next month finding out.
The test subject:
I am blessed and grateful to get to work entirely in the arts. I earn all of my income through writing, usually teaching writing classes for local schools and writing content for other artists. For volunteer work/service, I sing. I’m a member of my church’s worship music team. I do not currently have a day job, a second career, or even a side hustle or volunteer work outside the arts….mostly because writing, singing, and an affinity for languages are the only talents and skills I have, and the languages have really lapsed lately. But the closest I’ve come to being a well-known writer and singer is a friend of somebody on my worship team recognizing me because he’s seen me around campus at the school where I often teach writing classes.
As the project starts, I’m finishing up teaching three classes for the university and a music blog for a local radio station, singing on worship music team every other week, writing other content for the 315, and writing my second novel.
The challenge:
Last year, I test-ran a copycat of Ryan Trahan’s penny challenge by starting with a penny, and ending with the few beauty treatments and products I use free to me. The least important thing I could think of was chosen in case of failure. Since the facebook algorithm showed the articles to very few people, with one person who regularly reads my work responding “What’s a penny challenge?” when I later referenced it, I am going to do something similar again. But since the challenge also ended in success, a second layer and something that will matter to somebody else will be added on. I have to raise funds not just for the items and services, but for a “spa day” for myself, meaning my transportation, food, and entertainment on the day that I get any professional treatments and shop for products must also come from these funds. I also have to raise the same amount of money that I would have spent on everything and use it to bless another local artist.
Tools and rules:
Last year, I earned a free Amazon gift card through a points program. I earned the points by spending no money I would not have otherwise spent, making the gift card free. The card was used to purchase a purple purse that was given away and a green nylon makeup bag. All funds must come from that green nylon makeup bag, my free points programs, and/or a cash generating activity I can do without spending a single penny. I have April 14, 2026 at 10:00 am to May 14,2026 at 10:00 am to complete the challenge.
Other rules:
1. Honesty is a given, but I also cannot walk up to people, announce that I’m trying to replenish my beauty routine plus bless someone else with $325 and ask for their help. Only the readers of The 315 will know that in advance.
2. I may announce that I’m trying to earn a certain amount from an activity.
3. I can only accept or ask for two rides from my husband, a family member, or a friend to do challenge related activities. All other rides must be Uber rides paid for from the funds of the challenge.
4. I may do challenge related activities if I am already out somewhere doing something else, but it has to be something I normally do, such as shop for groceries, go to medical appointments, or teach writing classes. I can’t set out to do something just so I can go do challenge activities. If I do that, all funds spent must come from the makeup bag, points, or completely free to start activity.
End goals:
I wish that I could base this on one of those elaborate beauty routines we keep seeing on social media, and offer someone a large grant. The beauty routine, and matching funds from this challenge will be modest. I don’t do dramatic hair changes. Straight hair is the most flattering on me, plus my hair is a weird combination of extremely thin/fine in texture and thick in volume, making curling it something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, even on days that’s me. Whenever I get it cut shorter than shoulder length, I start looking like a squirrel. I get trims, and my color rotates between my natural auburn, true red, and burgundy red depending on my mood and funds. I may add one hair mask or treatment to that someday. I don’t do nails. Bath and body beyond basic hygiene is a single fragrance product, makeup is eyeliner, mascara, and sometimes lipstick, and skincare is currently nonexistent but might become one or two products, if that. The value of all the makeup and perfume I would own is about $180, which I will round up to $200 in case I add a product. Hair would be about $60 for a women’s haircut and $10 for a box of hair color, at most. That comes to $270. A round trip with Uber is about $30, and stopping for a treat on my day out would add another $25, bringing the total to $325.
I have one month to start with my free green makeup bag and a bunch of rewards points and end with a mascara, three eyeliners, two lipsticks, two lip glosses, two fragrances, the means to go out and get a haircut, maybe a color and one or two other products if things go well, and $325 to bless someone else.
Works referenced:
Ryan Trahan's YouTube channel: Ryan Trahan - YouTube
Photo credit: Jess Santacroce
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