Making ambitious work while operating under financial restrictions can be challenging, but YOU (yes you) can still accomplish a ton, even whilst working within a limited budget. We spoke with three very qualified creatives with very varied practices — Jennifer Xiao @jxiaoooo (illustrator & Cheeto-tiger maker), Sadie Dupuis of @wax.nine (a poetry journal & record label), and Manny Lemus of @citruscityy (a cassette tape label) — and heard about how they began & currently operate their projects in the absence of major funding. A few topics covered in these discussions include: the balance of investing money and time into your practice, managing finances, and how "doing it yourself" necessitates taking on a variety of day-to-day roles that extend outside of your """job description."""