When Tricia Robinson first got on Etsy in 2013, it was to help save her cat’s life. 

“My cat got really ill and I was getting vet bills through the roof and I couldn’t afford to pay them,” Robinson said. “So I created an illustration that was inspired by him and I sold it.” 

That’s when Robinson realized she could use the platform to sell more of her work and actually make a living off of it. 

But after receiving her first payment from Etsy, the Montreal artist says she was struck by the difference between her sales and the amount