In this post I’ll be talking about how to earn passive income and sharing a list of 20 passive income ideas for creatives.
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If you’ve landed on this post, it probably means you’re searching for a way to generate some side money, or maybe thinking about turning a hobby into something a bit more lucrative.
As creatives, we usually have several skills and talents under our belts (check out this post on how to thrive as a multi-passionate creative and create your dream career) but the idea of turning those skills into something that can pay off a few bills, or make you a full-time salary, is often daunting.
I’m here as living proof, that taking a skill and monetizing it – although not easy or done overnight – can eventually lead you to a life of creative freedom and financial abundance. My creative small business, TWG Designs, is an illustration and design studio that I’ve been running since 2015 and is now my full-time career.
The best way to do this? Generate passive income.
Passive income, simply put, is a source of income that requires one initial investment up front (via time and/or money) and then generates income with minimal labor or effort afterward. Imagine doing the work once, then sitting back and getting paid for that product over and over, endlessly… with no further effort required. As opposed to active income, where you are exchanging time for money, passive income can flow to you at all hours of the day, even when you’re sitting by the beach on vacation. You know, the whole “earn money while you sleep” concept.
It takes a lot of dedication and what I like to refer to as “silent work” up front (the kind of work that brings in zero pay and feels like a black hole of time and effort) while also shifting your mindset to look at the big picture. Building a steady passive income stream will take time, but it’s key to stay persistent and remember that you are working towards a larger and long-term goal.
There are so many different types of passive income streams, including things like print-on-demand dropshipping, investments, and rental properties. But for this post, I’ll be focusing on the DIGITAL PRODUCTS you can design and sell as a creative.
If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, just take it one step at a time. Focus on one skill, a subject you’re knowledgeable in, or a talent that comes rather “easily” to you… and ask yourself “how can I package this up into a neat little product that will make other people’s lives easier/better.”
Your talents and skills are valuable, no matter how effortless they may feel to you. Guaranteed somebody out there is in great need of something you have to offer.
I’m no business coach, so I won’t get into the complete “how to start a small biz 101” spiel, but the first step is to obviously do some market research, learn about the different selling platforms for digital products, check out other people who are already selling something similar to what you want to sell, and dissect what seems to be working (and not working) for them. Read the reviews on their products for insight on how to make your own product stand out and have a bit of an edge over the competition. But, most importantly, realize that you will be continuously learning as you grow, and done is better than perfect. So don’t let analysis paralysis stop you from hitting the “launch” button on your passive income products.
One last thing about passive income. I know I’ve mentioned several times that you put in the effort to create the product up front, and then “sit back” and let the income roll in… well, yes and no. While there is minimal effort required, you will still need to dedicate some time to your passive income streams even after they have gone live for sale. Consider things like customer service, and making sure the backend systems are working and in place for digital sales – like the tools you’ll be using to automatically deliver the digital files to customers after they checkout, etc. Not to mention marketing the products, keeping up with changes in the industry to stay relevant, and updating download links, just to name a few. While this “additional work” is usually minimal to start with, keep in mind that the larger your customer base grows, the more time you’ll need to dedicate to things like this. But hey, still far better than directly trading time for money, in my opinion!
To kickstart some inspiration, today I’m sharing a list of 20 passive income ideas that you can sell as a creative. If any of these resonate with you, think about a specific niche you can target with one of these products, and then expand to broader audiences as you grow.
- Digital illustrations or clip art
- Resume templates
- Digital planners and notebooks
- MP3 audio files
- Stock photography
- E-books and E-courses
- Premade logos (make sure these are editable templates so you don’t have to do any customization after making a sale)
- Photoshop or Procreate brushes
- Fonts
- Party and wedding stationery (make sure these are editable templates so you don’t have to do any customization after making a sale)
- Surface pattern designs
- Digital workbooks
- Printable wall art
- Sewing or knitting patterns
- Lightroom presets
- Canva templates
- Coloring page printables
- Website themes
- Branding kits (make sure these are editable templates so you don’t have to do any customization after making a sale)
- Mockups
Honorable mentions that you might also want to consider:
- Blogging
- Podcast
- YouTube videos
- Affiliate Marketing
- Print On Demand (full post on this coming soon!)
- Patreon
- Art Licensing
Hopefully, you resonated with something on this list of passive income ideas and feel motivated to start monetizing a skill or talent.
If you’re inspired to start your own passive income business and are interested in launching an Etsy shop, click here to join and create your first 40 listings for free.
This post was all about passive income ideas for creatives. If you like this content, check out these posts below:
– How to thrive as a multi-passionate creative and design your dream career
– My favorite Procreate brushes for digital illustration
– 5 helpful habits for running a creative small business
Xx Laura
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