My Top 19 Best Passive Income Ideas for Artists & Creatives
How can I make $1000 a month in passive income?
I am creative.
And so are you.
I know how much you love creating new things. Whether it is writing or creating some designs on Inkscape, the ideas are limitless!
If you really love creating new things digitally (I love playing with mud and doing pottery but… I’ll leave that for another time!)
Passive income is a game-changer
I really love passive income. Seeing how many ways a creative like me can earn, I couldn’t stop myself from creating more income streams.
This is the no.1 reason why I started my music store. I am a writer on weekdays. And a music store owner during weekends!
These small creative income streams not only offer me financial freedom but also the ability to focus more on my craft rather than constantly worrying about making ends meet.
It’s only because of my writing career that I was able to leave my 9–5 job.
Create once, sell forever!
It’s a goldmine (yes you need to work hard for it!).
There was a time when you needed to go to an agent or a publisher to get your little baby published. But this is not the case.
You create.
You sell (having an audience and affiliate helps a lot).
You keep the maximum profit!
No middleman. No waiting. No upfront cost to set up your store.
My Top 19 Best Passive Income Ideas for Artists & Creatives
Now let’s see some of the examples. If you are an artist or a creator then these can be a lucrative option for you. I hope you won’t miss this out.
- Selling digital art — I have heard a lot about Procreate. If you are an artist and can make illustrations and art then I would recommend selling them on Gumroad. why waste such a precious gift? Earn money from your hobby!
- Templates — I have heard a lot about Notion too. Never used before. You can sell various templates like Canva etc online. I am fully a spreadsheet user. If you want then you can check them out here.
- Stock photography — I guess many of you must be already using MidJourney and Leonardo for that, right? I’ll recommend selling them directly to your audience as well.
- Patreon — This could be in various forms. You can give them exclusive art rights (one new art per month) or you can give access to your entire catalog as long as they pay you monthly fees. I love Patreon but never tried it.
- Sell Fonts — I don’t know how people do it but if you can then why not turn it into a money-making machine?
- Affiliate marketing — I love arts but I haven’t tried anything much yet other than writing. I am thinking of doing affiliate marketing on my Music account (Instagram). This is best for art lovers!
- Art stickers — This is a very niche one. Goodnotes and iPad stickers are really famous out there!
- Printables — Some use Notion, while some use Spreadsheet. While still some love the traditional way. There is an audience for everyone! If you are interested in making and selling printables, then make it using Canva and sell it on Etsy and even your own store.
- YouTube — I have already talked about my latest side hustle. I have a Faceless Voiceless YouTube channel. You can read more about it here. YouTube automation is really famous nowadays.
- Blog — I have only two blogs right now which I TRY my best to maintain. I have seen people having multiple blogs making a good income at the end of the month. I would advise you to start a Medium blog which is completely free. If you love writing or showcasing your art then Medium can serve as the right platform for you.
- Ebook — I make money writing ebooks. I write ebooks under multiple pen names and also I have ebooks published on multiple platforms. This did happen overnight. it’s my 10 years of work. But yes, there is no right age or time to become a writer for sure.
- Sound effects — This I was thinking of for a music store too. The niche is really good and is very specific as well.
- Artwork for Video Games or Apps — Indie game developers and app creators always need artwork for their projects. If you are into this then this is a very lucrative niche. Low competition and high income for sure.
- 3D Models — Not sure what this is but someone on Medium is making a full-time income selling 3d models on Etsy. If I find the writer, I’ll add her here.
- T-shirts — I love the print on demand but am not very successful with it. If you can create superb T-shirt designs then this is definitely for you!
- Coloring Books — Low-content books are really famous on Amazon KDP. You can create books in various niches. Use Canva for that.
- Art NFT — You can sell your artwork on places like Rarible, OpenSea, or Foundation.
- Art Subscription Box — We have a dating subscription box, a book subscription box, and now this. Best for art lovers!
- Podcast — With other art online businesses, also start your Podcast. This will help you bring in more traffic and of course more sales as well!
Conclusion
Creatives all around the world, the times have changed.
No need to wait for someone else to sell your work.
Get back to work. Create your awesome piece and monetize it in various forms.
Create. Sell. Reeeeepeat!
See you soon!
If you are interested in Gumroad Business then you can check out my ebook — Build Once, Sell Forever — How I Create & Sell Digital Products With Gumroad
