Passive Income Ideas for Artists
You might’ve heard the term “passive income” before. Maybe you’ve even considered doing a bit of research only to be stopped because you’re wondering WHAT passive income stream is right for you and how passive “passive income” truly is.
Not to burst into your bubble needle-first, friend, but I do want to clear up that passive income is rarely 100% “passive”…
There can be the need for marketing pushes…
shipping items yourself…
intense work up-front (like in the case of courses)…
or services to be rendered, in the case of, say, a group mentorship program.
And in addition to the work that will be involved, there will also be some sort of trade-off:
making less money…
swimming in a sea of competitors…
giving up some degree of creative control…
or in some extreme cases, copyright violations…
contract negotiations.
Having said that…
I still think that planning on a passive stream of income is a great way to untether our dollars from our hours, carving out a bit more spaciousness for our creativity.
This happens because instead of just creating a one-and-done product, you instead multiply the income potential of it by turning it into something that can be offered to many.
If you’re wondering about which passive income opportunities are out there for artists, this post is for you. Keep in mind that building these income streams can take time, patience, and a lot of trial and error. And in the cases you’re licensing your work, you’ll need to read the fine print.
Just a heads up, there are a couple of affiliate links that I’m sharing below. These are offers from people I know and love and that I know most of my audience will benefit from. Oh! And look at that… being an affiliate is yet another way to build your passive income. How meta!
Here are 13 passive income stream ideas for artists.
Create stock assets from your art and partner with companies such as Adobe Stock.
Design digital scrapbooking kits.
Create prints from your original art. My friend, Laurie Anne Gonzalez has you covered… check out her course, Art to Print.
Reach out to your dream companies for licensing opportunities. It’s a numbers game.
Partner with companies such as Artfully Wall or Saatchi.
Create a membership site. Squarespace makes it easy to do with its Member Areas feature. No need to learn another piece of software. You can do it all inside your Squarespace site!
Create a course. You can do this without leaving Squarespace or by using Skillshare or Craftsy.
Write a book or e-book or create a coffee table book from your art.
Print on demand products. Companies such as Printful, Spoonflower, and Society 6 offer was to put your art on products. Just keep in mind that it can be challenging to make a substantial income from these since the work can get lost in a sea of products and neverending scrolling. To combat this, it can be helpful to market your products within those shops, or better yet, create your own shop with Squarespace and stand alone in your own digital home.
Create digital downloads. Special occasion cards, workbooks, guides, pdfs. Think about things you can do specifically for this market. Giving people a high-resolution image of your highest original painting might not be the greatest idea. Think strategically.
Affiliate income. Search your favorite companies and educators for affiliate opportunities.
Group mentoring. While not entirely passive, you can significantly multiply the income from your hours.
If you’re a fine artist who loves working digitally, exploring the passive income opportunities that surface pattern design can bring is worthwhile.
Whenever we are exploring new avenues, it’s important to try it out to see if it feels right. Not all risks are the same for you, as they are for your colleagues.
Creating a passive stream of income is not for everybody all the time. But if you’ve got a handle on your main offering, why not look into a way of serving your audience with those gorgeous creative skills of yours?
