Passive income is a great way to improve your financial situation with practically effortless work. Your start-up initiative will pay for itself once you've established your passive income channels.
We hear a lot about the different ways to generate income in business – selling merchandise, retail business, and even Ethereum casino gambling. But, in your art profession, passive income should be a big element of diversifying your revenue.
In the era of the Internet, many talented artists and creative people can break the pattern of being unnoticed and out of reach for potential connoisseurs worldwide. They can focus on seeking inspiration while their financial needs remain fully covered.
We have compiled a list of 10 ways to help you generate regular and steady streams of passive income.
Writing an Art Blog
From selling ad space through sites like Google Ads to publishing affiliate links to the things you swear by, there are a variety of methods to transform an artist's blog into passive money. It's also a great way to promote your work and increase traffic to your website.
Affiliate links are one of the finest ways to monetize a blog, and it's not difficult to set up your affiliate status with a site like Amazon—though you'll need to make a few purchases per month to keep it.
Examine numerous revenue-generating tactics for your blog, focusing on what works and discarding what doesn't. Concentrate on traffic while you're at it since the more people who see your links, advertising, and content, the more money you'll be able to make.
Here are a couple of art blog ideas:
- Tips or tutorials on how to achieve the best result in your master technique
- Reports on new galleries
- Create videos showing how you draw, and then share written tips about it
- Tips about freelancing as an illustrator
- Partner with Print-on-Demand/Drop Shipping Sites
Print-on-Demand platforms allow you to print your work on a variety of products such as wall clocks, iPhone cases, bags, etc. This is a terrific way to generate consistent cash flow and if you keep generating strong creative ideas, you can earn long-term income.
The beauty of print-on-demand platforms is that all you have to do is submit the artwork, which you probably already have.
Everything else will be handled by the print-on-demand companies you're dealing with, including marketing, selling, shipping, returns, refunds, and more. This is a fantastic, stress-free method to bring in some much-needed funds very fast.
Here are ideas for some merchandise that you can sell using your creativity:
- greeting cards (in honor of the New Year, birthday, and any holiday)
- wedding invitations, decorations, etc.
- sweatshirts, t-shirts, children's clothing
- diaries, journals, notebooks
- pillowcases, towels, interior items
- phone cases, mugs, other souvenirs and gifts
Selling Art on Instagram
Instagram has already surpassed Facebook and has managed to establish itself as the most popular social network for artists and those who love art. That's fantastic news for aspiring artists since it means they won't have to climb the social ladder or wait for big-name reviewers to make the decisions. Instead, you may connect with buyers worldwide who are eager to pay for your work.
The more popular your Instagram account is, the bigger the demand for your work will be. So, if you're looking to gain more followers, follow these guidelines:
- Post high-resolution photos.
- Choose a clean background and natural light when shooting your artwork.
- Write original captions that convey a narrative; stick to your cohesive style or brand—find a filter, hashtag, phrase, etc. that define you and your art.
- Use hashtags that are relevant (that correspond to keywords representing your art)
- Write a compelling bio (it's the only area where your followers may click a link).
- Post on a consistent basis (at least twice per week)
You're killing two birds with one stone by selling on Instagram: you're showcasing and promoting your work while also leading shoppers into your sales funnel.
License Your Art to Brands
You might be able to gain from what is known as art licensing if you are a talented artist or create something trendy.
Licensing is where you give corporation permission to use your artwork for a certain purpose, usually to help sell products. Then, when something with your artwork on it sells, you get a percentage of the sale.
You could make a lot of money if you could negotiate art licensing arrangements with well-known brands and corporations, and you could do it all passively.
However, there are several things you should know about art licensing before committing to this.
Art Leasing
Between the time you make a piece of art, and the time you sell it, there is usually a period of downtime. This lull in activity between sales can do more—experiment with leasing your artwork if you wish to take advantage of this transition period.
Leasing your artworks works just like with any other product or service. You rent out your work to a paying party for a specific amount of time, whether through an art leasing firm or on your own.
Apart from generating money from your art's “rent,” leasing your art has a number of other advantages. When you lease your paintings, you're giving yourself a new marketing option. Many companies rent art, which they subsequently exhibit in public spaces. Passers-by can look at your work and inquire about the artist who created it.
Leasing your work establishes connections between you and your lessees. Renting your art to businesses or people can increase your chances of being recommended to their friends and colleagues in certain fields. You are also getting to meet lessees who may become regular customers by leasing your work.
Sell in Galleries
Selling art in galleries is the desire of every artist on the planet. Selling at a gallery is exciting and inspiring, and it's also a great opportunity to generate some long-term passive income.
The gallery will take care of everything for you, so it's perfect for passive income. The only disadvantage is that the gallery will take a percentage of your transaction, which you must accept if you want to make frequent sales and enjoy this passive revenue.
Sell Online Courses
Another approach for artists to generate passive income is to produce and offer online courses in their areas of expertise. This is something that has been increasingly popular in recent years, and for a good cause. By 2026, the e-learning sector is expected to be worth more than $350 billion!
As a result, one of the greatest ways to look at passive income for artists is to design and offer online courses based on your skillset. You'll only need to register these once and profit from them every time the course sells. This is a fantastic option that can completely transform the game for you.
Selling art on Etsy
Have you been looking for ways to sell your artwork over the Internet? Etsy is another great choice. This marketplace allows you to show off your work to a larger audience and grow your business. Hundreds of vendors have found Etsy to be a reliable source of revenue.
The fact that you may sell nearly anything creative and artistic is what makes this marketplace so popular:
* Accessories and jewelry
* Wall decorations
* Visual art
* Collectibles
Etsy is recognized not just for its unique handcrafted things but also for its amazing digital art. Etsy's variety draws a wide range of clients, which may be quite beneficial to your business.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most straightforward ways to supplement your income. This is when you utilize your platform to promote someone else's company or product in exchange for a fee.
You can easily include this and become a significant part of what you currently have.
Affiliate marketing is an excellent method to not only make additional money but also to strengthen current ties and build a strong network. This will be extremely beneficial to you in the future, especially when it comes to marketing oneself.
Monetize a YouTube Channel
Many artists benefit from their YouTube channels. Create a channel and either join the YouTube Partners Program or put your content on YouTube Premium to start generating money on YouTube. Before you can start generating money, you'll need at least 1,000 followers, but there's a large audience on the site; so, with some patience and smart targeting, you should be able to get there.
It's entirely up to you to decide what kind of stuff you want to post. You may provide step-by-step lessons on your processes, trade secrets, and even time-lapse movies of yourself working on your art.
YouTube has two billion subscribers and is still expanding, so it is a good way to diversify your passive income stream and gain experience in front of the camera.
Selling eBooks
This type of earnings among creative people is becoming more and more popular in recent years, and anybody may participate in the world of eBook publishing. There are several elements at play here, and it's a terrific method for artists to earn passive money.
The nicest aspect about selling eBooks is that they don't have to be about art in order to be successful (though this might be the wisest choice). You may practically create an eBook on any subject, and this is something that will really assist you in this process. To make money selling eBooks, use Amazon's Kindle e-publishing service.
To Wrap It Up
After all, the path to being a successful artist is full of financial obstacles, which require a lot of patience and financial training. In contrast, creative people usually lose their passion in dealing with calculation and money-related questions; it’s exactly when the «outside the box thinking» can come to their rescue.
That is why it is so important to find not one but several ways to earn money. And passive income is the ultimate solution.
