3 FREE Ways You Can Start Making Money From Your Art Online TODAY
Are you an artist or creative person on the internet just trying to get by so you don't have to eternally sell your body, mind, and soul to the beast we know as capitalism? Me too! In this blog post, originally inspired by my Instagram post found here, I go over three FREE to start ways that I've been able to offer my art online and make money doing it and dive a bit deeper into my experiences with each.
PRINT ON DEMAND
This was one of my very first dives into selling my art and designs online, and with no cost except for the time it takes to set these channels up, Print-on-Demand is a free and easy way to make some extra money from your visual art online. Whether you've realized it or not, you've likely already ran into a few examples of Print-on-Demand services already.
Would your art look cool printed as a physical item? Sites like Redbubble and Society6 make it easy to instantly upload your art on to many different product templates whether it's a mug, a sticker, or a shirt. Maybe you're more of a pattern artist instead? Check out Spoonflower where you can turn your designs into wallpaper or fabric. Want to host your Print-on-Demand store on your own website? You can use Printful to create prints, apparel, and even embroider your art on to items that ship directly to your customer with no need to invest in stock, supply, or storage on your own!
Honestly? The only negative to Print-on-Demand options are the amount of initial time you need to invest into uploading your art, editing it, and setting up shop, which can take a bit of time to do especially if you have a lot of art to upload. Other than that, the only other downside I can think of is that it's not going to get you rich quick since such a high percentage goes to the POD company you're using to pay for production, shipment, and all the other things they're handling instead of you, but there's not many other ways you can make money while you sleep, even if it's just enough for a coffee.
INSTAGRAM SHOP
Just like it's free to set up your Instagram page, it's also free to set up an Instagram Shop, all you need is an Instagram Business or Creator account. With Instagram's ever-changing algorithm favoring accounts that use its new features and tools like Instagram Shops, this is definitely something you should look into! Why wouldn't you want to make it easier for customers to see what you have for sale?
With Instagram Shops and their shopping features, you can remove some of the hurdles that may be keeping a follower from becoming a customer. With the ability to be able to tag a new product in your Stories, Reels, and Carousel posts, along with the ability to create a Collection of products under a specific category, purchasing can be just a tap away from viewing your newest post.
Plus, if you already have an online store catalog set up, you can easily link your pre-existing website products (or even items from your Print-on-Demand shop hosted on your site, hint hint) to your Instagram Shop, to streamline the process and make starting your creative small business even easier. We love easier.
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
On the topic of easier, as of writing this I live in the year 2021. This means that even if you're reading this on a mobile device, you literally have a computer in your hands. You can start making something to sell right now, yes, now. No pressure or anything though, but realize what you have, you have the power!
With digital downloads, you can use anything from a phone to a tablet to a computer to begin creating something of value you can sell. Got some insider knowledge or expertise into something you're good at? Create a guide, workbook, or a tutorial. Good at creating textures, digital brushes, or other downloadable tools or resources? Look into Gumroad or a Creative Marketplace to start selling your tools today. If you've got a lot of material and want to dive into the world of video, you can even consider launching and selling a pre-recorded course, workshop, or training to teach others!
Even if you have 0 experience putting together a digital download or a PDF file, you have access to Google and can look up a step-by-step guide, and you can do it. So start putting together those thoughts in your brain and start sharing what you know with the world! Someone will find it useful, and if you can present it in a valuable way, there are people who will pay for that value you provide. Everyone was once a beginner at something, and even if design or assembling a guide isn't your strong suit, you can use a free design software like Canva to easily put together what you know to share with others. We all have to start somewhere.
The Freelance Artist Workbook above was where I started with digital downloads! With this FREE 6-page workbook, I compiled a few different exercises, passive income ideas, and worksheets centered around helping aspiring freelance artists launch their creative careers for no cost using the tools likely already at their disposal. Definitely check it out and let me know what you think! It is just one of many upcoming resources I hope to make available to those who would benefit from this shared knowledge.
Have you tried any of these ways of selling your work online? Got any valuable insight or feedback to share? I'd love to hear your thoughts. If there are any other topics similar to this you'd like me to cover next, let me know!
Until next time, you can stay up to date with what I'm up to, new artwork, and announcements by following me on Instagram or signing up for my e-mail list! Starting 2022, that'll be the main way I'll be sharing updates on my work, so be sure to sign up so you don't miss a thing. I hope to see you around!
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