Really appreciate this video -- I've been a professional freelance illustrator for 37 years now, and I'm burned out. Raised a huge family on commissions. Over 600 clients since 2015 alone, and I have been DYING to craft streams of passive income, so I can enjoy life the way I want to. This video was a great wake up for me, and I wanted to say thank you for that. As fun as it's been, I don't want to do commissions anymore, and I know it'll be more intense work, but that's the norm for us, right? So I bought a couple sets of your Procreate brushes and textures, just found your podcast (excellent, BTW), and I've taken off work today to go to the park, have a good cigar, and brainstorm what streams I can create...and what niches' I need to research. QUESTION: Would you consider making a podcast OR video on HOW to research certain markets -- to help increase the % of success? Thanks again, BeeJay.
Hey! I'm 32 years old and I've been an English teacher for about 10 years and always felt the urge to explore my creative side since my job hasn't been very fulfilling for me personally. I recently launched a clothing brand through which I print my digital art and I have been making some money out of it. However, what's been more important is that it awoke something in me which is spending my time on something I love doing, so I'll definitely be checking some of these revenues sources to focus only on my art and making a good living out of it.
This is a very very good advice, I quit my job as a 3D artist in the video games because of a burnout two years ago. And since then I tried to start my own adventure and become an independent artist, but didn't have a success I am making no money, because I was focused on finding commissions and applying to art festivals and projects. That was a very huge mistake, but I am learning along the way. And now I found your channel, and you just gave me hope again, thank you so much for all this valuable information.
What a great video! I've been obsessed with growing my channel, but will probably start taking a look at some of these ideas to get my revenue streams up. Thanks, BeeJay!
Hey Beejay, thank you for this video. It would be really cool if you made a video that covers your process for researching niches or target audience. You don’t have to tell us what those audiences are but show us “how to fish” instead of “giving us a fish.” Thank you for everything you do for the art community. Blessings!
you are my are teacher!!! I have been doing pen and ink since 7th grade and I am at the point in my life where I can develop it. Your videos are speaking to me directly!! Its like the universe is answering all my questions and using you as the link!!! Thank you!! You are my art teacher and I am going to watch over and over and learn what i'm truly meant to do. Dont ever think that you are not changing lives because you are!!! thank you so much for sharing your talent. wow! art skills and art business advice all with one person! I am a student and a fan!! I bought your brush sets and I will buy more material from you. I am subscribed and am watching!!! Keep up the great work!! You are changing lives of introvert artists who can't always interact and communicate. thank you! Let me know how I can support you. Please dont take these words lightly, you really have given me knowlege that is a real blessing!! God bless!!!!!!!!!!!!
To some extant even commissioned art, if the artist keeps copyrights, can be used for repeat income like any of the art you are talking about. I know a few artists who purposely create their book cover commissions for publishers to be usable for aftermarket merchandising.
Wise words. You kept it real and no one should take offense to any of this advice. Instead be grateful that you want to share your own personal winning strategies.
I’m glad you are growing your business. I’ve followed you for a long time and it’s your dedication to producing quality products and you have a great work ethic. Best of luck as you continue to grow.
i truly love your style it's amazing to watch ....... thanks for the inspiration ..... artist supporting other artists .... have a blessed day. An keep up that awesome work.
I have only recently found your channel, and I have already gained so much value from the videos I’ve watched! I’ve been researching different ways to create revenue streams from my art, and I have watched a lot of RUclipsrs talk about this subject. But for some reason, the way you talk about it, and the information you’re providing, is making me see it very differently from other creators. Their advice is good, and in many ways, it’s similar information. But you seem to be providing more in depth explanations, and very practical advice that has helped me finally see it the right way! I hope to move forward with these ideas, and to create my own channel as well. 😃
Thank you for the reminder. I’m focusing on a few ways to bring multiple streams. I launched one of them on kickstarter last month and is currently going great!👍
Great video and it had some helpful tips for sure! HOWEVER! 😀😀 I do actually really enjoy painting commissioned work. I have been working as a full time muralist over the past 10 years and painting larger murals really feels like it has more impact on the world around me. I do also sell stickers and prints of my work, but I feel like they have a really short lifespan. Also selecting interesting commission projects keeps your bookkeeping really simple and saves me a lot of time packing orders and things like that. But like you said, different things work for different people :) Great video! Cheers, Roy
Excellent video. I’ve enjoyed working through a some of your draw alongs, but this one’s really got me thinking about giving it a real go with my art. Many thanks BeeJay.
Hey Great video. PACKED with Value. I have been 'making a living' which really is more like Surviving as an Artist for the past 10 years selling originals. I have had one income stream and I tell ya. It has been I grind. I'm taking this multiple income streams to heart. Thanks for this.
I always wanted to make money thru art but have no clue how to do it. Stuck in my 8 to 5 job and want to do art full time. Will only be able to do that if I can make livable income for 2 people. I will definitely look into something that I can do as a side hussle. Thanks a lot for this video.
Really interesting stuff. I'm honestly just trying to build myself a job that doesn't sacrifice my mental health, and it's nice to learn all the ways I can make it just that little bit easier.
It takes research! Start with hobbies or topics you intimately know…then look around you. What different interests do your friends or family have that you could cater to? Tap their knowledge to learn about that audience which will help you design around their passion.
Hey BeeJayDel Really an awesome video man, so much good advice here on diversifying your income streams. I think what struck me most was the advice right at the end of the video. Create what sells don't push your own thing and hope it sells. I would love to know more about how to research what sells. Like you, I don't really care too much about what I create, but more about what others are interested in so I can generate revenue from it. Do you have a video on this topic?
Thank you for sharing. I've learn something from you. However, may I know how do you manage so many streams? I tried to create some other stream but I end up loosing my focus. 😮💨
What are your thoughts on selling stickers, posters, coloring books, etc. of fan art (fan art that you created)? I saw an artist do an interview with a lawyer who said technically it is illegal, but unless you were doing something that hurt the company’s image, they are usually fine with it. I know it’s not best, but I’ve found fan art is what people usually want. What are your thoughts? Thanks for the awesome vid btw.
You are such a good person, honestly watching this I just wanted to hug you 😂💕 I have only just recently decided I want to try and make art my career rather than just a hobby and it can be so overwhelming but this video has broken it down, just like you said, and gives me goals to work on and towards. Thank you! The part where you mentioned 'only making art I like' oh that hit me 😂 I recently got a fair bit of interaction (for me) on a painting of a fnaf character and yeah I like fnaf, but it's not all I want to #paint. But then the other part of me is like, but this is what people want 🤔 it's certainly a tough one! Hopefully I can get some sort of balance between what gets me noticed (and hopefully eventually sales) and what I want to paint etc. So much to think about and I really do appreciate your videos! I've followed you for a while and I really do think you are awesome 🥰 thank you 🙌
Very insightful, thank you for sharing. I am also not a fan of hearing the same square space add, been talked about for a full minute in almost every video I watch. I noticed that you don't and it makes it easier to stay focused and watched the entire video 👍
Thank you for sharing this information! I've learned to draw better & understand my ipad more watching your vids! I've also purchased a few items from you 😀 on gumroads. I'll definitely will be looking into these other streams cuz as a designer & screen printer, owning my own business, we could always use more streams when it's slow
I made a fiverr account and i waited about more than 5 years but no one come to me , i made red bubble account to sell my arts but the fun thing is my arts got copy strike when people are okay to post anything without problem....i hate my life
Totally agree with everything you say, especially with ''you shouldn't bite more than you can't chew'' I was on Redbubble for 6 months with about 250 designs, then they banned me for God knows why. My art was original, I am sure I hadn't broken any rules. My Dune movie art was also accepted by the company but here I am. I can not get accepted by Merch by Amazon. Applied 12 times with all different accounts under different real names with different tax informations and even deleted the rejected accounts to evade their rules. All for nothing. I am really tired of trying about one year and I have nothing. But soon I will move to France and try my chance there with both companies. I think geological location matters, I am in Turkey right now. Thanks for the content, really appriciate you work.
Hey! I’m 26 years old and been working as special educator. I know that at some point I will have to stop working. Ive always loved making thing, draw,create,crafts. With my Narcolepsy the best option is to settle on something that I can manage on my own time. The thing is that I love doing so many things that I can’t seem to know what to choose. I started with personalized items to try materiel and people loved them so mutch they want to buy. So my problem is that I dont know how to put a number$ on what I want to sell ….I just can’t seem to understand that concept.
hi, not that im an expert, but i would suggest starting with how much does it cost u to make these items? add that to how much u charge. how long does it take u to make these? and from there deciding how much ur time/effort it worth. then, thinking of like profit, how much do u need to continue to support urself, and ur business? so yeah between those i think u can find a good range on pricing then correctly and fairly to u.
Thank you for this video. It’s given me a little energy that will hopefully turn into a lot of energy. I’ve gotten myself in a very depressed and hopeless rut and I can’t seem to get out of it. Part of the reason is my financial situation. I know down deep inside I have talent, but for a while now I’ve been telling myself the opposite. Why would anyone want my artwork when many out there are better than me. Why would anyone think my humor is worthy to have it on a shirt or mug, when there’s many other funnier choices? I’ve given up on myself if so many ways. I don’t really have a support system, so seeing your videos does help a bit. But I’m backed into a corner now and need to figure out how to make money and fast. I don’t want to get wrapped up with a regular minimum wage job because I know at my age, I will not have the capacity to work on this at night too. It’s tough enough the way it is until I can get back to a place where I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Even pinhole light would be nice. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into your channel. I’m certain it’s life changing for many. Have a great day!
Don’t give up on yourself! The only thing I will tell you here…”needing money and needing money fast”- it is all going to take some time. Doing research, testing designs and platforms, learning the ins-an-outs…it doesn’t happen overnight. Expecting things to “explode” right away is how many people get discouraged and end up quitting. Just continue having faith in yourself and keep creating!
@@BeeJayDeL Yeah, it’s my desperate brain hoping for mental peace. I appreciate your reply and I’ll try not give up. I need to set aside time to practice. And somehow block out the world around me. I appreciate you. Thanks again.
Few things here. #1 BeeJayDel is infact an employee for or owns a stake in Etsy. 😂😂😂 jkjk. #2 BeeJayDel needs a pod. Weekly even. #3 that last sentiment about people ONLY wanting to create what they want to create, and then THAT not selling. Going commercial, is it selling out. Better than a 9-5 etc… all that needs a deep dive. That’s really the kicker here I feel. And I’m def on the fence for real.
Hahaha! Definitely not an Etsy employee (have owned stock in the past)…but I’ll be the first to talk smack about Etsy. Their digital download limits are garbage…5 file limit and only 20MB/file (which requires sellers to host large files themselves and link to off-site.) How early 2000’s of them! 😂😂😂 I did a pod a couple of years ago too- the episodes are linked in the description and I’ve kept them live…might revisit sometime, but you can still listen to the ones that are out there!
The reality, approximately (for Germany) is: 100 000 gross income - 45% taxes (45.000) - health insurance 14,6% (14.600) - Basic pension 18,6% (18.600), results 78.200 taxes and 21.800 net income, which is approximately 1.816/ month. We know that the platforms do not work for free and you need to promote your products and to pay for some tools. For these a minimum estimated monthly expenses are 300-400. The remaining amount would be around 1416. To do all of this, you have to spend more than 8 hours to create art and digital products. And even though they are passive income, they need to be updated according to trends. With a regular 8 hour job, family, and responsabilities, without outside help, itˋs difficult to manage everything necessary in a resonable amount of time. Plus, it takes time and patience for the buisness to grow. I donˋt want to ruin your video, but we should also consider these aspects. 100k sounds great, but the reality is different depending on the country you live in and its taxes. Plus, in this approximate calculation, we should add that a regular 8 hour job pays the same or more than that (you need a job to live untill the passive incomes start to work). On top of that, platforms want to make money, so you have to pay for promotion or to come up with something unique and innovative that will catch attention.
This response is the perfect example of the way comments work on social media. I had posted another video about my yearly RUclips income at the time being “only” $19k. I received a ton of comments saying “what do you mean ONLY $19k,” “$19k would be life changing for me,” “I would be in a totally different place financially if I could make $19k a year!” Fast forward to posting a video about making six figures and there are still comments like this one where the response is, “technically, $100k isn’t that much money!” I do agree with you that income varies greatly from country to country and from region to region based on the cost of living. I am a bit dumbfounded though that you would make such a lengthy argument and begin it by showing that you don’t understand how taxes work. Those percentages for health insurance, pension, and other expenses mentioned? Those go against your taxable income and lower your overall liability…which you failed to consider (either because you truly don’t understand tax basics or because it didn’t fit your narrative and would greatly change the numbers you haphazardly threw out.) You wouldn’t pay 45% in taxes against the $100k….you would pay 45% of the AGI (adjusted gross income) after your contributions and other expenses are deducted. In the US, there are also other ways to lower your tax liabilities (like turning an LLC into an S-Corp and making yourself an employee which avoids the self-employment tax and lowers your overall liability.) What do I know, though? Germany may be different and not allow any deductions like you assert in your comment?!
Dude!!!!! I have been illustrating for 10 years in the kids book world. It wasn't scratching the creative itch so I went to a darker, edgier, side and im loving it. But after 10 years I also want to hit the 100k annual mark and I've been searching and asking on how to do it. I'm still searching for my audience so still a ways to go but at least now I know the 100k a year is doable. Going to rewatch this video a good bit and of course going to follow your setup as a guide. This is invaluable and as someone not a newbie but ready to take it to the next level...thank you SO much!!! Stoked for more info!
I think everyone needs to hear 7:32 - 8:00 again. Over and over. I'm working on creating multiple income streams. Another one that is a lot of work, but is really fun to do is becoming a Twitch streamer. If you have a following already it would be super easy to become an affiliate or even a Partner. I started from scratch because I wanted to practice being on camera so I can add RUclips and Video Podcasting to the streams. Thank you so much for this video. It's definitely motivating!
Hahaha! Yeah- that’s what they often are…or only talk about growing your other social media accounts to get commissions! There is a ton of value in creating products for certain customers…and with the organic traffic of sites like Amazon and Etsy, it’s super easy to reach the right audience without a following or spending tons of money to get seen!
Etsy sucks. My wife opened a store, to sell her original calligraphy. It was open 2 or 3 days when she got a cold, nasty email from Etsy saying that she violated their terms, (not even remotely true) and her account is banned. This is the final message, and don't reply! 😂 What a joke of a company!
Perfect example of why having multiple revenue streams is key! It’s their playground and sites can boot users (or even close down for that matter.) Always best not to put all your eggs in one basket and have other options!
Hahaha! Wasn’t talking about any one person in particular…it just seems like I see the same sponsors over and over again (no matter what channel I’m watching!)
Haha... yeah... I was subscribed to Brad when he only did RUclips one day per week, and HOPED to build his RUclips to a full time job... I think he achieved taht 3 or 4 years ago now... so it does show you can do mainly RUclips only. But jeez..... so sick of the same sponsors on so many art channels. I just fast forward those parts thankfully... (hopefully youtube don't find a way to stop people doign that)
Thanks for the great information. I think I still need to just keep practicing for now my art is not sell worthy 🤣 I would love to start selling some this year though that would be nice to have a little extra $
Note: The CEO of Gumroad recently got into an online argument with a now former employee and during that Twitter thread the CEO leaked some customer information. Wasn't very professional about it at all.
I sincerely mean no disrespect at all when I say this but if you have 5-7 streams of income that’s not freedom that’s a whole new kind of slavery. You don’t own those businesses they own YOU! That’s a LOT of time devouring demand on one person to juggle 5-7 separate businesses.
I've hit such a wall lately with my art. I've taken on a night job in a supermarket so I have zero energy, the toddler is still at home. And I just feel like I'm getting no where. I pick up my ipad, pop up procreate, lock the ipad and put everything away. 😔
You’re the best. So generous. If you started pushing sponsors I’d still watch because I love your art and the person you are, but I’m glad you don’t do it. My son is an artist and photographer. He invented ‘starving artist’. I think successful artists don’t just happen. They hustle, and I mean that in a good way. This past year was great for my son because of (crypto) NFTs.
Thanks for sharing great information and guidance. 🙏 My first income stream started when I made Fiverr account just for fun and now have 100 reviews on commissions as well as teaching drawing and painting online. Then I got interested in more online platforms like Etsy, Upwork Now I'm earning from Fiverr, Etsy and Upwork. As your advice is to have at least 7 income streams, so I'm thinking to add 4 more platforms. 👍
Really appreciate this video -- I've been a professional freelance illustrator for 37 years now, and I'm burned out. Raised a huge family on commissions. Over 600 clients since 2015 alone, and I have been DYING to craft streams of passive income, so I can enjoy life the way I want to. This video was a great wake up for me, and I wanted to say thank you for that.
As fun as it's been, I don't want to do commissions anymore, and I know it'll be more intense work, but that's the norm for us, right? So I bought a couple sets of your Procreate brushes and textures, just found your podcast (excellent, BTW), and I've taken off work today to go to the park, have a good cigar, and brainstorm what streams I can create...and what niches' I need to research.
QUESTION: Would you consider making a podcast OR video on HOW to research certain markets -- to help increase the % of success?
Thanks again, BeeJay.
Hey! I'm 32 years old and I've been an English teacher for about 10 years and always felt the urge to explore my creative side since my job hasn't been very fulfilling for me personally. I recently launched a clothing brand through which I print my digital art and I have been making some money out of it. However, what's been more important is that it awoke something in me which is spending my time on something I love doing, so I'll definitely be checking some of these revenues sources to focus only on my art and making a good living out of it.
Awesome to hear! Congrats on the brand launch and the success you are seeing! Here’s to continuing with your new found passion! 🍻🥂
the best approach
Way to go, Sergio. Love to hear people finding what they love to do!
This is a very very good advice, I quit my job as a 3D artist in the video games because of a burnout two years ago. And since then I tried to start my own adventure and become an independent artist, but didn't have a success I am making no money, because I was focused on finding commissions and applying to art festivals and projects. That was a very huge mistake, but I am learning along the way. And now I found your channel, and you just gave me hope again, thank you so much for all this valuable information.
What a great video! I've been obsessed with growing my channel, but will probably start taking a look at some of these ideas to get my revenue streams up. Thanks, BeeJay!
Tons of possibilities out there, man! Love to see your YT channel grow!
I'd love to see you do a drawing course. I'd buy it for sure!
Hey Beejay, thank you for this video. It would be really cool if you made a video that covers your process for researching niches or target audience. You don’t have to tell us what those audiences are but show us “how to fish” instead of “giving us a fish.” Thank you for everything you do for the art community. Blessings!
you are my are teacher!!!
I have been doing pen and ink since 7th grade and I am at the point in my life where I can develop it. Your videos are speaking to me directly!! Its like the universe is answering all my questions and using you as the link!!! Thank you!!
You are my art teacher and I am going to watch over and over and learn what i'm truly meant to do.
Dont ever think that you are not changing lives because you are!!!
thank you so much for sharing your talent.
wow! art skills and art business advice all with one person! I am a student and a fan!!
I bought your brush sets and I will buy more material from you. I am subscribed and am watching!!! Keep up the great work!! You are changing lives of introvert artists who can't always interact and communicate.
thank you! Let me know how I can support you. Please dont take these words lightly, you really have given me knowlege that is a real blessing!! God bless!!!!!!!!!!!!
*This advice will REALLY help my art career! Thanks BeeJay!* ✅✅✅💖✅✅✅
Thank you so much!!! Reorganizing everything right now! Great tips!!!
To some extant even commissioned art, if the artist keeps copyrights, can be used for repeat income like any of the art you are talking about. I know a few artists who purposely create their book cover commissions for publishers to be usable for aftermarket merchandising.
Good advice, thanks
Glad to help!
Wise words. You kept it real and no one should take offense to any of this advice. Instead be grateful that you want to share your own personal winning strategies.
Thank you very much! In these times this is so useful.
Glad you enjoyed! Definitely a lot of opportunities out there even during these trying times!
I’m glad you are growing your business. I’ve followed you for a long time and it’s your dedication to producing quality products and you have a great work ethic. Best of luck as you continue to grow.
BeeJay is so talented and generous for sharing his skills. Bless you BeeJay🙏🏾❤️🇬🇧
i truly love your style it's amazing to watch .......
thanks for the inspiration ..... artist supporting
other artists .... have a blessed day. An
keep up that awesome work.
Thanks! And that’s what we have to do as artists- support each other!
These tips were invaluable. Thank you so much.
Thanks so much! Glad you got some value out of the video!!! 👍
Yup, a fan of the visual, thank you for sharing!
Absolutely earned a subscription and I appreciate that you made it a note to not sacrifice your mental health in pursuit of said streams of income
Isn't etsy overcrowded? Like if you don't sell you get pushed down in the search engine?
I have only recently found your channel, and I have already gained so much value from the videos I’ve watched! I’ve been researching different ways to create revenue streams from my art, and I have watched a lot of RUclipsrs talk about this subject. But for some reason, the way you talk about it, and the information you’re providing, is making me see it very differently from other creators. Their advice is good, and in many ways, it’s similar information. But you seem to be providing more in depth explanations, and very practical advice that has helped me finally see it the right way! I hope to move forward with these ideas, and to create my own channel as well. 😃
Thank you for the reminder. I’m focusing on a few ways to bring multiple streams. I launched one of them on kickstarter last month and is currently going great!👍
Awesome to hear and congrats on the Kickstarter! What’s your project?
Leaving a comment to help YT know, keep pushing this forward for higher visibility! Thanks for the tips today 😊
Thanks! 👍👍👍 You get it! 😉
Thank you for this video …for a while now I’ve been struggling as to what I want to do with my art and this gives me hope
Glad to help! Try out different things and see what works- then build on that knowledge!
This is a great, honest video! Thank you.
Thanks so much, Gordon! Appreciate you watching!
Very helpful. Thank you👍
Do you have a link to your etsy shop?
Great video and it had some helpful tips for sure! HOWEVER! 😀😀 I do actually really enjoy painting commissioned work. I have been working as a full time muralist over the past 10 years and painting larger murals really feels like it has more impact on the world around me. I do also sell stickers and prints of my work, but I feel like they have a really short lifespan. Also selecting interesting commission projects keeps your bookkeeping really simple and saves me a lot of time packing orders and things like that. But like you said, different things work for different people :) Great video! Cheers, Roy
This was helpful. Thanks
Awesome to hear! Appreciate you checking out the video!
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing 👌😎
Thanks man!
Excellent video. I’ve enjoyed working through a some of your draw alongs, but this one’s really got me thinking about giving it a real go with my art. Many thanks BeeJay.
Hey Great video. PACKED with Value. I have been 'making a living' which really is more like Surviving as an Artist for the past 10 years selling originals. I have had one income stream and I tell ya. It has been I grind. I'm taking this multiple income streams to heart. Thanks for this.
Great video, thank you!
Thanks so much and appreciate you watching! ❤️
Thanks for this. I've been saying for years I'm going to do a few of these things and appreciate the push!
Get on it! 😜 Hope it gives you the push you need!
Thank you this was very helpful
Thank You!
My pleasure! Thanks so much for watching!
You are amazing! Thank you for all of your helpful advice and for sharing your experiences...so appreciated! thank you
I would love an interactive course by you. Love the channel and this video had ideas I'm going to move on.
I always wanted to make money thru art but have no clue how to do it. Stuck in my 8 to 5 job and want to do art full time. Will only be able to do that if I can make livable income for 2 people. I will definitely look into something that I can do as a side hussle. Thanks a lot for this video.
Thanks for this video, breaking those numbers down makes it less intimidating….I will be doing my own business but for now I’m honing my skills :-) 💐
I’ve always found breaking things down like this to help, so I’m glad to know someone else agrees! Keep honing those skills!
Great video!
Yep awesome, I'm inspired.
Great Information!! Thank you 😉
Very well explained
Another excellent video, thank you!
Love passive income. I have a few similar as yourself and defo leaving money on the table.
Passive income is great!
Really interesting stuff. I'm honestly just trying to build myself a job that doesn't sacrifice my mental health, and it's nice to learn all the ways I can make it just that little bit easier.
Dumb question...what type of digital products are you selling on etsy. and what benifits do your customers get from buying your digital art. Thanks.
Thank you so much!
Your videos are the best, thanks to you, I could start my business with my art too!
Great video for sure thank you
When finding your market for your art how do you go about finding your nitch group
It takes research! Start with hobbies or topics you intimately know…then look around you. What different interests do your friends or family have that you could cater to? Tap their knowledge to learn about that audience which will help you design around their passion.
All of your 7 streams...gumroad...etc...do you recommend organic traffic (no links ) as a çonsistent plan?
Hey BeeJayDel
Really an awesome video man, so much good advice here on diversifying your income streams. I think what struck me most was the advice right at the end of the video. Create what sells don't push your own thing and hope it sells. I would love to know more about how to research what sells. Like you, I don't really care too much about what I create, but more about what others are interested in so I can generate revenue from it. Do you have a video on this topic?
Thank you for sharing. I've learn something from you. However, may I know how do you manage so many streams? I tried to create some other stream but I end up loosing my focus. 😮💨
What are your thoughts on selling stickers, posters, coloring books, etc. of fan art (fan art that you created)? I saw an artist do an interview with a lawyer who said technically it is illegal, but unless you were doing something that hurt the company’s image, they are usually fine with it. I know it’s not best, but I’ve found fan art is what people usually want. What are your thoughts? Thanks for the awesome vid btw.
I don’t do any fan art…like you said, technically it’s “illegal,” and it only takes one company to object to leave you in a pretty bad position.
Whatever you do, steer clear of companies known for aggressively defending their IP. (Such as Disney and Nintendo.)
You are such a good person, honestly watching this I just wanted to hug you 😂💕
I have only just recently decided I want to try and make art my career rather than just a hobby and it can be so overwhelming but this video has broken it down, just like you said, and gives me goals to work on and towards. Thank you!
The part where you mentioned 'only making art I like' oh that hit me 😂 I recently got a fair bit of interaction (for me) on a painting of a fnaf character and yeah I like fnaf, but it's not all I want to #paint. But then the other part of me is like, but this is what people want 🤔 it's certainly a tough one! Hopefully I can get some sort of balance between what gets me noticed (and hopefully eventually sales) and what I want to paint etc.
So much to think about and I really do appreciate your videos! I've followed you for a while and I really do think you are awesome 🥰 thank you 🙌
Awww…thanks so much! Hope you can put some of the tips to use and achieve your goals! Good luck! ❤️
@@BeeJayDeL I absolutely will, tysm 🙌💕
Very insightful, thank you for sharing. I am also not a fan of hearing the same square space add, been talked about for a full minute in almost every video I watch. I noticed that you don't and it makes it easier to stay focused and watched the entire video 👍
Thanks for noticing! ❤️👍
Do you recommend signing up for selling with Amazon as an LLC or is being an individual ok??
Thank you for sharing this information! I've learned to draw better & understand my ipad more watching your vids! I've also purchased a few items from you 😀 on gumroads. I'll definitely will be looking into these other streams cuz as a designer & screen printer, owning my own business, we could always use more streams when it's slow
Great stuff
I made a fiverr account and i waited about more than 5 years but no one come to me , i made red bubble account to sell my arts but the fun thing is my arts got copy strike when people are okay to post anything without problem....i hate my life
im just out here trying to get my first commission, but i don't know how to get my first customer
Totally agree with everything you say, especially with ''you shouldn't bite more than you can't chew''
I was on Redbubble for 6 months with about 250 designs, then they banned me for God knows why. My art was original, I am sure I hadn't broken any rules. My Dune movie art was also accepted by the company but here I am.
I can not get accepted by Merch by Amazon. Applied 12 times with all different accounts under different real names with different tax informations and even deleted the rejected accounts to evade their rules. All for nothing.
I am really tired of trying about one year and I have nothing. But soon I will move to France and try my chance there with both companies. I think geological location matters, I am in Turkey right now.
Thanks for the content, really appriciate you work.
Redbubble did the same thing to me. Said my art was owned by someone else. I went got it officially copyright protected.
Hey! I’m 26 years old and been working as special educator. I know that at some point I will have to stop working. Ive always loved making thing, draw,create,crafts. With my Narcolepsy the best option is to settle on something that I can manage on my own time. The thing is that I love doing so many things that I can’t seem to know what to choose. I started with personalized items to try materiel and people loved them so mutch they want to buy. So my problem is that I dont know how to put a number$ on what I want to sell ….I just can’t seem to understand that concept.
hi, not that im an expert, but i would suggest starting with how much does it cost u to make these items? add that to how much u charge. how long does it take u to make these? and from there deciding how much ur time/effort it worth. then, thinking of like profit, how much do u need to continue to support urself, and ur business? so yeah between those i think u can find a good range on pricing then correctly and fairly to u.
@@nadibynature717 thanks! It’s nice to hear from someone other then myself about that. They make it seem so easy hahaha.
Man, good stuff sir
Thanks, brother!
Thank you for this video. It’s given me a little energy that will hopefully turn into a lot of energy. I’ve gotten myself in a very depressed and hopeless rut and I can’t seem to get out of it. Part of the reason is my financial situation. I know down deep inside I have talent, but for a while now I’ve been telling myself the opposite. Why would anyone want my artwork when many out there are better than me. Why would anyone think my humor is worthy to have it on a shirt or mug, when there’s many other funnier choices? I’ve given up on myself if so many ways. I don’t really have a support system, so seeing your videos does help a bit. But I’m backed into a corner now and need to figure out how to make money and fast. I don’t want to get wrapped up with a regular minimum wage job because I know at my age, I will not have the capacity to work on this at night too. It’s tough enough the way it is until I can get back to a place where I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Even pinhole light would be nice. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into your channel. I’m certain it’s life changing for many. Have a great day!
Don’t give up on yourself! The only thing I will tell you here…”needing money and needing money fast”- it is all going to take some time. Doing research, testing designs and platforms, learning the ins-an-outs…it doesn’t happen overnight. Expecting things to “explode” right away is how many people get discouraged and end up quitting. Just continue having faith in yourself and keep creating!
@@BeeJayDeL Yeah, it’s my desperate brain hoping for mental peace. I appreciate your reply and I’ll try not give up. I need to set aside time to practice. And somehow block out the world around me. I appreciate you. Thanks again.
I clicked the like button fifty times but it only seems to toggle on/off so... 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Thank you, BeeJayDel!!
Few things here. #1 BeeJayDel is infact an employee for or owns a stake in Etsy. 😂😂😂 jkjk. #2 BeeJayDel needs a pod. Weekly even. #3 that last sentiment about people ONLY wanting to create what they want to create, and then THAT not selling. Going commercial, is it selling out. Better than a 9-5 etc… all that needs a deep dive. That’s really the kicker here I feel. And I’m def on the fence for real.
Hahaha! Definitely not an Etsy employee (have owned stock in the past)…but I’ll be the first to talk smack about Etsy. Their digital download limits are garbage…5 file limit and only 20MB/file (which requires sellers to host large files themselves and link to off-site.) How early 2000’s of them! 😂😂😂 I did a pod a couple of years ago too- the episodes are linked in the description and I’ve kept them live…might revisit sometime, but you can still listen to the ones that are out there!
WHERE THE FUCK WAS THIS IN ART SCHOOL!? Thank you.
Hahahaha! Appreciate that!
The reality, approximately (for Germany) is: 100 000 gross income - 45% taxes (45.000) - health insurance 14,6% (14.600) - Basic pension 18,6% (18.600), results 78.200 taxes and 21.800 net income, which is approximately 1.816/ month. We know that the platforms do not work for free and you need to promote your products and to pay for some tools. For these a minimum estimated monthly expenses are 300-400. The remaining amount would be around 1416. To do all of this, you have to spend more than 8 hours to create art and digital products. And even though they are passive income, they need to be updated according to trends. With a regular 8 hour job, family, and responsabilities, without outside help, itˋs difficult to manage everything necessary in a resonable amount of time. Plus, it takes time and patience for the buisness to grow. I donˋt want to ruin your video, but we should also consider these aspects. 100k sounds great, but the reality is different depending on the country you live in and its taxes. Plus, in this approximate calculation, we should add that a regular 8 hour job pays the same or more than that (you need a job to live untill the passive incomes start to work). On top of that, platforms want to make money, so you have to pay for promotion or to come up with something unique and innovative that will catch attention.
This response is the perfect example of the way comments work on social media. I had posted another video about my yearly RUclips income at the time being “only” $19k. I received a ton of comments saying “what do you mean ONLY $19k,” “$19k would be life changing for me,” “I would be in a totally different place financially if I could make $19k a year!” Fast forward to posting a video about making six figures and there are still comments like this one where the response is, “technically, $100k isn’t that much money!” I do agree with you that income varies greatly from country to country and from region to region based on the cost of living. I am a bit dumbfounded though that you would make such a lengthy argument and begin it by showing that you don’t understand how taxes work. Those percentages for health insurance, pension, and other expenses mentioned? Those go against your taxable income and lower your overall liability…which you failed to consider (either because you truly don’t understand tax basics or because it didn’t fit your narrative and would greatly change the numbers you haphazardly threw out.) You wouldn’t pay 45% in taxes against the $100k….you would pay 45% of the AGI (adjusted gross income) after your contributions and other expenses are deducted. In the US, there are also other ways to lower your tax liabilities (like turning an LLC into an S-Corp and making yourself an employee which avoids the self-employment tax and lowers your overall liability.) What do I know, though? Germany may be different and not allow any deductions like you assert in your comment?!
I think im going to stop doing fanart because its slowing my progress.
I have 3 revenue streams. Albeit small ones.
Three is definitely better than one! Is it possible to duplicate any of those on other platforms or build on what you’ve had success with so far?
@Let's Draw with BeeJayDeL One is Redbubble and I suppose there is no reason not to open other POD shops like Etsy and what not.
Dude!!!!! I have been illustrating for 10 years in the kids book world. It wasn't scratching the creative itch so I went to a darker, edgier, side and im loving it. But after 10 years I also want to hit the 100k annual mark and I've been searching and asking on how to do it. I'm still searching for my audience so still a ways to go but at least now I know the 100k a year is doable. Going to rewatch this video a good bit and of course going to follow your setup as a guide. This is invaluable and as someone not a newbie but ready to take it to the next level...thank you SO much!!! Stoked for more info!
Your the best
I think everyone needs to hear 7:32 - 8:00 again. Over and over. I'm working on creating multiple income streams. Another one that is a lot of work, but is really fun to do is becoming a Twitch streamer. If you have a following already it would be super easy to become an affiliate or even a Partner. I started from scratch because I wanted to practice being on camera so I can add RUclips and Video Podcasting to the streams.
Thank you so much for this video. It's definitely motivating!
All these videos usually amount to "be a successful youtuber." Thanks for adding the other streams.
Hahaha! Yeah- that’s what they often are…or only talk about growing your other social media accounts to get commissions! There is a ton of value in creating products for certain customers…and with the organic traffic of sites like Amazon and Etsy, it’s super easy to reach the right audience without a following or spending tons of money to get seen!
Etsy sucks. My wife opened a store, to sell her original calligraphy. It was open 2 or 3 days when she got a cold, nasty email from Etsy saying that she violated their terms, (not even remotely true) and her account is banned. This is the final message, and don't reply! 😂 What a joke of a company!
Perfect example of why having multiple revenue streams is key! It’s their playground and sites can boot users (or even close down for that matter.) Always best not to put all your eggs in one basket and have other options!
Squarespace and Nord VPN = Brad Colbow 🤣
Hahaha! Wasn’t talking about any one person in particular…it just seems like I see the same sponsors over and over again (no matter what channel I’m watching!)
@@BeeJayDeL True
Haha... yeah... I was subscribed to Brad when he only did RUclips one day per week, and HOPED to build his RUclips to a full time job... I think he achieved taht 3 or 4 years ago now... so it does show you can do mainly RUclips only. But jeez..... so sick of the same sponsors on so many art channels. I just fast forward those parts thankfully... (hopefully youtube don't find a way to stop people doign that)
Thanks for the great information. I think I still need to just keep practicing for now my art is not sell worthy 🤣 I would love to start selling some this year though that would be nice to have a little extra $
Just keep at! Sometimes we are our own worst critic😉
Ko-fi is another, more casual, alternative to Patreon.
I’ve briefly looked at Ko-fi before…I may have to check it out again and do a little more research!
Draw one time get paid one time i want to go long get paid multiple times
Note: The CEO of Gumroad recently got into an online argument with a now former employee and during that Twitter thread the CEO leaked some customer information. Wasn't very professional about it at all.
I sincerely mean no disrespect at all when I say this but if you have 5-7 streams of income that’s not freedom that’s a whole new kind of slavery. You don’t own those businesses they own YOU! That’s a LOT of time devouring demand on one person to juggle 5-7 separate businesses.
You clearly didn’t watch the entire video. Most of the streams are passive income
@@lifeislovelynetwork No such thing as passive income. You still have to maintain the products and pay to promote them.
🥃🤘🏻🧨
❤️❤️❤️
I've hit such a wall lately with my art. I've taken on a night job in a supermarket so I have zero energy, the toddler is still at home. And I just feel like I'm getting no where. I pick up my ipad, pop up procreate, lock the ipad and put everything away. 😔
Me, an intellectual who doesn’t know how to do art watching this video anyways 😊
The f*ck is: try to join creative market?! Its fuckin hard to join these sites. Talk is cheap
Tip one, have some talent!
You’re the best. So generous. If you started pushing sponsors I’d still watch because I love your art and the person you are, but I’m glad you don’t do it. My son is an artist and photographer. He invented ‘starving artist’. I think successful artists don’t just happen. They hustle, and I mean that in a good way. This past year was great for my son because of (crypto) NFTs.
they use AI
Ha! May want to check out the rest of a channel’s videos before leaving a comment to avoid looking stupid 🤣🤣🤣
@@BeeJayDeL This guy stopped making videos...BECAUSE OF A.I. I'LL BET!
I know how to use a calculator 👎 unsubscribe
Thanks for sharing great information and guidance. 🙏
My first income stream started when I made Fiverr account just for fun and now have 100 reviews on commissions as well as teaching drawing and painting online. Then I got interested in more online platforms like Etsy, Upwork Now I'm earning from Fiverr, Etsy and Upwork. As your advice is to have at least 7 income streams, so I'm thinking to add 4 more platforms. 👍
Very useful n inspiring,,,, thank you " BeeJayDeL"
My pleasure! Good to know you got some value out of it!
how about now? I think all of this crap is outdated with the ai taking over.
Thank you this was very helpful