“Starving artist” is sometimes an unfortunate reality, but there are plenty of ways to leverage the talents of creative individuals to make some extra money on the side. Here are 10 side hustles that anybody can use to generate an extra 500-1000 dollars a month (or more).
#1 – Sell your Original Artwork
If you’re a visual artist, and you have an original piece of work that you can market to a wider audience, you should consider selling it. While this might be an obvious at first, perhaps you haven’t considered all the possibilities for how to sell your artwork online.
- You can sell prints online via mass market sites like Ebay or Etsy.
- You can look for local art fairs.
- You can look for consignment shops (especially online consignment), and list all your inventory.
You can all sell ceramics, handmade trinkets and jewelry, and other personal items, as long as they are original and non-commodity.
#2 – Teach others
Nothing sparks creativity like teaching others to do something you know how to do. Whether it’s a hobby or skill you’re trying to hone, being paid to show people what you’ve learned is a great way to further your own skills and knowledge.
To do this online you can visit a platform like Udemy which allows teachers to create courses that can reach a wide audience.
#3 – Offer Freelance Services
Another popular way to make money is to offer your art and design services in a freelance manner. This is often one of the most successful methods of generating income and might even lead to building a more full-time business.
While you can develop your own website and sell your services through that, this is more involved and takes a longer time to gain traction.
Instead, go for platforms like Fiverr or Upwork and set up a profile. These platforms are very active and you can find potential clients. To start off you may need to offer a discount, but as you get your feet wet, and get some good reviews, you can start to increase your prices.
#4 – Freelance Photography
While we already mentioned freelance services, Photography as an endeavor deserves it’s own listing.
To start, if you are more-than-your-average hobby photographer, there are many sites where you can work as a freelancer, like Upwork.
Secondly, if you already have a collection of photographs, you can share them on a variety of sites that can get you exposed to possible clients. Two favorites are Unsplash and 500px.
#5 – Write for others
Your side hustle doesn’t necessarily have to be related to art. In fact, you don’t even need to be an artist. Writing for others is one of the more popular side hustles for artists because it allows you to take your talents and combine them with your expertise in certain fields. For example, if you write how-to articles, you could write them in a way that highlights your expertise in that field while also letting others learn the way you learned the skill. For an even more creative spin, you can write your articles as a way to promote an artist you are a fan of.
Look for a creative full time job? Check out our guide to Job Boards for Creative Artists and Designers.
#6 – Tutor
If you were an A+ student in some subjects (not necessarily related to art) and are very comfortable with one or more specific subjects (especially one that many find difficult to comprehend, like advanced mathematics, physics or chemistry), then you might be able to make money tutoring people.
To try this out, start by going to Tutor.com and looking at their job listings.
#7 – Sharing Economy (Uber/Lyft)
You’ve probably already thought about this one, but if not, it may be a good option for you.
If you own a car, why not make some extra money on the side by sharing your car with others, either through ride sharing or carpooling. If you drive to work every day and spend more than an hour every day in the car, you can also open an online service where you connect with people who need a driver.
#8 – Sharing Economy (Airbnb)
The wonderful world of the sharing economy has opened up the opportunity to earn money from home (and it’s not just for homeowners). Get paid by leveraging some extra space in your home by becoming an Airbnb host. Hosting is a great way to network with other local or international creatives, meet people, and earn extra cash.
#9 – Set up an Etsy store
If your talents include crafts (or even art prints) you may be able to immediately reach a large audience by starting an Etsy store. The pandemic really started a trend towards independent artists and craftspeople. Might as well capitalize on this trend while it’s still around.
Conclusion
Making extra money on the side might seem like an impossible task, but it’s not! There are so many opportunities to make money online in this day and age, the only limit is your imagination.