side hustles – Take on Life After 50

Save Time by Buying Designs with a Commercial Rights License

I honestly don’t know where the time goes. Why is it that the older we get the faster time seems to fly? I wish Social Studies class would have gone by as fast back in high school.

I’ve been working on adding items to my Etsy Shop, with the latest being a set of colouring pages for Valentine’s Day. What makes the colouring pages fun is picking and choosing clip art I downloaded from Creative Fabrica, and using Affinity Designer to arrange it. No matter how many people have downloaded the clip art bundle I did, no two projects will be the same. That’s the beauty of mixing and matching.

Creating your own products for your digital store is much simpler when you’re able to get graphics and clip art with commercial rights licensing. Plus you can also use the designs on physical products. So far I have only used a fraction of what I downloaded for digital products, but I also intend to create a few products for my Zazzle Shop.

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And let’s face it, some of us just can’t draw worth a crap. I have tried time and again to draw something more than a simple flower, but I just did not inherit my mom’s artistic talent. Thankfully I did inherit a love of writing from her though.

By investing a few dollars in designs with commercial licensing you can save time and get your products into your Etsy Shop or website sooner. I use a few resources when it comes to creating my own products, and I do have to say it has been a good thing. Yes, I’ve spent some money along the way but I’ve also created products I wouldn’t have otherwise.

If you’re new to creating printables, check out the Printables by Number link over on my Tools & Resources page. I have learned so much from John & Suzi. Plus they keep updating their courses as they learn new strategies, shortcuts, and ways of doing things. My favourite part about what they sell and teach is they created the tools for themselves first.

The image above is one of the colouring pages I added to my Etsy Shop earlier today. It’s part of the 5-page PDF, and it’s ideal for kids or adults to colour. The images are taken from a few different files and arranged to make this cute colouring page.

I bought the annual membership for Creative Fabrica which gives me access to tens of thousands of designs. If you’re not into designing colouring pages, there are also KDP Ready files available for low-content books. I have taken pages from a few to make my own printable and digital planners, but the files are available to use as-is.

And while we’re on the topic of commercial use files, I have a few sets of digital paper with commercial use rights over on Gumroad. Unlike a lot of other platforms, I’m limiting downloads of these packages to 100 worldwide.

They were created using Affinity and other software I invested in. There has been a learning curve, as there is with everything new. If you’re a planner or journal creator, these are great used as backgrounds and covers. And if you have a Zazzle Store you can use the designs on mugs, playing cards, blankets, tote bags, etc. There are so many options.

Have you bought designs with commercial use rights? Or do you sell your creations on platforms such as Creative Market, Creative Fabrica, or Gumroad? Let me know in the comments below.

Become an affiliate and earn 50% commissions promoting my digital paper packs (which come with commercial use licenses). For more details please visit https://takeonlifeafter50.gumroad.com/affiliates.

How to Spread Your Digital Wings for More Earning Potential

Designing products is so much fun!

Now that the community history book project is on its way to the publisher I can once again concentrate on my own work. Had I known it was going to be so time consuming I never would have agreed to being a part of it in the first place. But for what it’s worth, it was a learning experience for me.

I invested in another program that makes repeat patterns from a simple design or graphic. I really like the look of the black and white made from a simple mandala. I think it’s so neat that I added a mug to my Zazzle store. I can honestly say, there isn’t a mug exactly like this one anywhere.

I am a firm believer we should all have eggs in a few baskets. There’s no guarantee that one source of income will always be there. Life happens, online platforms change their policies, and businesses close. And sometimes, those we rely on are suddenly no longer with us.

As you know (especially if you’ve been reading this blog from the beginning) I have a few things on the go at any given time. I can honestly say none of them have made me millions yet, but what I do earn helps pay my bills each month.

5 ways to spread your digital wings.

If you’re a digital product designer, you can sell your designs as printables, or incorporate them on physical products through a POD platform (such as Amazon or Zazzle).
Another way is to create designs and sell them with commercial rights. (I listed my first in my Etsy Shop last night.) This opens up new avenues because you can charge more for your designs. On Creative Market there is an application form you’ll have to fill out to open a shop, but it appears quite simple. I haven’t opened my own shop but continue to buy elements from others. You’ll have options as a seller because you can sell your designs for personal use, commercial use, or extended commercial use. Each level commands more fees, which you set.
Create and sell templates. This is not something I’ve done (yet) but have purchased a few over the years, so I know there’s money to be made. You can sell these with personal or commercial use licenses.
Create low-content books such as journals, planners, notebooks, etc for POD platforms such as Amazon. This is something I’ve mentioned before, and the numbers show some people do really well with it.
Sell PLR which you create. This could be articles, templates, planners, journals, colouring pages, motivational cards, etc. This is especially nice if you enjoy writing but don’t want to submit your articles to different platforms. You do the work and give the buyer the rights to use the materials however they see fit. Oftentimes a limited number of the same package is available, so higher prices can be commanded.

As you can see, the digital world offers unlimited potential. As much as I enjoy creating physical products for sale (crocheted items), the digital creations offer much more profit potential. I can create the product once and sell many copies of it. Plus, by uploading my designs to be incorporated into physical products I can increase both my visibility and revenue.

What are your thoughts on creating digital products to be incorporated on tangible items? Let me know in the comments below.

Why It’s Good to Think Outside the Box

Do you ever have a “Why didn’t I think of this before?” moment?

I’ve had a few of them lately, and it’s annoying. And mostly because it’s been such simple stuff.

For example, I’ve been concentrating on making printables for my Etsy Shop and just came to the conclusion the same files can be used in Goodnotes or other notetaking apps. It looks like I have some listings to revamp.

Sometimes we get too set in our ways.

I’m the type of person who likes things as they were. It’s hard for me to make drastic changes in life willingly. However, those changes have happened whether I wanted them to or not.

When Ross died I kept as much the same in the house as I could. His clothes were still there, everything on his nightstand, and so forth. It took a long time before I gradually started giving away/tossing his things. When I moved, I probably kept more than I should have.

Getting settled into my new place has been an adventure to say the least. Once I wrapped my head around the fact I could change the colours of the walls, replace the flooring, and make changes as I see fit, it has been easier to do.

Me and my wanting things to stay the same is interfering with how the yard is going to change this summer. I love the grass (over an acre of it I’m sure), but the practical me knows that space can be better utilized for growing flowers, fruit, and vegetables. I even have trouble changing things other people did.

The point I’m trying to make is we all too often get in our own way. Just because something has been done a certain way for ages doesn’t mean that’s the only way. The older I get, the more I’m realizing it.

In order to improve, we have to be willing to make changes.

Improvement doesn’t miraculously just happen. We have to make it happen. Whether it’s improving our health or financial status, we’re the ones responsible. And the improvements also mean hard work on our part.

Sure, we’d like to think things will just fall into our laps, but that does not happen. And if by some chance it does, the circumstances haven’t been the best to make it happen. (Ask me how I know.)

I’ve spent the better part of the last 2 1/2+ years taking courses, reading, and working to improve what I do and how to do it. I have also ventured into some unknown territory regarding my writing and creating, but I know better things are in store.

As we all know, everything works in theory. But in order to make it work for real we have to take chances and be willing to make changes.

No matter what we do in life we have to be willing to make changes; or at least accept that sometimes change is inevitable. Plus we have to work on being better versions of ourselves. I have a quote on my office wall that says “It’s not about being the best; it’s about being better than you were yesterday.” It’s a quote I refer to often, especially when things aren’t proceeding like I think they should be.

So when you’re stuck in your thinking, or in a creative rut, take a step back and think about what you can do to make things better. Write it out, talk it out, or colour it out. You never know what will present the “aha” moment you need.