6 Ways to Make Money Online from Creative Work

Making money from your creative work might be easier than you realize. Because if there’s one thing the internet values, it’s creative work. Note that not all of these options will be suitable for everyone, and some freelancers won't like uploading their work to some platforms.

From becoming a video game streamer to offering lessons over video calls, here are the six best ways to make money online in 2021. There are over a billion websites online as of 2020, and almost all of them rely on creative professionals in one way or another. From the blogs you love to read to the cat pictures you scroll through, every type of content that makes up the internet is built from creative effort.

1. Sell your work on Etsy

Etsy acts as an intermediary between buyers and sellers; much like eBay, it doesn’t manufacture the products it sells, but like any intermediary, it charges a fee for listing your products. If you’re someone who makes handmade products, Etsy can help you earn a sizable income.

Etsy is an ecommerce platform specialising in creative items. With everything from vintage board games to handmade home decor, the website is an art collector’s dream. The cost of one listing is $0.20 per every four months. There’s also a 5% fee applicable per transaction.

2. Teach courses on Udemy

Udemy and Coursera have been gaining a lot of traction lately. These sites allow creative professionals to offer courses and expert lessons to students of all skill levels, for a small fee. You can create a professionally designed series of lessons for your students to watch whenever they see fit, after they have paid for the course.

Courses are offered over audio and video. And the best part? They don’t even have to be live courses. You can teach anything from web design to languages. 

3. Stream games on Twitch

Are you good at playing video games? That’s right, it’s playing, not making. Another way to earn money is through sponsored brand placements within the videos themselves.

Twitch streamers can earn money in a variety of ways. The first, and most common, is through displaying advertisements under your videos. If you like video games and are good with an audience, you may consider opening up your very own streaming channel on Twitch.

4. Freelance with Upwork

There are plenty of companies that outsource work to talented individuals these days instead of handling them in house or paying an agency to do it for them. If you are a writer, graphic designer, or developer, consider offering up your skills in a freelance capacity.

While a lot of these marketplaces are known for attracting dishonest buyers or offering cheap rates, Upwork has a strong anti-fraud policy for buyers and sellers alike, making it one of the better offerings. They are mostly marketplaces that connect freelancers with those who need their services.

5. Design assets for Envato

Envato also allows you to sell creative services for a fee. By offering a fixed rate on things like designing a logo or creating a website, you can attract buyers who are in need of a more personalised offering. Envato is an online marketplace for digital assets.

From themes and plugins to stock videography, there is nothing that you can’t find on the site. With these licenses, they can use your work for their own online projects, both personal and commercial. The idea is simple. You upload your work and allow people to purchase user licenses to your assets.

6. Sell printables on Redbubble

Redbubble is a marketplace where you can buy custom-printed artwork. From designer T-shirts to printed phone cases, you can find anything there. Once an order has been placed, you get an email on the amount sold and the royalty made.

Since the website is print-on-demand, Redbubble doesn’t require a huge initial investment. You upload your designs to the site and wait for someone to place an order. All of the artwork is created by independent artists, which opens up a lot of avenues for creative professionals.