Top 17 Creative and Artistic Side Hustles

Let’s start with the basics: if you’re a visual artist, a sculptor, or a craftsperson, you can create products, then sell them. Simple!

There are two avenues available to you:

1. Sell physical products

The most obvious path is to just create and sell physical works of art. You can do this either online or offline:

• Online: Many artists get started by selling on Etsy, which is the largest platform for selling arts and crafts. You can also sell through sites like Facebook Marketplace or eBay.
• Offline: If you’d like to sell at a craft fair or market, keep an eye out for events in your area. You’ll usually need to apply well in advance.

You can also contact local retailers to see if they’d be interested in selling your work in exchange for a percentage of the profits.

Here’s a list of some of the many things you can make and sell:

• Drawings and paintings (originals and prints)
• Digital art in print form (as prints or on items such as t-shirts, mugs, stickers, etc.)
• Handmade jewelry
• Sculptures
• Tableware and other ceramic items
• Candles
• Soap
• Clothing (reclaimed fabric, knitting, crochet, etc.)
• Embroidery
• Papercrafts (book folding, paper decor)
• Bookbinding (books and notebooks)
• Glassware
• Wooden furniture or small wooden items
• Puppets and toys
• Floristry
• Leather items (wallets, handbags, phone cases, etc.)
• Acrylic resin items (chess sets, dice, domino sets, etc.)

Consider using a print-on-demand service

If you don’t want to manage an inventory but still want to sell physical products, you can do so via a print-on-demand service. Popular options include Society6, Printful and Redbubble.

Keep in mind that these sites will take a larger percentage of your sales, since they’re supplying the materials, printing your artwork, and delivering the final product to the customer themselves.

2. Sell virtual art products

You don’t want to manage a physical inventory or deal with a printing company? Fair enough. You can still sell your art online.

Digital art is a huge space that includes custom illustrations, e-book designs, Canva templates, and more.

There are many different platforms that you can use to sell digital art pieces. If you already have an audience, you can sell them through your own website or leverage sites like Buy Me a Coffee or Kofi.

If you’re just getting started, you can sell through Etsy or Creative Market, which have search features that let people find your products organically.

Selling printables on Etsy is one of the easiest ways to establish yourself in this space (printables are digital designs for products like planners, worksheets, and coloring books). This is an exploding market right now, so if you’re not sure where to start, give it a try.

You don’t have to sell products—you can also sell your services. If your focus is on illustration and graphic design, there are a few ways you can monetize your creativity through online freelance work.

3. Illustrate book covers and children’s books

While getting into the publishing industry can be quite competitive, all books need covers, and many also need to be illustrated, particularly children’s books.

Publishing houses sometimes organize competitions and internships for new illustrators and graphic designers. If that sounds like too much trouble, you can also design covers and illustrate children’s books for indie (self-published) authors and small publishers as a freelancer.

Start by developing your style and creating a portfolio of work. You can offer your services and find clients through sites like:

• 99Designs
• Upwork
• Freelancer
• PeoplePerHour
• Fiverr

Note that the last four sites are general-purpose marketplaces (and not specifically for illustrators), so you can use them to find other types of work, such as freelance writing, as well.

4. Create fonts or offer calligraphy services

Are you a lettering artist? You can create custom fonts or sell your designs as digital assets through sites like Creative Market.

Alternatively, you can make use of your calligraphy skills as a freelancer. There are many clients looking for calligraphy services for different kinds of projects. Here are some options:

• Wedding invitations and decor
• Company branding and marketing
• Art licensing (more on this later)
• Commissions and custom pieces
• Home decor
• Bar chalkboards (yes, they do hire people for this sometimes!)

5. Offer graphic design and web design services

If you have a background in design and feel up for the challenge, you can become a part-timer for an agency or offer your services through a freelancing site like Upwork or Freelancer. You can also approach potential clients directly.

This will require a bit of technical know-how, since most projects will require you to be familiar with design software. For example, you might have to make 2D and 3D renderings of a product if you’re a packaging designer, or be familiar with HTML/CSS as a web designer.

Popular services you can offer include:

• Packaging design
• Logo design
• Web design
• Stationary design
• Merch design

Once you’ve developed an art style and portfolio, you can also consider licensing your art to suitable companies and brands. In exchange, you’ll receive a flat fee or a royalty. Make sure you do your research and pay close attention to the terms and conditions of any licensing agreement or partnership.

6. Offer video and photography services

Have you gone beyond mastering the art of the selfie? Would you like to help people capture perfect photos?

If so, you can make the most of your skills by selling your services as a freelance photographer or videographer.

To get started as a freelance photographer, you’ll first need to develop a portfolio of work and set your rates. (for context, many freelance photographers make around $23 per hour, but that’s a very rough average.)

To find clients, you can join a freelancing platform, approach businesses directly, or make use of your personal network.

You can niche down and focus on a particular type of photography or videography. This will make it easier for clients to decide whether you’re a good fit. The following businesses and industries are often in need of photographers:

• Weddings
• Food and beverage
• Hotels and resorts
• Bars and clubs
• Real estate
• Events and concerts
• Sports
• Fashion

There are a few other ways you can make money through photography and videography, including but not limited to making ads and promotional videos, photo and video editing, and selling stock photography.

While not everyone considers it “art,” content creation is a very creative field. If you prefer working with words to visual art (or if you’re interested in a marriage of the two), try your hand at one of these side hustles:

7. Start a blog or YouTube channel

You probably already know that you can make money by blogging (or vlogging). This is a competitive space, but a very rewarding one. Pick something you’re passionate about and start writing or creating videos about it. Over time, you might be able to build a following.

Make sure you do your research and apply best practices that will help your audience find you (such as learning about SEO and how the YouTube algorithm works).

If you’re a visual artist, create content about it

Consider all the skills and disciplines we’ve mentioned so far. You can turn any of them into online content.

Whether it’s by writing an instructional blog about how to get started with knitting, posting a photo of your latest artwork, or filming the process of creating a sculpture from start to finish, you can leverage your artistic skills to create something compelling.

How to monetize online content

The first step is to gather an audience, but once you’ve done that, you have many monetization options. These include:

• Affiliate marketing
• Ads
• Sponsorships
• Selling digital or physical products
• Selling online courses, workshops, and webinars
• Posting premium content on Patreon
• Using tipping sites such as Kofi or Buy Me a Coffee
• Offering coaching and 1-on-1 sessions
• Selling books (or e-books)

Make sure to leverage social media to grow your following and keep them engaged. There are many ways to engage with your audience, but if you’re an artist, one great way is to start an art challenge and run it for a set number of days. You may even be able to turn the finished artwork into a book, zine, or product that you can sell at the end.

8. Become a social media content creator or manager

Speaking of social media, most businesses these days need a social media presence. That means they need content and they need someone to manage it.

As a social media professional, you’ll work on (or organize and run) campaigns. This means creating posts, videos, graphics, posting schedules, content plans, and more.

You can do this as an extension of one of the previously mentioned side hustles or you can offer it as a service to other businesses as a freelancer.

9. Teach people about your creative pursuits

Teaching is another way to share your passion with the world and help people who want to start on a similar journey. You can offer classes in art (or art history), creative writing, sculpture, photography, or anything else you prefer.

You have several options:

• Teaching in-person classes at local schools or art stores
• Running workshops and webinars
• Starting a tutoring side hustle with sites like Tutor.com

Creating online courses

You can also create educational online content, such as courses and instructional videos. You can supplement this with other material, including worksheets and guides.

This will involve a considerable amount of work at the start, but once you’ve launched your course, your income will mostly be passive. That said, don’t forget to promote yourself so that students can find you!

You can launch a course using your own site or a platform like Skillshare, Udemy, or Domestika.

By now, we’ve covered the main ways you can make money by leveraging your creative skills, but there’s much more you can do. Here are several more ideas:

10. Paint murals

If you’re a painter looking for a much bigger canvas, why not try mural painting?

Start by putting together a portfolio that lets clients get a sense for your style. Your initial portfolio can be made up of mockups, smaller projects, and faux walls if you don’t have access to an actual wall. On the other hand, if you do have one, experiment on it and include the results in your portfolio. (If you’re renting, you can temporarily tape large paper rolls to your wall instead.)

This one will require being proactive and looking for clients. Make use of your personal network, reach out to local businesses, and check notice boards and Facebook groups.

11. Become a face painter

Once again, this will require proactivity when looking for clients at the start, as well as volunteers who are willing to let you experiment on their faces so you can put together a portfolio.

Most of your clients will be found at children’s birthday parties and other, similar events. If you’re good with children, consider offering your services on local notice boards and parents’ groups. You can also develop a partnership with local event planning companies, who can pitch your services to their clients for a commission.

Similarly, if you’re good with makeup, consider becoming a makeup artist. You can offer your services at your clients’ homes or through a salon, wedding venue, photography studio, or a makeup counter at a department store.

12. Become a tattoo artist

This will require extra training, but if you’re good at drawing and love body art, you can reach out to a reputable tattoo studio to find a mentor and secure an apprenticeship.

After you complete it, you’ll also need to get certified and make sure you meet all the legal requirements to become a tattoo artist in your area before you actually tattoo anyone.

13. Become an animator

You’ll need advanced skills in order to become an animator. If you don’t have them yet, you’ll want to pursue something else for a few months (or years) while you acquire them.

If you already have those skills, there are several ways you can monetize them:

• Create an animated YouTube Channel (or work for other YouTubers)
• Offer freelance animation services on sites like Upwork
• Create animations for businesses and organizations
• Create online courses to teach other people animation skills

14. Offer fashion-related services

If you’re a textile artist or know your way around a sewing machine, you can offer your services as a tailor or a stylist.

The services you can offer include:

• Clothes alteration
• Embroidery
• Fashion styling or consulting
• Costume design and creation

You can find clients through your personal network and in local Facebook groups. You can also try reaching out to local tailors and bridal shops that may need an extra hard.

15. Flip furniture

If you’ve been known to turn discarded pieces of furniture into works of art, this could be the side hustle for you.

Go hunting for secondhand furniture and then do your thing. Once each piece is ready, you can set a price and post photos and other details on:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist (and other sites with classified ads)
• eBay
• Etsy

You can also sell your creations at a local market or partner up with a business.

Beware that if you’re selling online, you’ll need to factor in shipping costs into your pricing. These can be substantial for larger objects, like furniture.

16. Become a prop maker

These creatives are behind all the props used in theater, cinema, and television. If you’re crafty and love the idea of getting involved in a dramatic production, this can be a fun side hustle, although it probably won’t make you rich.

There are several ways you can get started with this, including taking college courses, starting an apprenticeship, or, if you already have a portfolio of work, applying to work with a theater company.

This can be a difficult scene to break into, particularly if you’re not based in a big arts hub, but if you have the passion for it, it’s worth it.

17. Become an interior designer or set decorator

This path combines several of the previously mentioned side hustles, especially prop making, mural painting, and upgrading furniture. If you’re interested in leaving your mark on someone’s home, it’s a great option.

Start by choosing your niche and developing a portfolio. As an interior designer, you can specialize in:

• House staging
• Event decoration and party planning
• Set design
• Residential interior design and decor
• Commercial interior design

You can work through a company or offer your services as a freelancer.

The income you can generate from these side hustles can vary hugely. This is true in almost every field—there’s usually a big gap between people at the top and those who are just starting out—but it’s especially true for creative and artistic endeavors.

Some people will become millionaires through art. This is uncommon, but it does happen—you can probably name at least one famous artist, designer, or novelist. However, the unfortunate truth is that many other creatives (even talented ones) struggle to make just a few bucks a month.

Ultimately, it comes down not just to your artistic talent but also your business skills and your ability to market yourself. In many cases, it also comes down to luck and timing.

If art is your passion, don’t give up on it, even if your side hustle doesn’t take off right away. Many of the gigs on this list will take some time to get going. Keep at it, and don’t forget to enjoy yourself—it’s about the journey as well as the destination.