Episode 57: Persistence in Passive Income with Liz Kohler Brown
Liz's journey began in the world of ceramics, but as she dove deeper into the craft, the labor and its tethering to one place started to weigh on her. Liz and her husband shared a common itch for adventure, a desire to break free from the conventional grind of office jobs. One fateful day, they decided to chase their wild dream: pack up their lives and move to Thailand and work remotely. They picked a date, and from there, it was all about taking the steps to transform their dream into reality. In Thailand, Liz started to dip her toes into the world of passive income selling repeat patterns on Spoonflower, and she hasn’t looked back since!
The “Snowball” of Passive Income
Liz's journey to loving passive income didn't start with a desire for wealth, but with a longing for creative freedom. What began as a playful experiment on Spoonflower soon turned into a revelation. Liz started to realize that even $1 a month from a pattern could add up. With dedication and time, it could replace her day job, offering a stark contrast between traditional employment and the ever-growing stream of passive income. While a job might pay you by the hour, passive income keeps flowing in, year after year.
This realization prompted Liz to expand her horizons and she soon explored other platforms, from Society6 to RedBubble, and even ventured into font-making on Creative Market. Later she found herself drawn to share her knowledge and passion with others and created her first Skillshare class where she now has a large audience eager to learn from her with every class she releases. Ultimately, Liz believes that passive income can create financial empowerment and creative freedom.
Perserverence in the Waiting
Achieving passive income isn't a sprint; it's more like a marathon. The key to success, she insists, is passion. If you're not waking up excited to craft new patterns or artwork, passive income might not be your path. There are other ways to monetize your art, like selling locally for feedback from real people. However, if you find joy in crafting patterns and witness a few sales, take it as a sign. Do the math: how long did it take to create those patterns, and how long to reach your income goal? Liz aimed to match her full-time job's $35,000 annual income, a seemingly far-fetched dream that became a reality in about a year and a half.
Her story was partly facilitated by a move to Thailand, cutting ties with bills, and embracing freedom. But for those on the slow and steady grind, Liz's advice remains relevant. Assess your passion for this journey, diversify your patterns, and dive deep into SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO might seem like a buzzkill for artists, but it's a necessity in the digital marketplace. A strategy shift, coupled with effective SEO, can transform $100 monthly earnings into a thriving $5,000.
So, remember, it's not just about time; it's about strategy, resilience, and a passion that fuels your creative journey toward passive income.
Fear Setting
Liz suggests applying a concept she admires from Tim Ferriss: "fear setting." It's about exploring the worst-case scenario. What's the absolute worst that could happen if you take a creative risk? You might invest months in a project only to face harsh criticism and rejection. But then you weigh it against the potential reward – a new passive income stream that could provide financial freedom and more time with loved ones.
In the realm of passive income, the potential upside often outweighs the unlikely downside. Failure is a valuable teacher, and moderate success is more probable than total disaster. This freedom, she believes, is priceless and accessible to those willing to take calculated creative leaps.
Creative Wounds and Negative Comments
Liz points out that as artists gain more success, they often attract more negative comments and criticism. She also sheds light on the motivations behind some of these negative comments. Liz believes that many people who express skepticism about making a living as an artist might be carrying their own unfulfilled creative dreams.
It is important to recognize that negative comments are often a reflection of the commenter's personal struggles and insecurities rather than a true evaluation of your worth as a creator. By acknowledging your wounds, you can better understand the impact they've had on their creative journey and learn to separate them from their true artistic identity.
Liz encourages creators to have empathy for those who may lash out with negativity, recognizing that they might be struggling themselves. She emphasizes the importance of not taking such comments personally and of acknowledging that they don't define your worth as an artist.
Liz Kohler Brown is a designer and letterer based in North Carolina who loves using vintage inspiration to create bold artwork for fabric and stationery. Her patterns and illustrations have been sold all over the world through online and in-person stores including Target, Hawthorne Supply Co., and Rocky Nook Publishing.
Follow along on instagram and visit her website at www.lizkohlerbrown.com.
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