The last few years, I’ve been on a product-creating spree. By the time December 2022 came around, I had over 100 products in my Etsy shop in at least 10 different categories. It was a lot to keep track of – and to be honest, the majority of those products barely made any sales. I think 90% of my sales came from only around 20% of my products. That’s a lot of time, effort, and upfront costs that didn’t pay off.
So I started this year by simplifying. I archived most of the products in my shop, limiting sales to a few digital brushes and custom orders, and stepped back to consider what the best use of my time might be. (I also decided to start donating profits to a ministry each year on any original art or custom orders.)
After some careful consideration, I realized that one of my struggles with creating products to sell is the up-and-down nature of my chronic illness. When I’ve got at least 80% of my “normal” energy, then creating and printing and shipping is no big deal. But the problem is that I often don’t feel even that good. Lately, I’ve been hovering around 50% most of the time, dealing with brain fog, shakiness, and whole-body weakness. That makes working on paper and preparing things for shipping much more difficult than it should be (which is why I create most of my art on the iPad these days). I realized that I was starting to dread those physical product orders because it required energy I simply didn’t have.
Realistically, then, digital products seem to be my best option when it comes to growing my business. So I started researching options for digital goods that I enjoy creating, can make often and well, and that fit with my brand and focus on God’s Word. I’ve landed on two major ideas:
Tools for DIY Designs
This includes diecut and clipart files with hand-lettered and hand-drawn Bible themes, such as:
- biblical-themed phrases (Do Not Fear, Jesus is Better, etc),
- holiday-themed religious phrases (Gratitude Attitude, Happy Birthday Jesus, etc);
- partial and whole Scripture verses (‘His grace is sufficient for you’); and
- hand drawn illustration packs with crosses, stars, and nativity characters.
Besides creating a whole lot more of those (I have a veeeeery long list I’m working through), I plan to expand this category further to include digital scrapbooking and/or Sunday school lesson kits. For instance, I’m currently working on creating an ‘armor of God’ collection with patterns and drawings and diecut sticker files.
Tools for Digital Art
This currently includes brushes and stamps specifically for the Procreate app on iPad, such as:
- professional quality lettering brushes that I personally use in my own art; and
- hand-drawn stamp collections with biblical themes (such as crosses or nativity characters).
I think there’s a real need and a niche for stamps with a focus on God’s Word, so I plan to keep brainstorming new ideas for this category. I’m also considering adding other digital tools such as color palettes and product templates. I generally only use Procreate for my art, so I haven’t been creating tools for other art programs, but I would definitely consider learning them if there’s a great desire to have those tools for other apps.
You can see my current products in the Etsy shop here, but I’m also working to add a shop on my website so you don’t have to navigate thousands of items just to find mine. Be sure to sign up for email updates (click the yellow bar at the top of your screen) so you don’t miss out on the big launch. I’m sure there will be some special deals when everything goes live!
I’m really excited about this shift in direction, and hope you are too! I truly enjoy creating these tools and sharing them with you all. It’s another way for me to use my art as a ministry, providing helpful (and fun!) tools to encourage others in their God-given creativity. And it should be much more feasible for me in the long-term, with all my unpredictable medical and ministry things!
Here’s what I need from you:
- What phrases or Bible verses do you want to see in the shop?
- If you currently craft with a diecut machine, would you be interested in testing (and sharing) some SVG files?
- If you are a Sunday school teacher or kids’ camp leader, would you be interested in testing some digital kits?
- What other digital creation tools (color swatches, worksheets, etc) would you like to see me add?
.
Note: I am still offering custom prints, and I’d encourage you to reach out to me if you’re looking for a unique gift or a special print of a favorite verse. And I have been offering an occasional ‘limited run’ print on social media, so make sure you’re following on Facebook or Instagram if you’re interested in seeing those.