The 5 myths *they* aren't telling you about creating passive income as a Creative

I'm sure you've heard it everywhere — "passive income" – an elusive, glittering unicorn we all seem to be chasing. You’ve probably seen the glamorous Instagram posts and for a moment feel either inspired or deflated seeing someone lounging by the beach, cocktail in hand, casually mentioning how they’ve just “made $10K while I was napping!” And as creatives, we think, "How on earth do they do it?" Spoiler alert: those beachy, cocktail-infused posts leave out some very important details.

After spending multiple years attempting to build streams of passive income (some fruiting better than others), where I end up spending less time trading hours for money, and reframing my mindset to "Set it up once, sell it again and again", I’m here to save you from any passive-income mirages with a (hopefully helpful) dose of learning that you can apply to your own ventures.

Here are just some of the myths (and the truths) of passive income to help you in your passive income journey.

Truth: Passive income requires work, if not more than your usual 9-5, for a multitude of years before it starts feeling passive.

Look, if passive income were that easy, we’d all be living our best lives. The reality? That “passive” part doesn’t just happen overnight. Whether you’re selling digital products, creating stock photography, or writing the next viral eBook, you need to put in some serious work upfront. Passive income is more like building a house than winning the lottery. Sure, you might be sipping margaritas in the future, but first, you’ll be digging trenches and assembling IKEA furniture (without the instructions, of course). Think of passive income as a 'long term' investment. You may not see the fruits of your labour in the initial six months, year or two, but in a decade time, you will.

Truth: Passive income is a bit like a needy houseplant — water it, trim it, sing to it, or it will die.

Let’s be real: you wouldn’t leave your beloved succulent in a dark closet and expect it to thrive (unless you’re me and have unintentionally mastered the art of plant neglect). Your passive income stream is no different. Whether it’s maintaining an online store, updating digital products, or keeping your website from imploding, there’s always some level of care and feeding involved. Sure, it becomes less hands-on over time, but you’ll still need to do some regular watering (metaphorically speaking).

Truth: You will create 57 things and maybe, just maybe, get a latte out of it.

Ah, the sweet fantasy of creating one perfect product that’ll make you millions. I get it, it’s a lovely daydream. But here’s the truth bomb: most creatives launch multiple products, courses, or services before they strike gold. Sometimes it takes several “meh” ideas before that one project clicks. And sometimes, it’s not the sexy product you thought would make millions. Nope, it’s your niche Canva template pack for cat-themed birthday parties that suddenly takes off (true story). Bottom line: you’ve got to throw a few things at the wall before anything sticks. And in the meantime, there’s always coffee, lots of it.

Truth: Passive income means working differently — usually while binge-watching Netflix.

Here’s the kicker: passive income doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be working less, it just means you’ll be working smarter. Maybe you’re watching 17 tutorials on how to create the perfect sales funnel (all while re-watching The Office for the fifth time). Or perhaps you’re figuring out how to automate your email marketing while secretly Googling, “What even is a sales funnel?” The work shifts from being “on” all the time to figuring out how to get things to work for you behind the scenes. But once it’s set up, that’s when you can maybe start dreaming of a 4-hour workday—and still manage to fit in a Netflix binge.

Truth: Passive income = Ultimate flexibility. And, okay, maybe some freedom too.

Freedom? Yes, eventually. But ultimate freedom? Let’s temper expectations just a tad. Passive income gives you flexibility — like being able to work from anywhere or rearrange your schedule to accommodate that midday nap, school pickup, 2pm pilates class or other things that feel non-conventional in a 9-5 role. It also gives you room to breathe and try new things, which is a pretty sweet deal. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re checking out of your responsibilities entirely, or that it won't require a hybrid approach to your work. You may want to drop one day a week at your job and spend one day dedicated to your side hustle / creative project while still protecting yourself from any huge, knee-jerk kind of financial risk (like quitting your job entirely with no sustainable income created).

If you’ve made it this far, you deserve a cookie (or a champagne). The point is, passive income is awesome—once you’ve put in the effort to make it work. It’s less “money for nothing” and more “money for something you did a while ago and occasionally have to check up on.”

But here’s the kicker, creative soul: Once that passive income stream is flowing, it is magical. It’s the difference between hustling constantly for every dollar and letting your creative brilliance work for you in the background. You’ll get there, but first, embrace the process, the work, the occasional frustration, and, of course, the fact that it won’t happen overnight. And let me tell you — the thrill of seeing your phone ping with a sale while you're sitting at dinner on the weekend, or walking your dog is one of the most empowering and exhilarating feelings!

So, go on, make that Canva template, create that digital course, or sell those resellable PLR unicorn journals. And one day soon, while you’re sipping that margarita by the beach, you’ll realize that all that hustle was totally worth it—even if your plants didn’t make it.

Want to kickstart your PLR or passive income journey? The She Glows Creative Shop provides a suite of digital products and programs that allows you to rebrand, or resell as your own product, wihtout the steep learning curve to create your own passive income.