How to make a Passive Income by Selling Wallpaper Packs | Interview with Rad Bali

We asked Rad for some much-needed advice for those creators and artists looking to get their foot in the door of the digital creative world of desktop and mobile screen wallpaper designing, and what is one thing someone can rely on to grow their personal brand on not only social media but as a brand in general.

As someone with experience in the desk setup niche Rad knew that what worked for some people may not necessarily work for you and this is important to realize from early on so you don’t get frustrated or disheartened. By focusing on one thing, and doing that one project or one task properly and wholeheartedly you are more likely to see successful results. When you see that it is going well you need to ensure you have the consistency of quality to maintain a great product or idea. 

If at a later stage, say 3 or 6 months down the line, you don’t see changes, growth, or an increase in your online presence it may be time to re-evaluate why. Perhaps you need to learn more about the field you are delving into, you may need to change your niche altogether, or simply pivot so you get a new perspective on things.

We often see people becoming a known brand or name after 1 video that happened to go viral overnight, other times it takes creators more than 20 videos to be recognized for their talent, but consistency is key to perseverance. 

Selling Wallpapers via Instagram

It is no secret that the social media world is an ever-evolving platform that can be overwhelmingly advantageous, but Rad made it work for him and has since grown his following from a handful of enthusiasts to now over 200K followers. 

Initially, Rad began creating and designing his digital products and desktop and mobile screen wallpapers on the side to create content but also as a creative outlet. As the Head of Design at Uizard, Rad commented that he did not have as much free time, as usual, to just sit and create a design that spoke to him, so he used social media to let his creativity flow. Not necessarily thinking anything would come of it and certainly not in the way that it exploded with interest and demand. 

In January 2022, he started his wallpaper designing and creating journey and created his wallpaper pack as a product that could serve as passive income rather than something that would need constant attention and demand a large chunk of his time. He knew that he did not want to be working 2 to 3 jobs to earn a living, and that passive income was the way forward, more than one job is not sustainable in the long run. 

He did understand quickly, however, that if he wanted to be making money from his designs he needed to focus on 3 aspects; 

• To get, and increase, sales you need to have content

• You need to create product promotions, so potential customers are always in the know

• Offering subtle promotions work just as well but is less obtrusive

With these 3 simple, humble mantras Rad was creating products he loved, and that the world was beginning to take notice of. 

The Creative Process

While natural talent and skill are somewhat necessary, there are other elements that Rad Bali conforms to when creating his bespoke, unique wallpapers. By keeping in mind a few points to making a design successful, Rad has learned the ins and outs of what to do and other tips on what not to do, let’s take a quick overview look at what he mentioned. 

1. You want to create something visually appealing, naturally, when something looks good it catches someone’s attention and makes them feel good. You also want this image or background to have some form of message, whether visually or with words.

2. Create something that resonates with you, often when you love something you are creating it comes through in the final product, and just may be what that person was looking for all along. 

3. Asking your audience is a great way to see what potential customers are searching for, see what is trending, and where there is a gap in the market. 

4. Consider different aspects and endless possibilities from photos on top of or behind words, digital color gradients that overlap, hang in the background, or are blurred for a softer calmer ambiance. It may seem like a small change or edit that takes your creativity to the next level but it could be what people are buying, no effort can ever be too small if you are creating something beautiful that people enjoy looking at. 

5. As you look at your project consider adding what is known as grain (or noise) on top of a lot of gradients, this helps to prevent the bleeding of pixels with lower opacity.

6. A big tip is to test your design on various monitors, the technical aspect is as important as the design itself. Consider how it looks on mobiles, desktops, I-pads, and even ultra-wide monitors that seem to be increasing in popularity.  

Selling your digital download creations

Generating revenue is always on everyone’s minds when they are looking to make a passive income, but don’t let it be your sole focus. Rushing into something will not bring sales in quicker, in fact, it may be a deterrent and work against you. 

When you first start ideally you want to build a client or customer base as quickly as possible, by adding freebies to your website and promoting freebies you can quickly build up your customer email list. Now when you have a form of contact you can keep them up to date when you have something new to peruse and purchase to download. 

By creating products and putting them on your social media accounts, you can begin to promote them while making them visible online in some form.

Another great option is to consider free platforms such as Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy where creating, uploading, and beginning to sell your digital products can be done in a matter of minutes. It is a simple way, especially for beginners, to utilize the free templates and tools on the platform to take their design to another level. 

Finding a work-life balance

The big question we always get asked, but an important one nonetheless. How is it possible, when you have a full-time 9-5 career, to find the time to let your creative skills shine? While many people will comment that balance is the key, and it is, Rad believes that having the right mindset will get you further than you would have initially thought you could push yourself. 

By simply changing the way you commit to things you can see significant progress and success in tasks you put your mind to. Rather than ending the day with an hour or two scrolling through other creators’ content pages and social media accounts, (we are all guilty of this), take that time and put it to use creating something for yourself. 

You may even only put an hour or half an hour aside for your creative outlet, the main objective is to make the time. If you need to simplify your workspace to clear your mind, and your environment, and to take away objects blocking your mind, then do it. A simplistic, yet aesthetic workspace can be impactful when it comes to sitting and creating. 

Rad mentions that when you look at his workspace and aesthetic you see clean lines, minimal décor, and more often than not a monotone color pallet, this helps him focus on the task at hand and not be distracted by unnecessary objects in his environment and workspace. A pop of color here and there (as we see with his bright orange power bank on display) can help keep the space light and not flat. 

Also, consider investing in good lighting. It is vital to see your products in their best light, sound can come after as you progress but with modern phone features a good mobile can shoot and create just as well, sometimes better, than expensive often unnecessary equipment.  Start shooting your products with your phone and invest when things are going well and you feel you are ready to move to the next level in your design creations. 

Final thoughts

As a designer and established influencer, Rad Bali has shown us there is always room for improvement, evolving, learning, and growth and you can be sure there is always something new to learn in any industry. 

By doing what you love there is no way that you can fail, you may need to tweak or edit during the process, but failure is not an option when you love what you do. The world is always better when we are creating, designing, and adding beauty to our surroundings. 

Rad's Social Media Handles:

Instagram | Youtube | Tiktok