When you’ve been creating for a long time, it’s easy to think, “Well, I’ve already shared that — time to move on to the next thing.”
But what if your beautiful work could keep working for you again and again?
That’s exactly what Kaylie explored in her solo episode this week on the Creative Juggle Joy Podcast, and I loved it so much I wanted to share a few extra thoughts here for you — especially if you’re a card designer, artist, or creative teacher like so many in my community.
💡 Why Repurposing Matters for Artists and Designers
Repurposing isn’t lazy — it’s sustainable.
Your art, your classes, your creative process — these aren’t single use.Every piece can live many lives: as a greeting card, a repeat pattern, a digital download, a surface design for POD, a lesson replay, or a tutorial.
I’ve done this myself so many times.
One little flower illustration of mine has shown up as a printed card, a template for my students, and even a sweet repeat pattern for wrapping paper. It’s like giving your creativity a second (and third!) breath of life.
🧩 Ways You Can Start Repurposing
Kaylie shared so many practical ideas, but here are a few favourites for my fellow card makers and artists:
✨ Teach it once, sell it again: Run a workshop, save the replay, bundle it up with a workbook, or add it to your shop as a self-paced class.
✨ Turn physical into digital: Scan or photograph your art. One painted flower could become clip art, seamless pattern elements, or even texture overlays for other artists.
✨ Break big into small: A big class or design collection can be split into bite-sized products. Small works are easier for people to say “yes” to — and they add up!
✨ Turn your process into content: Next time you’re creating, take a few photos or videos. Those snippets are perfect for social posts, reels, or teaching demos later.
✨ Use your audience’s questions: If someone asks, “How did you make that?” — that’s your clue to make a mini tutorial or guide.
🌷 It’s Not Just About Products
Repurposing is for more than just selling — it’s also a way to reach more people. If you’re a teacher or mentor, your recorded classes, process videos, or Q&A answers can help students again and again.
🧶 My Gentle Encouragement to You
This isn’t about doing more, friend.
It’s about doing it wisely, so your work supports your life — not the other way around.
Start small. Pick one design or project. Ask yourself: “Could I reuse this? Could I offer it in a new way? Could it become a gift for my community or a fresh income stream?”
If you’d like help figuring out what to repurpose first, you might enjoy my 5 Cards in 5 Days Challenge — it’s full of practical, repeatable steps you can reuse again and again.
🌟 Tell Me Your Ideas
I’d love to know — have you tried repurposing one of your designs yet?
If so, what did you turn it into?
Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram — I adore seeing your clever ways to keep your art alive.
📌 Listen to This Episode
If you’d like to hear Kaylie’s full take on repurposing, listen to Episode 41 – The Art of Repurposing right here or on your favourite podcast app.
✨ Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode!
TRANSCRIPT:
Kaylie Edwards (00:05)
Hey lovely creative and welcome back to Creative Juggle Joy podcast. I'm Kaylie Edwards and if you've been feeling burnt out trying to keep up with all the content or product creation, this one's going to feel like a deep breath. Because today we're talking about repurposing. Not just batching, not recycling, but intentionally turning what you've already made
or know how to do into multiple income streams or content that support your creative life. Whether you're an artist, crafter, illustrator or teacher, you don't need to reinvent the wheel every time. Let's make what you've already got go so much further.
Here's what I hear all the time. I just need to make something new. I've got another work in progress. I have so many unfinished products. That class is finished. So what's next? I shared it once. Now I've got to move on, right? Here's what I want to remind you. Your creative work is not single use. That class, that product, that
process you recorded once, it still holds value. You can deliver it in new formats for different people in different ways. Let's say you taught a painting class live. You could sell the replay, turn it into a mini course, create a printable workbook, pull out a technique and make it a tutorial for YouTube.
turn the artwork into wall prints, surface designs or social content, all from one project. You're not being lazy, you're being sustainable and people will forget. They need multiple nudges, multiple reminders of things.
Here are five practical ways to turn one skill into multiple income streams. One, teach it once, sell it again. Run a workshop live, then record it. Well, record it while you're live. Add a downloadable workbook or supply list. Sell the replay as a self-paced class. This is perfect for creatives who love interaction but want a product that works for them long-term. Two.
Turn physical into digital. If you paint, draw or craft, scan or photograph your work and digitise it. Turn it into clip art, textures or surface patterns. Sell on Etsy, creative market or your own shop. Bundle pieces into themed collections or design kits. There's no need to remake what you've already made.
Three, break big into small. If you've built a full length course or a multi-module workshop, pull out one part and sell it as a mini class.
Create smaller bite-sized offers for different audiences. Reuse one concept as a blog post or a PDF guide, or you can put it into AI software such as like OpusCut and just give it the link or upload the video of the full length video and it will break it up into smaller viral type shorts, reels and things. And you can just...
post them continuously on your Instagram for a while.
This works especially well if you serve beginners or more advanced learners.
And number four, turn process into content. If you filmed any part of your process, time-lapse, behind the scenes, demos, that's ready-made social content. Clip it into Reels, TikToks, Pinterest idea pins. Add voiceover and post as educational content. Pair it with a story or a caption about what you were creating. this keeps your audience engaged.
and makes content creation way less stressful. Five, use your audience questions. Have students or followers asked, do you have a template for this? Where do you get your supplies? How do you make that background?
What mediums do you use? Use those as clues. Turn your answers into templates, resource guides, toolkits, short lessons or swipe files, or maybe even try and get affiliate links for your favorite supplies.
if they asked someone else wants to know too.
Getting started. So here's how to start without overwhelming yourself. Step one, pick one thing. Choose one skill, class or product you've already made. Ask yourself, could this be a download? Could I teach this again differently? Could I pull part of this into a freebie or a bonus? Or can it go into another offer? Step two, brainstorm three spins.
jot down three possible ways to repackage or reuse it as a product, as content, as a free lead magnet. Pick the one that feels easiest to action.
Step three, repurpose on purpose. Don't just post and forget it. Create bundles, offer starter kits, build in layers, basic, premium, group access. You're not starting from scratch. You're building a suite of products and offers.
So if you've been feeling stuck or stretched, I hope this gave you a little nudge to take a breath.
and look at what you've already created. That PDF, it could be a tutorial. That class, it could become a product line. That process, it could be a lead magnet or a social post.
You already have so much to work with. Your gentle challenge this week. Pick one finished project. Brainstorm three ways to repurpose it. And action one before the month ends. Then let me know how it goes. You can tag me on Instagram at Spellweaver Creative Studio or message me over on the Creative Juggle Joy podcast feed. And remember repurposing isn't
lazy. It's clever, creative and sustainable. Until next time, keep creating, keep juggling and most importantly keep finding joy in the process.