I fell down a rabbit hole this week.
Which is hardly unusual for me.
But this one got interesting because I kept finding things that made me think…
I could make something with that.
I was digging around in public domain collections.
Now, I’m guessing quite a few of you already know there’s a vast amount of material out there that you can legally use.
But knowing that and actually doing something interesting with it are two very different things.
So I thought I’d start something new…
What I’d Sell This Week
Every so often, I’m going to go hunting for an interesting way to make money, show you what I’ve found and tell you what I’d actually do with it.
And this week I’d go digging in the public domain.
Not just for old books to repackage. I’d be looking for the weird stuff. Strange photographs, forgotten stories, old games, maps, advertisements and things that make you stop scrolling because you want to know more.
Because that’s where ideas start…
First Rabbit Hole
The Public Domain Review:
https://publicdomainreview.org/collections
I love this site because somebody else has already done a lot of the digging.
Have a look without deciding in advance what you’re going to make.
Find something that catches your attention first.
Then ask what you could turn it into.
I found everything from old forest fire maps to books on divination and wonderfully bizarre illustrations.
And immediately my brain starts going…
Could that become a game? A puzzle? A themed printable? Something for Halloween? Something for writers?
That’s the fun bit.
Then I Found This
The New York Public Library has a huge digital collection and lets you specifically search material identified as public domain.
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org
Tick Search only public domain and start playing.
But don’t search for “digital products”.
Search for something people are interested in.
Like ghosts or dogs or maybe even magic or travel.
Then see where it takes you.
You can also browse its public domain collections here:
https://www.nypl.org/research/resources/public-domain-collections
This One Is Huge
Smithsonian Open Access:
There are millions of digital items here from Smithsonian museums, archives, libraries and research centres.
And it goes beyond old photographs. There are 2D and 3D items and data too.
Look for material marked CC0, which the Smithsonian makes available for reuse without needing to ask permission.
I’d be particularly tempted to investigate the 3D material simply because it’s different.
I don’t know what I’d make with it yet but that’s precisely why I’d go looking.
One More
The Library of Congress has collections specifically selected for free use and reuse:
https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use
This might be the easiest starting point because they’ve already grouped the material into themes.
And some of those themes are surprisingly good fun.
There’s everything from Halloween and dragons to old games, advertising and classic children’s books.
Pick something that interests you and start exploring.
So What Would I Actually Sell?
I wouldn’t download a pile of old pictures, zip them up and call it a product. I’d look for the idea hiding inside the material.
Suppose I stumbled across a collection of Victorian fortune-telling material. I’d immediately start wondering whether I could turn it into a printable Victorian fortune-telling game.
And then I’d probably disappear down another rabbit hole.
Could it become a spooky parlour game? A mystery night? A writing game? Something for Halloween?
One discovery can lead to a completely different product.
Try This
Go to ONE of the sites above. Give yourself 20 minutes. Don’t try to find a product. Find something that makes you think:
Ooh. That’s interesting.
Then take it to ChatGPT and use this prompt:
I’ve found this public domain material: [describe what you’ve found and include the source]. I want to use it as raw material for a small digital product I can sell online. Give me 20 unusual product ideas priced between $7 and $27. Don’t suggest generic ebooks, planners or simple bundles of the original material. I want to transform, combine, curate or build on it to create something new. Favour ideas that are entertaining, useful, interactive, collectible or surprising. For each idea, tell me who would buy it, what I’d create and why someone would pay for it.
Watch This
While we’re talking about taking existing material and doing something new with it, this is worth nine minutes of your time.
Kirby Ferguson’s TED talk, Embrace the Remix:
It’s about how creativity builds on what has gone before. And I think that’s a much more interesting way of looking at public domain material than asking:
What can I download and resell?
Ask instead:
What can I do with this that wasn’t there before?
One final word of caution…
Don’t assume something is public domain simply because it’s old or you’ve found it online. Check the rights information for the actual item you’re planning to use.
Then go exploring.
And if you find something gloriously weird, hit reply and send it to me.
I want to see it.