For years, passive income was something I wanted but never actually pursued. I read about it, thought about it, told myself I would get to it eventually. But client work kept coming in, and when you have paying projects on your plate, it is very easy to push everything else aside.
Then one month, the work just stopped.
No new briefs, no follow-ups, no projects. Just silence. It was uncomfortable at first. But after a few days I realised: this is actually the window I have been waiting for. So instead of refreshing my inbox every hour, I sat down and built my first Framer template.
It felt different from client work. Nobody was waiting on me. No feedback rounds, no "can we make the logo bigger." Just me, Framer, and a blank canvas. I could make every decision myself and ship it when I thought it was ready.
That first template did not make me rich. But it sold. And that felt surprisingly good.
Not because of the money, but because something I built once kept working after I closed my laptop. That is a feeling client work rarely gives you.
So why templates specifically?
I had been building websites in Framer for a while and started to notice patterns. A lot of people wanted a good-looking Framer website but either could not afford a custom project or did not need one. A template made sense. It solves a real problem, and it fits naturally with what I was already doing.
It also doubled as a portfolio piece. Potential clients could see exactly how I work, what my standards are, and what they would get if they hired me for something custom. A template is not just a product. It is a quiet sales pitch.
Does it replace client work?
No, and I am not sure I want it to. Client work keeps me sharp. Every project comes with a new problem to solve, and I genuinely enjoy that. But templates give me something client work cannot: flexibility. A slow month no longer feels like a crisis. There is always something in the background doing its thing.
The combination suits me. I take on the client projects that interest me and work on templates when I have the space and energy for it.
Should you do the same?
Maybe. If you are a designer who already works with a specific tool or niche, you probably have more knowledge than you think. That knowledge can become a product. It does not have to be a template. It could be a UI kit, a component library, a guide, anything that solves a problem someone else has.
You do not need a slow month to get started. But if you get one, do not waste it.
