Helpful Links and Resources
Share yours as well in the comments!
Ongoing Resource for Community Members
Let’s start a “library” of helpful resources for our fellow creatives. As you make suggestions below, I will take a look and add them to this post. If you are fairly familiar with a topic or tool, please share that info. This doesn’t mean you have to have used it for 20 years or that you know “everything.”
Please refrain from affiliate links or excessive self-promotion. If the link is yours or a “close friend,” please disclose that as you share below.
When you comment below, please include the following:
A quick description of the resource. Is it a posting calendar for Pinterest? A great source for researching keywords? Something you’ve made that might help others?
Include if you have actually used the resource and for how long.
Note the cost and if it is completely free or includes different payment tiers/etc.
Are you a bit of an expert on this site, tool, skill, etc? If so (and if you’d be willing to share that info and help members), please include that as well!
SEO/KEYWORD RESOURCES
TRENDS
Pinterest Trends Tool
https://trends.pinterest.com/ Contributed by CtrlZ/Amanda Renee. So many ways to break down trends by timeframe, audience, and more. If you’re on Pinterest, you need to be using this. And maybe even if you don’t use Pinterest!
25 Places to Look for Trend Tools & Predictions
https://help.erank.com/blog/top-2025-trend-reports/ Contributed by CtrlZ/Amanda. This is a compilation of trend lists from earlier this year by eRank. It is helpful because it links to MANY resources for keeping on top of trends. Some are annual trend reports while others refresh more frequently.
Here are some of the highlights from this post:
Pinterest Predicts 2025
Adobe Creative Trends 2025
Canva Design Trends 2025
Pantone: Color of the Year 2025
WGSN: Fashion and Lifestyle Trends
WGSN: Thanksgiving Food Trends (kind of interesting how this is framed)
eRank Blog: 10 Emerging Trends Makers Need to Know for 2025Free eRank Trends Buzz tool
https://members.erank.com/trend-buzz Contributed by CtrlZ/Amanda Renee . It says “members,” but it lies. :D Depending on the place you want to check, you can look back between 7 and 30 days on a fairly large number of sites (POD included) and what has been trending for searches recently.
PINTEREST
FREEBIE: Pinterest Educator and YouTuber Heather Farris https://heatherfarris.com/pinterest-strategy-guide Contributed by CtrlZ/Amanda. I haven’t read through all of this yet, but I enjoy that it’s written down and I don’t have to sift through videos.
BENABLE
*CtrlZ is fairly knowledgeable on this topic.
YOUTUBE
*CtrlZ is fairly knowledgeable on this topic.
CALENDARS & HOLIDAYS
Link: The Next 180 Days (from Sept. 5, 2025) by CtrlZ & CoPilot (lol)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LprZvViDrlKDsyMkuR5WOdkPEcOYJwdTSiukNfvFPVU/edit?usp=sharing No frills. Just a list. Make a copy to modify and update your own. CoPilot struggled a little. I think I caught most things, but let me know if you find errors!
Freebie: YouTuber, eRank employee and Etsy expert Starla Moore https://handmadealphaacademy.lpages.co/2023-alpha-marketing-calendars/ Contributed by CtrlZ/Amanda Renee. Geared toward Etsy sellers, but also has some good reminders and a few resources to look at for trending key word terms, etc. that anyone can use.
ZAZZLE
ETSY
RED BUBBLE
FINE ARTS AMERICA
FOURTH WALL
AMAZON MERCH
POD COURSES
CANVA
*CtrlZ is fairly knowledgeable on the basic design features of Canva, but not AI or all of the apps! :D
KITTL
ADOBE
AFFINITY
CREATIVE FABRICA
CREATIVE MARKET
ENVATO ELEMENTS
PLACEIT
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
*CtrlZ is fairly knowledgeable on this topic.
I sell digital assets and design resources on my site https://printablepretty.com/ Seamless patterns, texture packs, clip art, svg files, sublimation, tumbler wraps etc. There are lots of freebies and I do have a POD usage license. I plan to add card backgrounds, canva templates and other goodies soon as well :)
My favorite site for mockups is https://creatsy.com/ They are a bit pricey but they have the best mockups around in my opinion. I use them on a ton of my Zazzle listings. Great for advanced users who like photoshop mockups and prefer realism.
Another great mockup tool is https://www.bulkmockup.com/ again for photoshop users, a bit of a steep learning curve but if you can master it mocking up your designs will be SOOO much faster. I uploaded about 60,000 mockup images for Zazzle in about 2 or 3 months time with the help of this tool.
This is an AI prompt vault membership. Lucille is great, she has a helpful facebook group and is very hands on with the members. It is $9 a month and a great resource for anyone looking to implement the use of AI into their design process: https://www.clipartistryheaven.com/ai-prompt-heaven
Affordable procreate courses are another tool I've taken advantage of in my Zazzle design process. Happy fox supply co has affordable courses on pattern design, mockups and other things: https://happyfoxsupplyco.mykajabi.com/ I also love the teaching style of Jennifer Nichols she makes learning procreate so fun https://leilaandpo.studio/classes/
I hope these are helpful!