Creative Live Review – Get Educated, Inspired and More 

In light of COVID-19’s impact on our jobs and schools, I’m taking the time to highlight some education sites to help you guys stay productive (and positive) during these uncertain times. In the previous articles, we discussed sites that are somewhat academic-oriented but in today’s Creative Live review, we’re going to look at something more laid back and fun. 

Will this site make it to your to-do bucket list? We shall find out in the next few minutes. 

What Is Creative Live? 

Creative Live is a huge collection of online classes produced by master creators who are all experts in their own respective fields. Launched in 2009 by Chase Jarvis and Craig Swanson, these video-oriented lessons revolve primarily around creativity and innovative topics which include;  

• Photo and Video
• Money and Life 
• Art and Design 
• Craft and Maker
• Music and Audio

The platform is a lot like Skillshare, except that we’re looking at some renowned instructors here such as book authors, top CEOs, philanthropists, actors, influencers, and so on. Each class is made up of a series of lessons which could stretch anywhere between an hour to well over 13 hours cumulatively with some downloadable references at the end. 

At the point of this writing, the platform is said to partner with more than 700 instructors, hosting well over 1500+ classes to more than 10 million students worldwide. Besides video classes, there are also live classes to tune in daily and a podcast channel featuring interesting photographers from around the world.  

How Much Does It Cost? 

So, what would it cost to pick the brain of professionals? Unlike other education platforms like Coursera and FutureLearn, Creative Live doesn’t offer any free trial. However, you’ll be granted immediate access to the following features after creating a free member account. 

(1) Live daily broadcast aka CLTV – A live channel featuring discussions and interviews with a variety of experts. About 5 to 6 classes are usually hosted in a day and these events are listed a week in advance so that you can RSVP whenever you want. 

(2) Lesson snippets from selected classes – At the moment, the platform is featuring ‘free’ classes on Health and Wellness topics, focusing on physical and mental strength. Alternatively, you can also browse other classes and look for lessons that bear the ‘eye’ symbol, which means they are free for viewing. 

To gain full access to these classes, there are primarily 3 types of plans to choose from;   

• Only pay for individual classes; this would cost anywhere between $30 to $150 per class. 
• Get the monthly Creator Pass at $39 per month. 
• Get the annual Creator Pass at $299 per year. Benefits of the Creator Pass include unlimited access to all classes AND new ones, the ability to download videos for offline viewing, tracking learning goals, and access to future conferences. 

Note; Creative Live is known to offer big discounts (up to 60% off) for the Creator Pass on special occasions so watch out for these sales if you’re interested in a good bargain.

For those who’re interested in learning something more specific, there are the Bundle options that group a few classes within the same genre at lesser costs than the annual pass. The prices for these savings range between $40+ to $250+. 

• Photography Bundles
• Design Bundles
• Craft Bundles
• Business Bundles
• Music and Audio Bundles 

Why You Should Join Creative Live Classes

Clearly, these aren’t the kind of videos you would regularly find on YouTube or Udemy. Anyone signing up for this platform likely has a strong desire to pick the brain of professionals for the purpose of levelling up their skills in the creative field. 

And there are some good reasons for doing so.

(1) Firstly, if you’re a visual learner, you’re going to enjoy the high-definition video and flawless audio quality. It’s also mobile-friendly so you can always watch while on the go or read (if that’s your choice) the transcripts accompanying each lesson. 

(2) Real-life workshops featuring professionals or keynote speakers are often pricey affairs. It’s not surprising to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars per entry for events that only lasted a few hours. 

On the contrary, Creative Live provides an affordable means for people to engage in similar learning experiences right from the comfort of their own home at less than a fraction of the conventional cost. 

By eliminating these physical and economic barriers, more people will have the opportunity to access creative education from all over the world. In fact, the virtual class is probably one of the best ways to interact given the current pandemic situation that prevents us from gathering socially. 

(3) Ever heard of a referral program? It allows users belonging to a particular service to earn rewards whenever they introduce new paying customers to the platform. As a verified Creative Live student, you can refer to friends, family members, or colleagues through email, Facebook, and Twitter using the auto-generated referral link available in your profile. 

When they sign up and purchase any classes at the value of $25 or more, they will get $15 off and so will you – a $15 discount to be used for your next class. There’s a caveat, however; only a maximum of 500 individuals can be introduced through this method. If you’re aiming for a higher number of referrals, then we should be looking at the affiliate program instead. 

(4) The Creative Live affiliate program is available through the ShareASale affiliate network and anyone can sign up for free. It’s currently one of the top 300 performing merchants with a 5.6% conversion rate. Not a stellar metric but can potentially pick up as more people lean towards online learning. 

The platform pays 30% for every new customer who purchases a single class or membership plan. Needless to say, the annual membership sale will give you the highest yield, at about $90 per transaction. This program is a good online monetization strategy for educators, photographers, artisans, musicians, and life coaches. 

If you belong to this group of people OR are simply a big fan of Creative Live, now is a good time to join. Not sure how to write an appealing online review? This comprehensive training will guide you through the business of affiliate marketing while you build your first WordPress blog for free.  

Give it a go if you don’t have a website already!

Are There Any Downsides to Expect? 

As interesting as the modules sound, there are some tiny drawbacks to these types of mentor-oriented classes and I thought you should be aware of. 

(1) Firstly, there are no sections available for online discussions or Q&A’s with the instructors. All lessons are pre-recorded in front of a live audience at one point so there’s no real-time interaction with other students as well. It’s basically a one-way-learning path and may not appeal to those who want more engagement. 

(2) Not all classes are created equal. Some are just introductory courses while others go more in-depth and explore topics from a practical point of view. Some have hundreds of reviews while others have none and that makes you wonder if it’s worth taking the classes or not.  

(3) Due to some pre-existing agreements with a few selected instructors, a small number of classes are actually not included in the Creator Pass package. To prevent any surprises, it’s best to check what’s excluded, in case those are the classes you’re actually interested in taking.  

Are Creative Live Classes Worth It? 

For the most part, it’s a neat platform that caters to creative minds especially those involved in the field of multimedia and designing. It can also serve as a good source of inspiration and fundamental materials for aspiring innovators, educators, or entrepreneurs. The usability features are top-notch and fairly inexpensive from a price point perspective, more so when purchased with discounts. 

Just be aware that some of these classes may not offer the kind of depth or step-by-step you’re looking for. A few negative comments mentioned that some instructors spent more time talking instead of teaching while a handful of classes were too confusing to digest; scenarios that are all too common with online classes these days. 

The good thing is every class comes with a trailer and has at least one or two lessons that are free to view. Use this opportunity to determine the instructors’ vibes, the quality of the course content, and definitely go through the reviews for better insights before purchasing. 

Well, I hope this Creative Live review has been helpful in showing you what’s inside and what you can potentially gain at the end of the day. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in taking your creative work/project/idea to the next level or turning it into an exciting business, check out what this awesome community can do for you during this difficult time and beyond. 

Sign up for free and I’ll personally show you around. See you there!