Skip the Stress: How Licensing Your Art Can Help You Relax During the Holidays

The fourth quarter of the year is usually a big deal for us artists. It's when people are in the mood to buy and we see a nice boost in our cash flow and revenue. If you've noticed that your November and December months are way busier than the rest of the year, you're not alone. It can feel like a lot of pressure, especially since it's the last chance to hit those yearly goals.

I used to feel the same way about my business. I'd worry about making enough sales during my Black Friday sale and it just piled on the stress. If you're feeling this too, let me tell you, there are ways to ease that Q4 pressure. One method I've found really helpful is incorporating various types of licensing into my business.

The types of licensing I use in my business are:

• Products for retail
• Fine art prints for retail stores
• Reproduction galleries
• To hotels and corporate offices
• To movies, TV shows, and commercials

By licensing my art in different ways, I've been able to spread out my income throughout the year. This means I'm not relying so heavily on end-of-year sales and my income is more balanced.

The great thing about licensing is that you get paid monthly or quarterly, which means a steady stream of cash all year round.

This balance has given me the freedom to decide whether I even want to have a Black Friday Sale. If I do decide to have a sale, I can plan ahead and decide how big or small to make my revenue goal for that sale. This lets me relax and enjoy the holidays without stressing about marketing content, emails, or inventory.

What's really cool about this approach is that I'm making larger transactions throughout the year without having to constantly run sales or create collections. It's a much more chill way of generating cash flow.

If you're curious about licensing and other forms of passive income check out my audio series, Passive Revenue Streams for Artists.