How should I balance time spent creating art versus time spent marketing as Q4 approaches?

While most artists prefer spending 95% of their time creating and only 5% marketing, Q4 is the one time of year when you need to shift that balance significantly toward marketing and sales. Whatever your normal ratio is, let the pendulum swing more toward the marketing side during the run-up to Q4 and through the holiday season. Start mentally preparing now to spend less time creating new work and more time on marketing and selling what you have. Finish up the series you’re working on and accept that this seasonal shift is necessary and healthy for your business. This is the one time of year where this shift makes complete sense and is essential for success.

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Asked by teaching context · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-07-23