Ep. 39: Jess Miller on Blending Art + Influence: Licensing, Content, and the Power of Showing Up

Summary

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Art + Audience Podcast: Ep. 39

Guest: Jess Miller
Host: Stacie Bloomfield
Date: February 17, 2026
Episode Title: Jess Miller on Blending Art + Influence: Licensing, Content, and the Power of Showing Up

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Episode Overview

This episode features illustrator and content creator Jess Miller in a candid conversation with host Stacie Bloomfield. They delve into Jess’s multifaceted career, exploring how she balances art licensing, brand partnerships, content creation, and transparency—all while “showing up” authentically online. The discussion covers building multiple income streams, lessons learned from early missteps, navigating the evolving creative landscape, and the rewards (and realities) of art entrepreneurship.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Building Multiple Income Streams as an Artist

[01:22–02:06]

• Both Stacie and Jess share a background in maintaining diverse revenue sources: illustration, licensing, teaching, and content creation.
• Jess emphasizes the variety within content creation: from promoting software for brands like Adobe, to user-generated content (UCG) where she creates crafts or art videos for brands (e.g., Michaels) without the pressure of posting to her own feed.

“They just want, like a quick video and then they will post that on their feed…less pressure…It's just content that they're looking for.”
— Jess Miller [02:35]

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2. Transitioning from “Just an Artist” to Content Creator

[03:00–04:32]

• Jess began with zero followers in 2020 by sharing daily drawings online, especially during the pandemic.
• Adaptation is key: when Instagram pivoted towards short-form video, she learned to create more dynamic, music-driven videos to keep up with the platform's changes and audience preferences.

“The thing with social media is that it changes, like, every year, all the time. Right. And so you kind of just have to adapt with those changes.”
— Jess Miller [03:44]

• Learning by observation: Seeing what worked for other creators helped refine her video content.

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3. Brand Partnerships: From First Deal to Strategic Collaborations

[05:28–07:06]

• Jess’s first major partnership was becoming an Adobe Express ambassador, which came through a Skillshare class.
• Being an ambassador includes creating content for new features, attending Adobe events, and making in-person connections, which Jess values highly.

“They would come out with new features and then I would create content…I'm still an express ambassador today. It's pretty cool.”
— Jess Miller [05:53]

• Jess emphasizes integrating art licensing with content creation for better visibility and promotion (e.g., Casetify: getting royalties for art on phone cases and providing social content to boost sales).

"It's kind of like the perfect fusion of licensing and social media partnership."
— Jess Miller [08:09]

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4. Lessons from Early Mistakes and Pricing Transparency

[08:28–10:39]

• Early on, Jess would say yes to everything and didn’t realize the distinction (and separate fees) between art creation and content creation.
• Rights and usage: critical to understand and charge for, not just give away content rights.
• Developed a tiered pricing system (basic, mid, premium).
• Real-world income ranges: Jess has turned down lowball offers ($150 for a reel) and landed projects from $2,500 up to $25,000.

“Like, I have accepted partnerships for like 2,500 and then I have also accepted partnerships for 25K. … but they add up over time.”
— Jess Miller [10:14]

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5. Advice for Artists Entering Content & Brand Work

[11:05–12:47]

• Consistency trumps quantity: show up regularly in stories, posts, or whatever feels natural.
• Batch content creation can help, but Jess prefers a more spontaneous approach.
• Engage with your audience—use polls to learn what they want.
• Proactive outreach: Research and email brands or their marketing contacts, adding value by presenting as both an artist and a content creator.

“Show up consistently and connect with your audience…then I would reach out to the brands that you want to work with…It's a lot of trial and error.”
— Jess Miller [11:39]

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6. Behind-the-Scenes: Jess’s Content Creation Workflow

[12:56–15:13]

• Simple gear: Jess uses a basic tripod and a dedicated phone for filming, which separates her business and personal life, reduces tech overwhelm, and streamlines the process.
• Filming tip: Change camera angle every two seconds to boost engagement (advice from Brock Johnson).
• Studio setup: adjustable branch desk, background bookshelves, and a separate, off-limits studio space at home.

“I just need another phone, and I just need to use it as a camera. And that's exactly what I do.”
— Jess Miller [14:36]

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7. Art, Family, and Modeling Career Choices

[16:39–17:49]

• Jess’s studio is distinct from her house, with boundaries in place to keep it as a creative haven.
• Her daughter sees her work and thinks it's “not a real job,” showing the disconnect between perception of creative work and its reality.
• Both hosts reflect on the subtle legacy of modeling creative careers for their families and “art osmosis.”

“She said…‘but it's not like you have a real job.’ … I probably do, like, three times the amount of work that, like, dad does.”
— Jess Miller [16:51]

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8. Financial Transparency and Income Diversification

[17:57–20:35]

• Jess shares pie charts of her income streams every year, inspired by seeing another artist do the same.
• Diversification is crucial for stability; when one stream is down, another may compensate.
• Jess practices open, non-gatekeeping transparency because it helps other artists.

“I don’t like to put all my eggs in one basket… I try not to gatekeep as much as possible. I try to be like, open and honest because I think that helps other artists as well.”
— Jess Miller [19:41]

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9. The Evolving Creative Industry & Licensing’s Shifting Role

[22:47–27:31]

• Both note that having multiple income streams can be especially crucial as an artist matures.
• Licensing has become more transparent and popular—but also more competitive.
• Stacie notes that as industries get “discovered,” they saturate, making skill and adaptability even more key.
• Licensing is now rarely the only major income stream: typically, it comprises part-time, steady income for Jess (25–30%).

“If you look at my income streams…licensing, it’s usually like 25 to 30% and it's steady.”
— Jess Miller [27:06]

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10. Pivoting, Redirection, and Publishing a Book

[27:31–29:31]

• Not hitting a specific goal (like a children’s book) isn’t failure—it can be redirection toward a better fit.
• Jess's new coloring book, Art of the Zodiac (Page Street Publishing), launches February 24th. She created it during a difficult year, showing the power of persistence.

"If I can create a book during like one of the worst years of my life, I'm like, you guys can do anything…"
— Jess Miller [28:53]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I can provide both art as well as content…it's like a double whammy. You get extra things.”
  — Jess Miller [12:49]

• "Art osmosis. We need more art osmosis right now."
  — Jess Miller & Stacie Bloomfield [17:52]

• “You don’t have to have like seven [income streams] right out of the gate…You can start small.”
  — Jess Miller [22:00]

• “It's not a failure to try something and figure out it's not the right fit. You change. You're constantly changing. So if you're listening, please be nicer to yourself.”
  — Stacie Bloomfield [22:47]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:22] – Introduction to Jess Miller’s multi-faceted art business
• [03:30] – How Jess transitioned into content creation
• [05:28] – Jess’s first brand partnership (Adobe) and the value of in-person connections
• [07:06] – Combining licensing and social promotion (Casetify case study)
• [08:28] – Lessons learned: pricing rights and content creation
• [10:14] – Real numbers: the range of influencer/content partnership deals
• [11:05] – Advice for artists wanting to try brand partnerships
• [13:20] – Jess’s filming and studio setup: practical gear and workflow
• [17:57] – On sharing income streams and why transparency matters
• [24:11] – The shifting art industry: licensing goes mainstream
• [27:31] – Licensing as part-time or foundational income
• [28:45] – Jess’s upcoming book: Art of the Zodiac

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Jess Miller’s Contact & New Book

• Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Pinterest: @JessMillerDraws
• Website: JessMillerDraws.com
• Book: Art of the Zodiac (Page Street Publishing) – Available February 24, 2026

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Episode Takeaways

• Multiple income streams are the new normal for creative professionals, offering resilience and flexibility.
• Transparency, willingness to pivot, and audience engagement drive sustainable growth.
• Combining art with content creation can add unique value for brands and unlock new opportunities.
• Adapting to industry shifts is critical: what’s “in vogue” today may be saturated tomorrow.

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Transcript

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[Jess Miller]

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[Jess Miller]

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[Jess Miller]

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[Unspecified Male Friend 1]

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[Mochi Health Advertiser]

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[Jess Miller]

It is all, all over the place. Like, I get like, requests all the time. Like, oh, can you create this reel for my brand? And it'll be like $150. And I'm like, no. Like, that is not worth my time and energy. So that's like a hard pass.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Wouldn't it be nice if your art business loved you back?

[Podcast Host]

Hi, I'm Stacy Bloomfield.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

After years of trial and error and late night doodling, I went from being.

[Podcast Host]

A coffee shop manager to running a.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Vibrant seven figure art business that I love. And now I'm on a mission to help more artists create an art business that they love too. So I invite you to find a cozy spot, pull out your favorite sketchbook, and listen in. It's never too late to chase your creative dreams.

[Podcast Host]

Welcome to the Art plus Audience podcast.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Hi, Jess Miller. How are you today?

[Jess Miller]

Good. I'm so happy to be here.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Welcome to the podcast art audience. I'm so glad that you're here. You know, you and I have a few things in common with how we run our business businesses, but we have many things that are different. So we both have multiple income streams with how we have built our businesses. We've both been doing this for a while. We both have licensing in our repertoire, a lot of illustration work for hire. I'm sure you've done a little bit of teaching here and there, I think. Right. Like at events. But there's things that you do that I am terrified to do, like content creation and getting paid for content creation and brand partnerships with all these big names like Adobe. Right. You do things for Adobe. It's wild.

[Jess Miller]

That's correct.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Tell everyone a little bit about all the tricks up your sleeve, all the ways that you create income.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah. So content creation is a big one. I like the flexibility of it. A lot of people don't know that it can mean different things. So it can be like a partnership between, like a brand where I create art, but then I also maybe promote, like, software, maybe for like Adobe. It can also be like user generated content. So that is a little bit easier. I've done UCG content for Michaels, for example. They just hire me to make a craft at home. I film my hands, like, making the craft. I don't need to, like, post photos of myself or videos of myself. Yeah, yeah, It's a lot like, less pressure. They just want, like a quick video and then they will post that on their feed. They will of course, like, tag me. But it's a little bit less pressure. And you don't have to like, post it on your feed even if you don't want to. It's just content that they're looking for.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

So, Jess, how did you fall into this specifically? Because when I'm talking to artists about marketing themselves, how do you find people who want to work with you in a myriad of ways. You know, one of the number one ways to do this is to show up online, right? But people are scared to go from artist to, oh, no. Now I have to create content for a living to support making my art. But some people feel naturally really like, in the pocket of this and able to do it well, and you're one of them. So how did you fall into this?

[Jess Miller]

I think it was just consistently posting online. And it started in the pandemic. I started with zero followers and it was just like in 2020, I'm like, I'm going to draw every day and share it and see what happens. And I kind of found my art community and I found a lot of success with just posting still images. And. And the thing with social media is that it changes, like, every year, all the time. Right. And so you kind of just have to adapt with those changes. And so when they started to, like, Instagram started to push video, I was like, all right, I need to start recording myself. It was a little rough at first. Like, I posted, you know, long, like, boring video, and then I started to see, like, kind of what other creators were doing. And I'm like, okay, this is how I can edit, make it more interesting, make it faster and add some music. You know, make it just more like, visually interesting. I started to do that consistently and it really helped grow my account and it just made me more comfortable with creating content.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

That's encouraging to know that you kind of just showed up every day and you didn't show up thinking, I'm going to get content sponsorships. You were just trying to show up in a meaningful way for the platform. The way it was working at that time to stay connected, to stay in front of people. It's funny. What Instagram wants right now, I feel like, is how I used to do Instagram stories. Like seven years ago. I used to constantly just be up, be like, hey guys, here's what I'm up to.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah, really casually walking. Yeah, yeah.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

And then I stopped doing that because we went towards a more kind of like edited, longer form videos, you know, with a hook. You had to have a hook. You know, this is even last year. And you gotta engage people within three seconds or they're out of there. And so knowing that you can actually get paid to do things that you love the way that you love to do them, as long as you're willing to, like you said, pay attention and keep improving, like how you're doing it, it can lead to partnerships. What was your first brand partner?

[Jess Miller]

Oh, I would say it was probably with Adobe. That was very early on. I think it was from like a skillshare class. And somebody at the very end, they said like, oh, if you're interested in being an Adobe Express ambassador, fill out this form. And I was like, what's Adobe Express? But that sounds interesting. So I applied and then I had like a interview with them and they're like, we'd love for you to be an ambassador. And so it was pretty straightforward. They would come out with new features and then I would create content that would like, boost these new features in Adobe Express. And I'm still an express ambassador today. It's pretty cool. I can just post like once a month and get paid for it. They also send their ambassadors to Adobe Max every year, which is a lot of fun. We get to connect in person. We even get invited to like certain Adobe events. And so it's just like, it's a really great way to connect both on social media and like outside of like the social media platform. Just connections in person right now, especially.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Finding ways to be in person and offline I think is very important, especially just in the environment we're living in right now. I know more and more people are putting down their phones and need to connect with people who they have things in common with. Because as much as we're talking about being an online brand ambassador, which is really important, it's also important to have those relationships offline, right?

[Jess Miller]

Absolutely.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

So those people have become like really good, true friends. And then you get to work together and talk about strategies, I'm sure, and see each other at events. That's really fun. What other brand partnerships do you feel like sharing about that you've had since you started pursuing this? In earnest.

[Jess Miller]

You know what's interesting too is that I think a lot of my licensing success comes from a combination of social media partnerships. And like Casetify is a really great example. So I create the artwork for the cases, they sell the cases and then I get a royalty on those sales. But to boost those sales, I create content for them. I'll create videos, I'll provide images, and then they will run those as ads. I guess it's like a white listed ad is what you call it and it looks like it's coming from me, but Casetify is paying for it and it's just a really great partnership because that boosts the sales. It gets more visibility on my product. So whenever I have like a licensed collection with a brand, I always ask how they're going to promote it. Do they need like social media content? Because it is my, my incentive to get sales as well, especially if I'm going to get a royalty from it. So I want to help them create that content. So it's kind of like the perfect fusion of like licensing and social media partnership.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

It's a perfect fit for you now because this podcast likes to talk about a lot of things. One of my favorite things to ask people is like, have you ever made kind of a mistake and how did you learn from it? Are you willing to share maybe something you'd tell people? Don't do what I did. Here, here's what I did. Don't do it. Here's why.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah, I would say early on I would say yes to everything. And I didn't understand, like I could get paid separately for my art as well as the social media content. Like those are two different things. And then like the rights and usage, like I had no idea. Like I was just like, sure, here's the video and I'd like, you know, let them have, you know, complete rights and usage of it. Now that I have more experience, I'm like, oh, I can like retain the rights to my video and I can, you know, charge that extra fee for like rights and usage. And so now I have a whole like breakdown in like my pricing package. And I also have gotten better about pricing myself. I think, you know, in the beginning it was really hard so I would just like throw out a number. And now I have a whole pricing package. And so I'll start out, you know, with like a basic tier. It's like the bare minimum I want to get paid and then like a medium tier which is like a little bit more add ons and I'll add A little bit more things. And then the third is like a premium package which is like all out, like premium service for them and which is, of course is going to cost the most.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

So I don't know if you're willing to share, but what people love on this podcast is if you can give a little specific detail. So I don't want you to tell us your prices because that's between you and the people. But, like, what is a range that you have made? Like, top, bottom range, somewhere in there that you currently feel comfortable asking for?

[Jess Miller]

You know, it is all over the place. Like, I get like requests all the time. Like, oh, can you create this reel for my brand? And it'll be like $150. And I'm like, no, like, that is not worth my time and energy. So that's like a hard pass. Like, I have accepted partnerships for like 2,500 and then I have also accepted partnerships for 25K. So it's just kind of. Yes. The 25K project was with a big brand and it was like a lot of assets and a lot of, like, detail. So it wasn't just like one video. It was like a lot of different things, but they add up over time.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

So thank you for giving real numbers. Thank you, Jess. I'm so excited and so will people be who are listening. So how about this? If there's someone out there who's naturally, like kind of smooth operator on social media as an artist, they're doing okay. They're not afraid to create content. They actually enjoy being in front of the camera. What advice would you give them if they want to dip their toe into this kind of income stream?

[Jess Miller]

Yes, I would strongly advise to just show up every day and you don't have to like post every day necessarily. Maybe it's like a story or like just post consistently and something that's comfortable for you and kind of get into a schedule. And I know a lot of people that do batch content creation, so they'll have just like a filming day. They have good lighting, good hair, good makeup. You'll just switch out your outfits and then you can just get all your content shot for the week and then you can kind of schedule it out accordingly. I wish I was like that. I try to more impulsive. I try to too. I'm just a little bit more impulsive and I just kind of like to film in the moment. But that's. That's me. And it is a little bit more stressful. But my biggest advice would be to show up Consistently and to connect with your audience and see what they're interested in. I love to poll my audience and see what they want to learn and so, you know, my audience will tell me like what they want to learn from me. And then I try to create content based on that and then I would reach out to the brands that you want to work with and that might be a DM to get like visibility and then even do some research on LinkedIn, find those names. I like to do the research. I don't like to message directly in LinkedIn. I like to find names and then I see like their job and like where they work and then I kind of like fill in the blank and get their email address that way. It's a lot of trial and error. But I like to make connections through email and I like to kind of add on like, and tell them like, I'm more than just a content creator. I'm an artist. So I can, I can provide both things. I can provide both art. Art as well as content.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Art and content together.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah, it's, it's like a, a double whammy. You get extra things. I'm not just an influencer or not just a content creator now something I.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

I think when I watch you because you do post regularly and I do follow you all over the place in a non stocky way. But I love your setup because for me one of the reasons I rarely record myself creating art is because, dagnabbit, I just can't sit still in one place. And you have a lovely setup. And could you tell everyone like what your gear's like in order, like what's your desk angle at? And all those jazzy things.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah. So I actually, I signed up for this social media content creation membership. It's by Brock Johnson. I don't know if you've heard of him, but he gives like a lot of really good tips about growing your, your social account. And he says when you're filming to change your angle every two seconds.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

I've heard that too.

[Jess Miller]

I actually posted a video recently and it performed like double the amount of views that it normally does. So it does make a difference because people get bored. So I do try to like to change the scene up. Even if I'm like sitting at my desk, it'll be like a different angle of me sitting at my desk. And so I try to capture that. I just have a regular tripod is a $20 one I bought on Amazon and I recently bought a second phone just for content creation. Such a game changer. Because I realized, like, I would buy fancy cameras and equipment, and then I would get overwhelmed and I wouldn't use them, and they would sit unused. And I realized I just kept going back to my iPhone and it would be, like, getting full, and I would run out of storage space, and then my personal life would get mixed up with my business. And I realized I'm like, I just need another phone, and I just need to use it as a camera. And that's exactly what I do. I don't have a plan for it or anything. Like, it's. It's just a phone that I. I use. I sign my same number and I just use airdrop and so at WI Fi, so I connect and it's made perfect so much easier.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

I think this is great. I'm separating my life and my business right now in every way. And I am, like, getting a new phone number for work stuff and keeping my personal one separate. But I've never thought about just having a phone for content creation, because then you can just leave it in place and airdrop it, like you said.

[Jess Miller]

Absolutely. Yep.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

What about the angle of your desk? Because I always watch that. And I'm curious, is your desk, like, a specific kind of desk that can adjust like that?

[Jess Miller]

It is. It's a branch desk. And I've done a lot of collaborations with them. Yeah. And so I can elevate it. I can raise it up and down, and then I have bookshelves in the back that display all my work. I have a laser I haven't touched. But someday I will. I will get into crafting more. I love having, like, a separate space to create. When I was, like, working off the kitchen table in my house, like, there's too many distractions. And there is something to be said for, like, having a, like, your sacred space to create.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

You know, what's hard for me is my sacred space is so cute that my family, including my husband, keep coming in. It's so well lit and cozy and comfortable that everyone likes it. Yours is close to your house, right?

[Jess Miller]

Yes. Attached to the back house. Yep.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

And do you have any rules to make sure that no one goes into your space? Or are you, like, way cooler than me and you're like, come in, children. Create with me?

[Jess Miller]

No, there is, like, a separate key to go into my studio. It's just, like, a separate unit from my house in the backyard. And so I lock it every day. You know, of course my daughter is, like, invited to come in, but she knows, you know, take your shoes off and, like, don't take all of Mommy's, like, things off of the bookshelf. So she. She knows that there's. There's rules in place to keep it nice.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Speaking of you, you have a daughter. Does she watch what you do and think that this is just the norm? Like, all moms have a backyard extra studio and record content all day.

[Jess Miller]

You know, it's funny. She said something like. Like I said, like, I was busy and I couldn't do something. And she's like, but it's not like you have a real job. Oh, like, she doesn't. She doesn't understand that I'm like, I probably do, like, three times the amount of work that, like, dad does, you know, because I'm, like, running my own business and. Yeah, but it's really funny. But she does love, like, what I do, and she loves art, too. So it's really great when we can, like, sit and paint together and we can do it together. I do love that.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

I think that's incredible. Oh, you know, my kids have watched me for all these years, 16, 17 years. And I think it's really interesting how, like, your family just kind of picks up on the things that you make important. So if you. If art is a part. A central part of your life, it will be a part of your kids, most likely, in some way. And that's kind of a. An accidental benefit of what we're doing for, like, the next generation of kids, right?

[Jess Miller]

Absolutely. It's like art osmosis.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Art osmosis. We need more art osmosis right now.

[Jess Miller]

Yes.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

So one of the things that you do really well is operate with transparency of your income. I have followed you, and every year, like clockwork, you have a beautiful little, you know, pie chart where you document your income streams and you share openly and transparently about what's changed in your income, how come it's changed. So can you talk to me a little bit about why you started doing that and what has compelled you to continue showing up and sharing like that?

[Jess Miller]

Yeah. When I was first starting out, I saw. I think it was Charlie Clements. She shared her income stream, and it wasn't like, numbers. It was just, like, percentages. And she said that, like, having a diverse income stream led to, like, this success of running her own business. And so early on, I was like, I also need to diversify my income streams if I want to be a successful artist.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

And.

[Jess Miller]

And so I leaned into client commissions and art licensing and social media partnerships and, like, a little bit of teaching and now a little bit of publishing. And so, you know what, like, last year was a hard year for me and I wasn't able to create a lot of art and so I could lean into art licensing. It was like just collecting royalties took the pressure off and it shifts over time too. So I also realized like last year, I couldn't create as much content. I just couldn't turn it on. And so I had to pull back. And so I noticed like, you know, last year my social media partnerships were down, but my, my client commissions were up. And so, you know, there is like some, some flexibility in that. And so I, I, I don't like to put all my eggs in one basket.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Me neither.

[Jess Miller]

It's too risky. You know, something might happen and you're not able to execute that one income stream. So I'm a really firm believer in diversifying and as well as like sharing too. Like, I try not to gatekeep as much as possible. I try to be like, open and honest because I think that helps other artists as well and it gives them insight on how they can grow their business and we can help each other. So that's why I like to share my, like my year in review, my annual review every year just to, to give some insight and to help other fellow artists. I feel like it is open and honest and fair to share percentages so you can at least see kind of like what sections are performing better than others. And I like to give like other little insights, like other little like tidbits like throughout the year.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Well, thank you for doing that and being so consistent with it because people are watching, even people who don't comment or mention anything. And it's encouraging. I mentor a few artists here and there and I was doing a call with one person yesterday, she's like, Stacy, I like that you're always doing different new things. I think it's really fun. And a lot of people out there will tell you to focus on one thing and do it really, really well. And that's hard because that is good advice for many, many people. Maybe there is just a specific type of artist illustrator who it makes sense and they can do the multiple income streams and to them it feels seamless because you can find, figure out how everything's connected to each other. So I've always given that advice, have more than one income stream. You know, if I, this last year for me was a bad year too. And if I hadn't already have established my, my product business to run without me completely, I would have been in a bad place, you know, Financially, some artists want to touch everything and be in it completely, and they feel like it's disingenuous to not be in every part of your business. But for me, I like to do lots of things, so I'm always grateful for having different things that I can fall back on and press the pedal to the metal on other things if other things aren't working. So I guess everyone just has to do what's best for them. But I still think multiple is good to have. Maybe if you're a more mature artist, like, you're. You've already gotten your style under your belt and, you know, your voice.

[Jess Miller]

Absolutely. And I think you can start small, too. So maybe it's just like introducing one other income stream, you know, whatever is comfortable for you. And then maybe next year you'll have three. So, you know, you don't have to have like seven right out of the gate, you know. Yeah.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

And you don't have to have, like, a business plan for each one of them. It's kind of like.

[Jess Miller]

Right.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

They come to you.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah. And you kind of see what fits your lifestyle and what works out best for you. Like, I thought three years ago education was going to be huge for me. And then I realized, you know what? That's not for me. It's not something I want to pursue. And so I kind of, like, hit the brakes. I slowed down a lot and I scaled back, but I grew other income streams. And so it is like a little bit of, like, self discovery to kind of see, like, what fits best for you.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

And it's not a failure to try something and figure out it's not the right fit. You change. You're constantly changing. So if you're listening, please be nicer to yourself. I just recorded an episode with Shannon McNabb because we have the latest data from the Surface Design Industry Survey that she's been putting on for years, and multiple income streams represented. And I'm not going to go over the results in this one, because I did in the other episode. If you want to listen to it, you can. It's the episode right before this one. But what I found really interesting is people are earning more on average, I think, with their licensing, than last year, but a little bit more. And that's incredible. I think buyout numbers were lower, but royalty based was higher. And I was encouraged to see that. And Print On Demand, which I'm about to start doing, more Print On Demand. I've dabbled with it here and there, but that that represented the highest ratio of students who submitted. So we have artists who are doing print on demand, artists who have product based businesses, artists who teach, artists who do licensing in multiple ways. And then there's like content and things like that. So it's interesting after all these years to see new things kind of get more and more popular and watch other things shift. What is the biggest shift you feel like you've seen in our creative industry in the last five years since 2020 in terms of popularity or what people are doing?

[Jess Miller]

Biggest shift? I would say licensing like five years ago. I mean I'll say like I, I, I've been aware what licensing is like. I, I've worked for Disney but like on the other side of. So like I would work with, with partners and we would license out the intellectual property like the character art. So I was, I've been to like licensing conventions so I know like a little bit about it. I did not know how to license my own artwork. I didn't know how to like tap into that. And so I think now there's just like a lot more transparency about it and people are talking about it openly and artists are, they have courses about it. So I think I've just seen the most change in art licensing.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

You know, I'm not teaching art licensing this year in my big course, leverage your art. I've pulled it out. It's not going to be there this year because I don't know how to explain this, but this happens all the time. Once. Okay, I was, here's what I was thinking. You know how a few Years ago on TikTok everyone was saying the best businesses that you can start are like Laundromats self service Laundromats. Did you see, have you seen those? For years people were saying that, well so many people were saying this is the best way to create side income. That now this year for the first time people are saying it's actually one of the worst ways to create income because the market has become very saturated.

[Jess Miller]

Saturated.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Lots, lots of Laundromats opening. So yeah, the segue I have is now that more people are know about licensing and are pursuing and yes, I've taught about it so I encourage this too. I feel like it's getting more competitive but not, it doesn't, that doesn't mean bad. I think that what we're seeing right now is like the cream is rising. So like you gotta be better at many aspects of being a creative now more than ever. And I think that's inevitable with anything that people start to realize like this is good I like it, it suits me and my lifestyle. But the opportunities can be a little bit more challenging. So as maybe those opportunities are more competitive. Things like you've done like show up online and merge your art and your content together, seems like a no brainer way to maybe be a little bit more developed in terms of like why someone would want to work with you. And so I think what you've done. Awesome.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah. And you can even make it like a selling point to a client because it's like one thing to license your art, but you're like, you know, for an additional fee, I can add on this social media package and I can create this content for you and it will help sell your product. It's just like an extra selling point for your artwork and what you do and it's just like an extra thing you can do for them.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

I think that based off a survey, industry results and what I'm seeing with people, licensing is rarely the only income stream. And in many cases because it fluctuates is if it's stable, which is great, it's part time, typically income. Would you agree or disagree?

[Jess Miller]

I agree. If you look at my income streams over my annual reports over the years, like licensing, it's usually like 25 to 30% and it's steady. You know, that's what it's been for the past three years. But it obviously doesn't like it's just one part of my business, you know, it's one aspect. Like it's not all that I do. Like I do so much more than just our license. Yeah.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

And I think the reason I bring that up is because one, again, multiple income streams. But two, licensing is a great place to start if you're trying to build a brand, like an artist brand. Right. I think that's incredible because it incentivizes building a good portfolio. And then that's content you can share online. But sometimes it can take a little while to find your footing. And so for anyone who's listening, who's been trying for a while and you're like, I just haven't found it yet. Don't be afraid to pivot a little bit. Don't give up on the licensing. But just know maybe there's another path for you. Because for me, I wanted to do a book for a really, really long time. It's almost like licensing in a way because there's a royalty usually attached to it, a flat fee advance at the front. And I thought I was destined for children's books. It didn't happen. I licensed like crazy in this one area for children's products. But then when I wanted to do books, it just would not materialize. But then what ended up happening is I landed in a different area to illustrate a gift book that was so much more in line with, like, what I wanted to do anyways and who I was. So sometimes the things that don't work, it's actually just like a redirection, not because you're doing. And that brings me to your book that's coming out. It's a coloring book. Tell everyone about it.

[Jess Miller]

Yes. It's called Art of the Zodiac and it is a coloring book that celebrates all the signs of the zodiac and it comes out February 24th. It has been a labor of love. I started it last year and it was like, during one of like the. The hardest parts of my life. And so I feel like if I can create a book during, like one of the worst years of my life, I'm like, you guys can do anything you can do. So I super excited about it. It's going to be everywhere books are sold, is going to be in Barnes and Noble on Amazon. So I am super, super excited. It's available for pre order. You could check it out even in stores when it debuts February 24th.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

And who is the publisher?

[Jess Miller]

Page Street Publishing is the publisher.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Page Street Publishing, everybody. So go find them, give them a follow and say Jess Miller sent you so they know Jess is doing a great job with her promotion of her. And where can everyone follow you? Online, your website and social media.

[Jess Miller]

Yes, everything is the same. Jess Miller draws is my handle on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest threads, JessMillerdraws.com it's all the same. So it's very consistent. You can find me there.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Consistent through and through. Well done, Jessica. Thank you so much for being here and kind of pulling back the curtain about how you find, like a natural fit for still being an illustrator, you know, licensing art and then segueing into content creation and how it all can fit together so nicely. You're super awesome. I'm so glad that you're here.

[Jess Miller]

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Bye.

[Jess Miller]

Bye.

[Podcast Host]

Thanks so much for tuning in. Hey, could you do me a favor? Could you subscribe to this podcast and then share it with one of your best art friends? I'd really appreciate it. And then head on over to Instagram and follow me at the leverage your art account and you can keep up with all of our future episodes. Thank you so much for your support. It means everything to have you here listening and learning.

[Stacy Bloomfield]

Bye.

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