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Reminder, I do not do commissions.
10 months ago
Hello everyone!
Since I've been asked a couple of times if I am open for commissions recently, I thought it might be a bit easier for everyone if I made another public post about my stance on this.
Sorry everyone, but I currently do not take commissions, and I currently don't plan to do so in the future.
I am very flattered by everyone who asks, so thank you to anyone who has shown an interest in the past. If you are mostly interested in my characters or ideas, I publish all of my own, original stuff under Creative Commons (Attribution + non-commercial uses). If any of my original content inspires you, you have my enthusiastic permission to use any of it for your own creative persuits, be that making your own art or commissioning someone else for it (I'd just ask you to be mindful if works of mine that contain other people's properties or characters too since they might not share my blanket-permission policies for their stuff). If this is something that interests you but you're unsure about the specifics, always feel free to ask.
That's the main gyst of what I meant to say. But in case you are interested, let me try and explain why I don't like doing commissions.
Money and finances are topics that always make me anxious when I have to deal with them. Not because I've ever had to deal with many problems in those regards, I've always been fortunate and privileged enough to make ends meet without too much trouble, but because the potential for these topics to cause massive problems in your life is just so vast. It is also a topic that I am really dispassionate about and having to deal with it makes me irritated at best. Money isn't a thing that makes me happy, it's something that I need a certain amount of so real life will not create problems for me to deal with. My current dayjob covers that comfortably and leaves enough room for some nice little indulgences here and now. Don't get me wrong, more money is... "nice", but it's certainly not a strong motivator for me while I have my basic needs covered.
On the contrary, whenever money is involved, there are certain expectations being created (rightfully so). If I get paid, I provide a service which customers expect a certain degree of quality from. Most people in this space are very nice and reasonable about those, but they still exist in my head and create anxiety for me. That is a personal problem of mine, I am simply wired to be a bit of a worrywart. Drawing for someone else might be the same task on a mechanical level, but the mere presence of expectations and obligations is something that really ruins the fun for me. This is not me saying commissioners are being unreasonable or mean, I am well aware that the vast majority aren't.
I don't like to show it much, but I am actually a rather anxious and easily afraid person who easily gets overwhelmed by (perceived) expectations. Creating art is something that has massively and still is helping me in dealing with that, and is, I believe, the main reason for why those tendencies are largely under control for me. The fact that it creates times and spaces largely devoid of real life problems and worries is a huge part of why I gravitate so much towards this hobby. But money and finances are real life worries. Bringing them into this space partially destroys what makes it so important and appealing to me in the first place.
I very much admire artists who have what it takes to make this their living. Those who have the entrepreneurial sense to run this as a business without it losing it's appeal to them. But I am simply not that kind of person. For me, business and hobbies don't mix. I can't bring them together without the hobby losing what made it fun for me in the first place. I hope that makes sense to you all.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you have a great day!
Since I've been asked a couple of times if I am open for commissions recently, I thought it might be a bit easier for everyone if I made another public post about my stance on this.
Sorry everyone, but I currently do not take commissions, and I currently don't plan to do so in the future.
I am very flattered by everyone who asks, so thank you to anyone who has shown an interest in the past. If you are mostly interested in my characters or ideas, I publish all of my own, original stuff under Creative Commons (Attribution + non-commercial uses). If any of my original content inspires you, you have my enthusiastic permission to use any of it for your own creative persuits, be that making your own art or commissioning someone else for it (I'd just ask you to be mindful if works of mine that contain other people's properties or characters too since they might not share my blanket-permission policies for their stuff). If this is something that interests you but you're unsure about the specifics, always feel free to ask.
That's the main gyst of what I meant to say. But in case you are interested, let me try and explain why I don't like doing commissions.
Money and finances are topics that always make me anxious when I have to deal with them. Not because I've ever had to deal with many problems in those regards, I've always been fortunate and privileged enough to make ends meet without too much trouble, but because the potential for these topics to cause massive problems in your life is just so vast. It is also a topic that I am really dispassionate about and having to deal with it makes me irritated at best. Money isn't a thing that makes me happy, it's something that I need a certain amount of so real life will not create problems for me to deal with. My current dayjob covers that comfortably and leaves enough room for some nice little indulgences here and now. Don't get me wrong, more money is... "nice", but it's certainly not a strong motivator for me while I have my basic needs covered.
On the contrary, whenever money is involved, there are certain expectations being created (rightfully so). If I get paid, I provide a service which customers expect a certain degree of quality from. Most people in this space are very nice and reasonable about those, but they still exist in my head and create anxiety for me. That is a personal problem of mine, I am simply wired to be a bit of a worrywart. Drawing for someone else might be the same task on a mechanical level, but the mere presence of expectations and obligations is something that really ruins the fun for me. This is not me saying commissioners are being unreasonable or mean, I am well aware that the vast majority aren't.
I don't like to show it much, but I am actually a rather anxious and easily afraid person who easily gets overwhelmed by (perceived) expectations. Creating art is something that has massively and still is helping me in dealing with that, and is, I believe, the main reason for why those tendencies are largely under control for me. The fact that it creates times and spaces largely devoid of real life problems and worries is a huge part of why I gravitate so much towards this hobby. But money and finances are real life worries. Bringing them into this space partially destroys what makes it so important and appealing to me in the first place.
I very much admire artists who have what it takes to make this their living. Those who have the entrepreneurial sense to run this as a business without it losing it's appeal to them. But I am simply not that kind of person. For me, business and hobbies don't mix. I can't bring them together without the hobby losing what made it fun for me in the first place. I hope that makes sense to you all.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you have a great day!
I know I would struggle trying to turn something done for fun into something done for income, as the moment if becomes mandatory that thing ceases to be fun and becomes an obligation my brain fights against.
Besides, you've tried comms in the last and didn't enjoy doing them - you know your limits there and don't want to push past them. Giving it a shot and deciding it's not for you is admirable, and much better than trying to push on with something you're unhappy with out of some sense of this is what i should do.
Rock on Ink, keep on doing what makes you happy.
But the reality is for every person like that, there'd be someone nagging about progress, about cost, about details they didn't mention at first.
Out of all the commissions i've gotten from anyone (it's a very small number, cause i feel anxious asking an artist to draw my likes even if they're into similar), I've only ever had one issue and that was just 'oh hey, their tail is supposed to be this color'. But i've seen in spaces like discord where an artist mentions how a commissioner keeps pestering them, asking for sketch redos, all that
If you ever do, maybe just dip the toes in the water, maybe only accept from people you've known for a while, keep it easy. But only do that if you want to.
In the end it's your art, your life. Your choice.
You're not the only artists in this community who prefers to do it just as a hobby, either. I know it someetimes can seem like offering commissions is something artists here "have" to do, but you're certainly not alone in this.
That you offer up your work to those inspired by it under Creative Commons is very admirable, though, and very kind of you. I hope anyone who takes you up on that will treat you and your creations with the care and respect you deserve!
I can only say from my own perspective I know it can feel hollow to get this kind of reassurance when I don't believe it myself, but: Thanks for the things you choose to share voluntarily and no shame on the avoidance of anything that would make it become a tax on your wellbeing.