So, I don't have a particularly good reason for the extended absence this time, just been mentally stuck in regards to commissions and other matters. It's far too easy to just recede into that shell once it gets unbearable, and the global situation of the past couple years hasn't exactly been helping...

As such, in order to hopefully remedy the situation, and since it's the main reason for my disappearance this time, I'm cancelling all commissions older than 2 months, with exception to one sketch commission which is almost complete so I'm just going to finish that one and not collect payment. Additionally, considering my social anxiety and lack of stress tolerance, gonna be giving myself some hard rules in regards to commissions to hopefully avoid a similar situation once again:


1. No more advance payment at all. It piles additional stress for myself since I'm now in control of someone else's money. It's not a huge amount of stress initially, but it is a considerable portion of the stress in case of any delays... and yeah, you can see the problem I'm sure? (Partial payment after completion of different stages of the commission are done is fine)


2. Commission slots are only given in a journal announcing them or during commission streams. Something I should have done a long time ago, and will be adding to the userpage details...


3. Deadline of two months after the details for a commission have been given out and a period of two weeks with no progress on my part. If it's been that long, something is not working, likely on my end. Better just cancel/shelve a commission at that point than have it potentially drag everything to a halt. As such anything that goes past those time frames should be considered halted.

3b. For sketch commissions just a one month deadline.


4. Halting a commission will last at least three months. After this time period it's up to the commissioner to contact again.

4b. If something gets halted again after no progress, it is cancelled. Does not apply if halted after an agreement to do so.


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Any thoughts on if these make any sense at all, or better ways to word them? Preferably these are things I'd be able to discuss with the other party involved, but it seems I have the temperament of a dog when it comes to how hard I try to avoid "letting someone down" by cancelling or halting something. And yes, I am also well aware lack of communication is often even a bigger let-down, but that part of my conciousness doesn't seem to listen at all when the stress goes beyond a certain point... Defaulting isn't great either, but should be better than a nothing at all, right?

I don't do this particularly lightly, since a system like this can potentially be seen as a very aggressive way of ignoring people, and if things improve I may relax on the last two major points. Just for my present state this seems like the least self-defeating prospect.


Next to go through the 14 notes from the past 4 months that I haven't even looked at yet...