Cathode Ray Mission Inc. (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} ashryn) wrote,@ 2004-07-09 21:16:00 |
|
Commission Information
This is an open letter to all of my commissioners. It will be repeated everywhere I'm certain people will see it; it's not reccomended that any gentle pats on the head are doled out in direct response to this, as that's not what I'm looking for.
I know I've been rather petulent about wait times and the like. The fact of the matter is that under stress or not, my inspiration is a picky thing. If I can't think of something adequate and worth the money (I trump the hourly wages at times, I know, but keep in mind that I have the opinion that my work is worth much, much less) I get frustrated and put the commission aside for a breather. What happens with this is that there's higher wait times for clients I'm very favorable towards; deadlines aren't met with as much vigor as they could be.
No, that's not a very brilliant business practice.
Sadly, when it comes to most commissions, my creativity gets run ragged. I've debated why this is, and I have theories, but it's hard to say exactly what it is. What this is leading to, however, should be obvious:
I'm sorry for your wait times.
Truly.
To that end, people have accused me of taking advantage of peoples' generosity. This isn't so; the fact of the matter is, I take on more than I can chew on a daily basis. My stress levels aren't 'normal' by any means, and a lot of it ends up being self-imposed. Ever since this has become my primary mode of income, the stress is nonstop. I -have- taken on more than I can chew, and I -have- overshot my load, as the case may be. Sadly, I still need to make money.
When I put posts up saying I hope people think it's worth it, I mean that. The wait time often reflects how much effort is being put in-- a lot more sketchwork goes in than most would like to think. As it stands, I could do a hundred sketches and be so disgusted with all of them that the client doesn't get to see so much as one. However, let me say, without hesitation: you are -not- forgotten. Never forgotten. You havn't been shrugged off or taken advantage of-- you, like many others, will recieve what you paid for, and often times it comes with a 'and then some' attached to it. When you see me produce 'my own work' and post it, I'm not deliberately ignoring my obligations.
This is why I try as hard as possible to never give a defined deadline, and I -accept- it when people aren't willing to wait for a 'whenever.' Those that ARE have been wonderful, and I appreciate your willingness to continue waiting.
Once again, this is by no means an attempt to rally sympathy.
If it were, I'd mention a lot more things I'm not mentioning here, because you don't need to know, and you don't need to be bothered by it. What you KNOW is that there's nothing in front of you, as opposed to a finish piece of artwork. What you KNOW is that it seems like I've run off with your funds and refused to acknowledge that I have a responsibility. As it is, I KNOW THIS, and I know it well. This is the source of guilt, of -shame-, of regret. Things I should get done, bigger projects, I burn out on faster than I can get them completed. Occasionally I get struck with a bug and I can tear through pieces without a second thought.
However, this in mind...
Commissions are now CLOSED.
Things will be mailed out as scheduled now that the move is completed. Once the items are unpacked they will be sent out accordingly. Thank you for your patience, and thank you for your time.
This is an open letter to all of my commissioners. It will be repeated everywhere I'm certain people will see it; it's not reccomended that any gentle pats on the head are doled out in direct response to this, as that's not what I'm looking for.
I know I've been rather petulent about wait times and the like. The fact of the matter is that under stress or not, my inspiration is a picky thing. If I can't think of something adequate and worth the money (I trump the hourly wages at times, I know, but keep in mind that I have the opinion that my work is worth much, much less) I get frustrated and put the commission aside for a breather. What happens with this is that there's higher wait times for clients I'm very favorable towards; deadlines aren't met with as much vigor as they could be.
No, that's not a very brilliant business practice.
Sadly, when it comes to most commissions, my creativity gets run ragged. I've debated why this is, and I have theories, but it's hard to say exactly what it is. What this is leading to, however, should be obvious:
I'm sorry for your wait times.
Truly.
To that end, people have accused me of taking advantage of peoples' generosity. This isn't so; the fact of the matter is, I take on more than I can chew on a daily basis. My stress levels aren't 'normal' by any means, and a lot of it ends up being self-imposed. Ever since this has become my primary mode of income, the stress is nonstop. I -have- taken on more than I can chew, and I -have- overshot my load, as the case may be. Sadly, I still need to make money.
When I put posts up saying I hope people think it's worth it, I mean that. The wait time often reflects how much effort is being put in-- a lot more sketchwork goes in than most would like to think. As it stands, I could do a hundred sketches and be so disgusted with all of them that the client doesn't get to see so much as one. However, let me say, without hesitation: you are -not- forgotten. Never forgotten. You havn't been shrugged off or taken advantage of-- you, like many others, will recieve what you paid for, and often times it comes with a 'and then some' attached to it. When you see me produce 'my own work' and post it, I'm not deliberately ignoring my obligations.
This is why I try as hard as possible to never give a defined deadline, and I -accept- it when people aren't willing to wait for a 'whenever.' Those that ARE have been wonderful, and I appreciate your willingness to continue waiting.
Once again, this is by no means an attempt to rally sympathy.
If it were, I'd mention a lot more things I'm not mentioning here, because you don't need to know, and you don't need to be bothered by it. What you KNOW is that there's nothing in front of you, as opposed to a finish piece of artwork. What you KNOW is that it seems like I've run off with your funds and refused to acknowledge that I have a responsibility. As it is, I KNOW THIS, and I know it well. This is the source of guilt, of -shame-, of regret. Things I should get done, bigger projects, I burn out on faster than I can get them completed. Occasionally I get struck with a bug and I can tear through pieces without a second thought.
However, this in mind...
Commissions are now CLOSED.
Things will be mailed out as scheduled now that the move is completed. Once the items are unpacked they will be sent out accordingly. Thank you for your patience, and thank you for your time.
