submitted by -Anonymous
Uh no. Do not speak for all of us.
Once someone PAYS YOU for a service that is part of your “real life”. That is their “real life” money you have. You can spend that money in your “real life”. It is all totally real.
You should not take on commission work if you do not have the ability to complete it within the time that was agreed upon. Yes, things do come up unexpectedly but much of this “real life” you list can be taken into account beforehand.
You taking their money is a real life deal and it’s not selfish for them to want you to uphold your end of the bargain. If they’ve paid you and something comes up to seriously hinder your ability to complete the project, offer a refund or upgrade or something Don’t pin it on your customer. Keep them aware and in the loop and work something out.
No, commissioned artists aren’t slaves. They are artists who have been HIRED to do something for someone. Just because the business is done over the internet doesn’t make it any less real.
Also, artists who don’t require at least some payment up front are oftentimes naive and in some cases I suspect lazy - If they don’t pay you anything right away, you have an excuse to slack off a bit if you feel like it.
I do not currently take commissions even if people ask because I know there are too many other things vying for my time and I could not deliver a timely product.
