How to Handle Commissions and Still Remain Creative

Hello Moonbeams, 

This post's reading time is: 5-6 minutes.

For this month's Waxing Moon Session, AKA: Posts that help us grow and reach our full moon potential as creators, I wanted to talk about commissions! ♡

A large scale album cover made for a unique release by the band L'uomo Nero 

Commissions are kind of a tough subject for many creators, myself included!  I actually do not take many on and when I do take them on, I have fairly strict "rules" for myself that I like to follow, to ensure that I give my absolute best to my clients, without burning myself out.  I also want to make sure my client feels safe with the transaction, and happy with the outcome.  Below are things I think about when it comes to working for other people.

Two commissions for private collectors from this year. 

Types of commissions and what works for you:

A commission, by the way for anyone unfamiliar, is usually when someone hires you to create a custom piece of work for them.  This can be a publisher, a private client, or even city council members hiring out murals and other town art projects. 

There are countless types of commissions and knowing what is out there, and what fits your way of working, is going to help prevent burnout.  You may need to try a few things to see what works for you.  I have personally played with some minor book illustrations, tattoo design, private commissions, and album covers.   Tattooing and book covers are generally not for me, whereas album covers and the occasional private commission can be.   

It might sound silly but honesty, and a regular internal dialogue about what is making you happy as a creator are really important.  If you hate doing a project, try to figure out why.  Was it too hard? Was the client difficult?  Was the work itself just really uninspiring?  I recently did a project where the client/company was incredibly tough to deal with.  And while it tainted the experience, it did not sour me on the idea of doing a similar project in the future because I knew the project itself while very difficult, was still inspiring. 

An incredibly fun album cover for the artist OLD SOUL, whom I have done three covers for.

Setting boundaries before you even start:

So I mentioned that things like book illustration and tattoo design were not for me.  Mainly because both of these involve a lot of nitpicking, understandably, and a lot less freedom.  Some artists thrive under this kind of direction and find it to be inspiring which is amazing! I am not one of those artists 😅 

Because I know this about myself, and more importantly, because I know why this is the case (the lack of freedom, which is a core value for me) I can more easily set boundaries both with myself, and with potential customers.  I truly hate saying no, but my no is ultimately going to benefit potential clients because it will steer them in the direction of people who might be more fitting for the project.  

It sucks to turn down money and opportunities, I know it does, but I did not set out to create a career that was creatively draining and so I strictly enforce these boundaries for my own sake.  While we do need to be open to trying things, if you genuinely know something is a bad fit, and is taking you away from the direction you want to go in, then I encourage you to ask yourself if the benefits are worth holding yourself back from what you want to be doing. I often think it is better to have a part-time or full-time noncreative job on the side, than a full-time creative job that burns your creativity out entirely. 

Another favourite album cover project for a collaboration between artist Cartoon Theory and Visenya.

Protecting yourself, and your client:

Before you start work for a client, be sure there is a contract involved.   I recommend this even if you are working with family and friends.  I am not a legal advisor of any kind, so I recommend looking into downloadable contracts that are right for you online, or hiring a professional to write one for you.  Just be sure you are protected so that if your client decides to run off without paying, or uses your work for something you did not agree to, you have that contract to back you up.  I also always recommend getting some sort of down payment.  I often do 50% upfront, with the rest due at the end.  Contracts not only protect you, but show professionalism and keep your client safe from giving their hard-earned money to an artist who will never follow through. 

Loving the process:

This is a big one.  A lot of us struggle to enjoy working on projects for other people.  My favourite work tends to be self-directed projects and so I keep most of my commissions, including album covers, fairly self-directed.  

Usually, I ask my clients what emotions and symbolism are important to them about a piece, and ask if they will give me the freedom to interpret those as I wish.  I do check in with clients when I make my initial sketches and colour compositions, so that they know what to expect, and can give me input before I start the overall piece, but once I start the actual painting, I ask for trust in taking my own direction.  I do show them progress shots along the way, but no big changes happen during that painting phase which leaves me free to enjoy the work  

Setting boundaries from the get-go, while making your client feel safe and welcome in the process is a somewhat tricky balance but in my experience, it ultimately leads to a great outcome for everyone. 

A bit of advice when creating work for private clients, when possible, try to create something you can still sell if the client backs out.  It is rare, but it does occasionally happen.  In cases like that, hopefully, your contract protects you from losing their deposit, but it should also allow you to re-sell the commission.  This can take a ton of pressure off you as a creator. 

Oof...that hand writing though! 

Remaining accountable:

People in general, can be somewhat unreliable.  I have had big projects with other people who just dropped the ball and did not follow through.  Massively frustrating.

Remember that your client is putting a lot of trust in you to finish a project.  If you commit to something, it is truly important to follow through.  Obviously, if an emergency ensues, you can work that out with your client (cases like that can even be outlined in your contract) Following through builds trust, it builds your reputation and creates joy and good energy between you and your wonderful client and sometimes even leads to future opportunities.  

And I personally believe that the discipline of learning to follow through has overall made creating much easier for me. When I take on a project for another person, I do not dread the idea of "can I finish this or not?" because I know I have before, and will again and I can instead focus on creating the best possible work. 

If there are any questions or things I forgot to cover, please feel free to ask them in the comments, and thank you as always for tuning in to another Waxing Moon Session! 

~Aria ☾