Is it worth it?

As with anything in life it is a good idea to ask yourself ” it this worth it? My time….my effort …my cost…my emotional input….? When is it time to draw that line in the sand? Both figuratively and metaphorically. Let’s get real for a moment shall we? What about that insincere “friend”? When is it time to just cut them off? How much emotional drain can you take and why continue with it? If you say ” take the high road” that’s all well and good. But just how many times and over what length  of time do you take that” road less taken” before you are comforted in the fact that you have tried your best? And what if your best isn’t good enough ? When do you become aware that who’s ball is in who’s court just doesn’t matter anymore?  Some are so narcissistic  that absolutely NONE of that makes one bit of difference in their lives and others  try once and DONE. Then there are the people pleasers, care takers if you will. These people will often apologize til they are blue in the face even at those times when they have done nothing wrong but especially if they have. Hmmm… are any of these scenarios ringing a bell?  Now what if you applied that to your artwork?  Well…they can’t afford it…well…they can but they are careful with their money….well…atleast I will get something for it….well…I will get money for the supplies… well it will be a good challenge….well…I can just give it to them. Yikes! What are we doing to ourselves?   If you have ever even thought one of those thoughts….you are hurting yourself and your artwork.  Now don’t get me wrong…I’m not criticizing anyone for it. I myself am very guilty of thinking all of those things. And there is nothing wrong with gifting,or donating your work to special causes that are near to your heart.   As with anything respect is earned. That goes for your respect as an artist as well.  Most people ( prospective clients ) just have no idea what art supplies cost and why.  For example if someone likes your work and you are say a water colorist…can you do that on any paper ? No. Can you do it on cheaper paper? Sure…if your client doesn’t care that the paper will look wavey and won’t Layla flat once it’s dry…or if they don’t mind it fading within months…or weeks… how long do they want to keep it? Is it a subject they really love? Like a pet who’s passed away…let’s see… do they want to remember them for a year? Or give it as a gift? Do they want it to last their lifetime? Oh…so it needs to be on high quality  paper? Perhaps ” archival ” paper? And will Dollar store children’s watercolors last? Absolutely not.  Will other supplies be needed to do your best work.? Will say lightfast inks also be used? What if you don’t have the required colors of inks,paint? What if you have used your last bit of the right paper?  Let’s see… do you say to yourself well…I will buy this and this and this out of my own pocket…but really I will only be using one sheet of paper.   And just a bit of paint…just a tad of ink… I will just charge them for what I actually use. Nope. Don’t do it. Why? I will tell you why. Because they can ask you to redesign it…over and over if you let them. Or they can say…gee I can’t really afford it right now.. ( which can happen as circumstances change) or  they can just plain cancel it and not even pay for the materials you have invested in.  But they are your friends,family…they would never do that to you. Yes. In many cases they would. After all you are so kind hearted and giving. You won’t mind right?  I gotta tell you all of the above has happened to my kind hearted soul. And it can happen to you as well no matter how unlikely.  How can you avoid all this? Here’s a few ideas . 1. keep track of all the time you put into a project.  How many hours did you research  the subject matter or techniques you want to use?  2. What will the proper supplies actually cost you? Do you need to buy a new pad of paper? 3. Explain the time you will take and why? Do they want a rush job? That’s extra because you may have other obligations and restrictions on your time…artwork included. 4. What exact supplies are necessary to do the job they want? Explaining that if you want to keep this painting of your beautiful companion pet for your lifetime…it will require this because….and explain it to them as if they know nothing about art in general because they probably don’t which is why they have asked you to create it in the first place . Either that or they are trying to take advantage of you…possibly because they are cheap. And that’s not respectful of you at all. 5. Draw up a standard contract that copies can be made of which includes a deadline ie: Christmas 11/ 21. An itemized cost estimate. A non refundable down payment( this will really show who’s serious about it.) A date and signatures area showing service provider, and client requesting the work order. A reasonable time estimate and and projected delivery or pickup date, include real delivery estimates which should be actual postal or delivery service quotes for the size and bulk and weight. State if taxes are included. 6. Require a non fefundable cancelation fee. This amount should be included in the required deposit. If all goes well you can take that off their final bill. 7. If accepting personal checks for any of this do not start the project or deliver the project until those checks have cleared. Actually cleared. Depositing doesn’t mean the money is actually in your account yet. ( miscalculations and accidents do happen) These are only suggestions. But I do recommend that you treat yourself , your work, and your clients all with respect and dignity. This goes a long way in forging your brand, your work ethics ,and your relationships. Have a brighter day.