commissionland
i kinda can't believe I'm not freaking out a little bit :)
In previous years I've had a love-hate relationship with commissions. I'd enjoy doing one, but I'd always be pretty (really) stressed until it was out the door and its new owner had seen an image of it and declared it not-hideous. When I paint anything else it doesn't matter if anyone else likes it. If someone decides they like it and want to buy it - great! If not, no biggee. But when someone pays you to create something special just for them there is automatically more pressure.
Don't get me wrong. I've never had a bad experience with a commission - everyone has been easy to work with, appreciative, and given me enough freedom to do my thing. I just tended to worry anyway!
Somehow, things are different right now. I currently have eight (8?!) active commissions going! With a few more people who have expressed interest. And I've done three earlier this year. How is that possible?? Well... all but one have come from the PHP community. A strange occurrence that I never expected! Somehow this little #ossart project has gotten some notice and people in the community are finding it fun, too! Everyone has been super supportive and encouraging, even welcoming to me, a non-coding conference tag-a-long. It's a strange, mysterious world that I'm glimpsing into, via my other half, Beau. I have to say it's been pretty cool! And I always feel strangely humbled and honored when people ask me to create something special for them. (And want to pay me to do it!)
And i really enjoy the variety of subject matter when not left to my own devices. There are quite a few coming up that i would have never (ever) come up with on my own! It's a strange sort of collaboration, but one I am learning to enjoying much more than I have in the past. I hope they keep coming! Oh, yeah. And I'm not stressed?! I am not sure why, with all these empty canvases staring back at me. Something has shifted lately. All I know is I am excited about each one of them and can't wait to see how they turn out!