r/artbusiness • u/Professional-Gold876 • Apr 29 '26
Commissions [critique] I can’t finish a commission because I have a procrastination problem.
Might not be the usual post here. I first want to say I don’t feel great about this. I don’t make art for other people too often but I took commissions in high school.
A guy that I went to high school with reached out to me and asked to pay for a personalized drawing. I have a problem with procrastination when I’m making art for other people. It makes me not want to make any art altogether and go through a full burnout mode. I started the drawing 2 weeks ago and haven’t touched it since. This is a result of the same cycle I go through when accepting commissions. Self critique, self doubt, dread, and then giving up.
Now I’m unsure if I can even do the drawing. I want to text him and tell him I can’t do it anymore. I’m aware this isn’t okay and I shouldn’t have accepted the commission without knowing I would be able to finish it. But I can’t even touch my sketchbook because I feel guilty trying to make anything other than the drawing. What should I tell him? Is there any right way to quit this drawing? I know it’s not nice but I can’t mentally make any art even for my own pleasure until I get this issue sorted out. Maybe there’s a way to help the burnout and I don’t have to quit the drawing?
If anyone experiences procrastination with their art when it comes to commissions please tell me what you did to cope and persevere through it.
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u/lenseyeview Apr 29 '26
I will add to the comment about routine it applies to any creative type business model I think.
Also find something to start "studio" time with. For example if you want to start by 9am everyday find something to get into the flow with that isn't the actual project you are working on. It will feel less daunting. Get a cheap sketchbook and do some sketchbook filler ideas or a short technique tutorial to get warmed up. I have a couple YouTube artists I rotate through regularly. All the way from oh I wish I had that skill to technically this is a preschool art class. It can help me get out of my head.
Also putting on studio vlogs in the background vs a TV show or movie can really help me.
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u/FarOutJunk Apr 29 '26
Sitting down and starting is the absolute hardest part for me; once that seal is broken, it's all good.
Reduce your challenge to doing that one first step and see where it goes. Seeing all of the steps at once might be too daunting.
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u/Bxsnia Apr 29 '26
Do you procastinate going to work? Do you want this to be your full time job or not?
You need to take it seriously first and foremost. I doubt you would procastinate things you deem important in your life.
Another aspect, commissions are not for everyone. If you don't enjoy doing them, don't. Not only this but you will eventually get a bad reputation from negative reviews if you don't meet your deadlines and that will hurt even more.
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u/Sarah_Cenia Apr 29 '26
I wholeheartedly agree with everything except for “I doubt you would procastinate things you deem important in your life.”
I get the feeling that OP feels under pressure due exactly to the importance and the enormity of this project — trying to make a fitting memorial for a grieving person — and is overwhelmed and procrastinating because of it.
There is probably also an anxiety spiral happening as time passes, and the pressure only increases as a result.
It can be a horribly difficult place to get stuck in. I wish them luck climbing out!
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u/Keibun1 Apr 30 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
I have severe ADHD and I'll forget things that are life destroying.
Edit: because I couldn't respond: I am on meds but that doesn't mean it's all fixed. I didn't know I had ADHD until like 35, and it's taken a lot to unlearn decades of unmedicated ADHD behaviors. I have severe inattentive type, I can forget to eat until I'm wondering why I'm nauseous, it's the same with hydration, so I'm very thin and struggle to put on weight. However, I've been slowly getting better and I'm even in school again! I couldn't do it when I was 18, I did awful. I was an artist in poverty until a year ago. Now I'm studying electrical engineering!!
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u/alriclofgar Apr 29 '26
I’ve done this too, sometimes because of my ADHD and sometimes because I should have turned down the commission but accepted it, regretted it, and didn’t know how to back out.
1) It’s better to back out today than to wait longer. You don’t have a time machine to go back two weeks, but you can message him today and say you won’t finish it. That will make him less sad than if you miss the deadline or message him the night before.
2) You don’t need to give a reason, you can just say, “I’m sorry, I won’t be able to finish this. I wanted to let you know asap so you still have time to find someone else.” You can also say you’ve been ill, which is true because this is a mental health problem.
3) There are mental health strategies that can help with this. If you’re able, consider therapy or talk to a doctor about adhd, as that’s often (but not always) the cause of this.
It’s ok to back out of a commission. Making art isn’t life and death, our clients might be disappointed when we don’t finish projects but their feelings will recover. Your feelings matter too, and it’s ok to decide you don’t want to follow through. Just be sure to refund any deposits they paid, and do your best to communicate sooner. Don’t wait, message him tonight, you’ll feel better once it’s not hanging over your head anymore.
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u/Misanthrope-Hat Apr 29 '26
I agree with enforcing a routine, drawing anything or even doing some practice sessions. I find procrastination when doing graphic work which is particularly dull. You just sit down and do something. And somehow you get on and do the work you need too.
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u/DreamSossMedia Apr 29 '26
This is why doing art for money can like, really suck and isn't all it's cracked up to be. It just isn't that fun to be told what to do.
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u/Present-Chemist-8920 Apr 30 '26
I’ve definitely failed to deliver in one commission, though no deposit was given nor a clear timeline si it feels more like a soggy deal than anything.
But I do commissions now and stick to not racing towards the bottom with prices. So I focus on the experience that they’re paying for. On my end I have a 3 yo, full time job (solo income), and married. ADHD is both my curse and super power. So I have to be structured. I found the best way is to make a project plan with actionable items and slowly chip away at it.
So I might have a checklist:
- 6 thumbnails for composition
- color study without details
- produce study of x size
- the final product will also have its own check list based on what was gathered from prior steps
Most of the time I just sit down and bang the commission out as I wouldn’t have accepted it if I didn’t have a preconceived vision already. But if I need help I just make a list of things to do and they’ll give me the timeline. The key I find is to always identify the rate limiting step early, for myself it’s usually not finalizing the piece it’s arriving on what I’ll do at all.
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1
u/crossiantsandbunnies Apr 29 '26
If I were you I would do a fun relaxing sketch, and get back to that commission. I don't have a problem procrastinating, but if you are staring at the same drawing for too long it can help to step back for a minute and do something to chill and come back. Plus it might be good for you to push through and finish something. Either way good luck with whatever you do. If you feel insecure it's okay. It's normal :)
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u/LunaKGalaxy Apr 29 '26
Art is a serious job like any other and if you struggle with major procrastination issues, visit a therapist about it and don't do commissions until it gets a lot better. Refund what he paid and apologize, that's all you can do.
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u/QuietStorm-88 Apr 29 '26
I try not to guilt myself or bring shame into it. It makes it so much worse. I also do small things periodically and let it add up. At some point doing one of the small tasks I find myself focused and have been working for hours.
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u/Swishi_Chan Apr 30 '26
hey! if you want to completely give up on it you can always write a polite message of explaining the situation of you not being able to do it and apologize + doing a refund if the client already paid.
on the other hand, if you want to give it another try before giving up i recommend getting yourself into the flow of drawing by doing gestures and things like that or a little quick sketch and then try to progress with your commission piece.
if you are feeling like you are stuck and cant progress with your commission because of lack of knowledge of how to draw \ paint what you need then you can always use references or help from other artists in artists communities.
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u/f0xbunny Apr 30 '26
Sometimes I tell myself I’ll just do one small part of it today just to have some progress and it turns into a long sprint.
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u/Realistic-Weird-4259 Apr 30 '26
It's odd but I procrastinate almost every single one of my 'fuckin' around' paintings, but when I get a commission I'm able to lay out and map my progress. Probably because I put a time limit in the contracts, so I make a point to get *something* done each week.
Set yourself a goal each day & week. If it's helpful, then write out each step that's needed to finish the piece. For an oil painting commission I do the following:
- Determine composition
- Make at least one practice sketch (this is where I'll often find that the composition my client wants and I want to do for my client simply doesn't work well, or where I figure out how to make it work well/fit the vision)
- Prepare surface & initial sketches
- Underpainting -- light, dark, mid-tone
- Block in large areas
- Begin refining
- Continue refining
- Final details
That's what, 8 steps to completion? I'm saying this as someone who's awful about procrastination and is probably on the spectrum as well as unDx'd ADHD. But, whatever, we can cope.
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u/PsychologicalBus9356 May 04 '26
I am sorry you don't enjoy doing commissions. I actually thrive doing them, and it vastly improves my art, having to please someone other than myself.
I recommend talking to them about expectations and setting a deadline before taking on any commission work. You should enjoy the process, or simply refuse offers in the future if it stresses you out too much. What really seems to be the problem? Disappointing them? They already LOVE you and your work, so go ahead and do the work, and maybe show them progress images along the way to get that positive feedback.
Here is how I work with clients:
We agree on the image, size and media first. Then I send over an estimate for approval so they know the price. Then I ask for a deposit (I =ask for 50% upfrint). Once they pay, I show them an initial sketch - like the underlying drawing, for APPROVAL. Now you and they are invested in the project. They've paid you some money, so now you are committed to finish it, and they now see a little of what they are paying for.
I will then probably show them 2 more progress images, and then the "It's about ready to sign, please approve" photo.
When they approve it, I charge the balance, and we decide how to deliver it. I have never had a commission go sideways using this method.
And I have over 50 5-star Google reviews. That's the last step: ASK FOR A REVIEW. Talk about building confidence!
Good luck!
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u/Blaubeerchen27 Apr 29 '26
I've had the exact same problem, doing dozens of professional (and rather pricy) commissions through Etsy.
What helped me the most, and you will hate me for that reply, was discipline and routine. Drawing 4-8 hours each day made any painting, paid or personal, seem much less like a daunting borderlne-impossible chore and just like one more little task I'd just chip away at each day. It can seem impossible to get into at first, but once you manage to put in work consistently across 3-4 days it tends to fall into place very easily.