Someone tell me I did the right thing?

[trilliah]

One of the NPs who used to work in our office contacted me about a week ago (well, closer to 12 days, really) asking me if I could do a portrait commission for her for her sister's anniversary. She wanted a portrait of her sister and her husband now, with a smaller portrait of them on their wedding day in the corner, on 11x14 paper.

Comments

[magickalmolly]

You totally did the right thing. Your talent and time are both worth a lot. Especially if you would have to push other projects back, it's not unreasonable at all to ask for more money for a rush job. Other people do it - why not you?

[blackbird_song]

You totally did the right thing in telling her that (a) the time frame was difficult, especially when she hadn't told you earlier when she needed it done, and (b) charging extra for a rush job. I'm very glad to see you charging realistic amounts for the work, and the fact is that you'd have to put other aspects of your life on hold (and cause yourself a lot of stress) in order to get the portrait done on time. Businesses charge for expedited service all the time for those and similar reasons. Time is money, and if you'd had to do that commission that fast, there would have been a good chance that you'd have had to hire someone else to do some of the work of moving (or whatever else needed doing in your life), thus losing you actual cash

[serai1]

Are you kidding? Don't feel nervous or embarrassed about sticking up for your own priorities. You're an artist! You're under no obligation to take commissions at any given time or for any give amount. It's up to you to set the parameters and others to decide if it sounds good to them. What would be the point of her paying all that money for a rushed or less-than-great job?

[triskalguilo]

Er... yeah, what everyone else said. Catherine pretty much hit the nail on the head, saying everything I would've said if I were a more articulate person ;)