datfiller

Thanks for the response. My personality is that I would say I'm very polite but not necessarily nice. I just don't like coming off as rude and I feel personally responsible whenever I make a mistake. I think like if I was late with a payment to an artist I would feel bad and "try to make up for it". Where as with alot of these bad experiences, I feel like alot of these artists "maybe" care but not enough to actually try to make up for it. I think thats where the disconnect is with me. Not that they have to but its so surprising alot of them do. I've felt really good about commissions ever since Bornes's post and its mostly because the main point I took away from him is that artists aren't really my friend. They are just people I pay to get a service from. I tried to extend my hand alot to be a friend but I assume (nothing wrong with this I guess) most of them are just focused on getting their tasks done for payment. I've had good experiences but the bad experiences definitely give me more of this vibe. I've been better now in just looking at people differently and having more realistic expectations. Its still hard because you dont know how the experience will go before paying but I'm not as blind faith honoring them as I used to. I probably still wont use the more stronger bad experiences but I don't think I'm going out of my way to praise people who probably don't care as much anymore.

Thank you so much for your post. Sorry for making you ramble on if you didnt intend. I do get that most bad artists arent trying to be bad. I think it just irks me that if some don't care if they are. Like even with some of the posts here, some artists don't care using bad practices because its not "their problem". Your business point does make sense. I feel thats very important in explaining some problems. But overall, I can't speak for others but for myself I do sympathize and understand problems can rise and am flexible in that regard. It always just goes back to the main point that you should at least care to correct a mistake and not brush it off as no big deal. Its something maybe how I was raised or something that I cant fathom how people just don't care sometimes. The point about big artists still getting commissions despite bewares is interesting. If there was an easy list or a website that had reviews, maybe its easier to weed out things but alot of the times I ask on twitter or deviantart and don' really look into their history. I know websites exist and maybe I should consider them than Twitter. I don't know if randomly messaging people who commissioned them before about their experience if its a good idea but yeah. I only started commissioning people 3 years ago but it sucks that the problem has been apparent for your saying over 10+ years and still happens. I guess maybe there have been attempts to help but unsure as to how much progress overall has been made. I definitely always liked trying to try new people but maybe also need to shorten my acceptable artist list to people from the past. Thanks again for your message. Its a really interesting topic to read from another persons perspective. You wrote alot. I would definitely read your book haha. I dont really get angry at all in general. But I would say in true anger, over half the times I've been severely angry has been commission work and people not caring. Its just mind-boggling that even though some people may not think of it as a business that you would just do "bewareable" things. I guess I wouldn't say its common sense but its like you know it would annoy you if I did it to you so how don't you understand? Had people try to change the price after paying full price before they were finished, had a deadline and miss it by two months. Obviously context matters so you can't really trust my word here without evidence but its just like I don't understand how people think thats just okay. You dont have to keep replying if you felt like you exhausted the topic but I do appreciate your time. I liked your responses. Helped me calm down a bit.

No thank you so much for your insight and thoughts. I think just the fact that this site exists shows that there are experiences like these exist. At the end of the day, I just feel like its weird how some people have a lack of empathy maybe. Like for example, I don't judge you for removing the watermark and using it but I feel like I couldn't do that because artists dont like that. I'm trying not to do something that they don't like because I care about having good etiquette. But does that matter when they don't choose to do the same? What about having good to myself who worked hard to get the money to give them only for them to "spit in my face". An angle I never thought of is that the artist isn't necessarily my friend. I can be friends with them but opening a commission with them doesnt mean that we are. There are alot of interesting points you make throughout your messages that make sense and is making me reconsider how I've been approaching these things. Everyone will have different opinions but its nice to see someone talk out their reasons on why they think the way they think. Maybe again all of this is minor. I just find it weird that people can do things late, change details of a commission without consulting the commissioner, add watermarks, not deliver the art at all. Like how do you even like "live with yourself" knowing the kind of person you are. I know this definitely doesn't extend to just artists and all humans in general. But its like thinking back at all the commissions I've gotten, it seems just that while most have good intentions, alot just sorta just do it for the money and thats it. Makes sense but again its just like if I was late with something as a programmer, I would absolutely feel bad, try to console with the commissioner, etc. See what ways I can make up for mistakes. Not 100% of the people again have bad intentions but enough don't care to the point that its just irritating and I feel even using their stuff feels work.

I wouldn't want to use something that gave me such a bad experience but I don't know if its considered normal or overthinking it. If you use it publicly and someone asks "wow thats amazing, who made that?" would you say that artist but i dont recommend him/her. And then if they ask if they are so bad, why are you still using their stuff? This scenario didn't happen but it just makes me think should i really use stuff from someone who provided a bad experience and didnt even care? Like if a celebrity was caught in some immoral or illegal scandal, people would feel like not supporting them by using their stuff. I guess most bewares wouldn't fall in the category of illegal but is supporting their work okay just because they arent the lowest of the low?

Do you comfortable using the work of an artist who experiences qualifies as a beware or even not but just was rude, late, noncaring, inconsiderate, etc? Or does not wasting your money matter more than you? Would you feel okay crediting and using work from someone who you feel was "shady"?