Should I accept commissions even if I don't want to do them long-term?

Yes, absolutely put a commission option on your website, even if you never want to take commissions as a main business. Here’s why: a commission is someone saying ‘I like your style, I just don’t like this particular piece. Here’s my credit card, create this for me.’ That’s an incredible idea machine. Commissions give you direct feedback on new directions you could take your work. They tell you what people actually want from you. You might start with one body of work, but through commissions and feedback from consistent marketing, you discover a completely different direction that’s far more successful. You can’t get there without the feedback—it won’t just magically pop into your head. The work needs to be seen, it needs to sell, and commissions are one of the best ways to understand what the market actually wants from your particular style and skillset.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-21