Why should every artist be open to commissions, even if they don't want to do custom work?

Every artist should have a commissions button or form on their website, even if they never intend to actually take commissions. Commissions are the most amazing product discovery mechanism in history. When someone says ‘I like your creativity, but apply it over here instead,’ you’re getting direct market feedback on what people want. It’s a way to generate ideas you’d never think of yourself. Sometimes the constraint of a commission is exactly what artists need—you may have too much creative freedom. Constraints often unlock creativity in unexpected ways. Historic example: Dr. Seuss took a bet that he couldn’t write a book in 50 words or less, which led to The Cat in the Hat and exploded his career.

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Asked by general teaching point for all artists · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-06-24