Why should I take commissions if I don't want to do custom work?

You don’t necessarily need to complete every commission, but you must be open to the solicitation of them. Here’s why: throughout your career, you’ll try different subject matters and styles, always looking for something that significantly outperforms what you’re currently creating. When you’re open to commissions, you hear directly from people who love your style but want different subject matter. This intel is invaluable - you might discover your next biggest style or idea. For example, someone might request parrots in your style, you create it, share it on social media, and suddenly 50 people are asking about it. If you’re not open to commissions, you miss these discovery opportunities. Plus, when someone raises their hand with cash ready to buy art from you, that’s a pretty good place to start.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-02-12