What I learned from my first paid commission
I’m glad I went to the County Fair this year.
For multiple reasons, but of course the reason I’m discussing here is:
It led to my first paid commission!
And before I write anything further, I must acknowledge something very important:
I was only commissioned to create something, because someone was unafraid to approach me about the dice bag I had made, which she saw, at the Fair.
I was given the opportunity to create for someone, because she recognized the humanity of asking a person (me) about said dice bag, and also had the patience to wait for it to be made.
So what did I learn?
First of all, I’ve learned more than what I can think of in this sitting.
But here’s the stuff I’ve learned that I can think of during this sitting:
Buying something from someone you know - trusting in their craftsmanship - is one of the most human acts that we can take part of. I can actually make someone’s life richer by asking them to make something for me. (And of course, paying for it).
If someone asks to buy something that I’ve crafted… it is an option to up the ante: ask if they’d like something commissioned instead (or in addition to the thing I’ve already made).
Annddd.. if they say “Yes, I’d love a custom piece actually!” … that does not mean that I need to give them the final Price right on the spot!
I need not be afraid to say instead, “That’s great; let me just run some quick numbers and I’ll get back to you with some pricing.” Even if I can’t figure out a “range of price” on the spot, I shouldn’t be embarrassed to say that I’ll just need to get back them first.
In short: I need to know actual costs of material and time.
When I did this dice bag, I ended up charging too little. I don’t think I made more than $10 profit on materials, which means I didn’t make a profit at all with time included.
… That being said… this was for a coworker, and also my first commission. So this really wasn’t all bad. It was just my “First Commission / Coworker Discount.” All is well. (;
Keep the client in the loop on your process. For example: ask them what colors or styles they are okay with - or not okay with. None of us can read minds, so I shouldn’t feel embarrassed to make sure it’s something they’ll love. Also, let them know when you’ve received your materials. When you’ve started working on it. When you’re nearly done! Things like that.
Okay so I never actually got feedback about doing this… but I could just imagine being a client for a custom-made piece, and I think I would want the creator to do some of this for my benefit. But more than that, on the creator side… I would hate for my client to feel like they need to keep tabs on the project; for them to feel like I was abusing their patience and trust. I just want them to know that I value their time and trust. And keeping tabs ensures that relationship.
And those are the main things that I have taken away from this commission process. And I am sure the list will grow as I gather more experiences!
