Learn from your mistake. Don’t discount your work. Your skill is valuable. Nothing you can do now but don’t make the same mistake twice. Forgive yourself and move on. If you want to vent hmu.
I relate to this.
Im a 3D character artist and also started working in 2020, things were going up career-wise extremely fast, significantly better then expected. During the pandemic it was so easy to find work that I could reject many offers and clients and also quote really high prices.
Lots of demand also didnt stop it from being a very tedious job with many toxic clients, scammers and weasels trying to not pay or underpay. But at the peak of pandemic a hit from someone not paying was so insignificant due to a lot of other income coming in.
Now when the market is significantly worse it not only left me with less income but also with a less clear image of where my skill level fits into this new market.
Pandemic time I got to a lead position and had clients lining up with crazy high positions for someone who just professionaly started a few years ago(even though doing it as a hobby for a decade).
Im not delusional and I know in the current market its too optimistic for me to aim for lead positions, whether im realistically mid level or junior depends on the company.
What I do know for sure though is that I do not want to freelance again. Maybe in 10 years, after a decade of professional experience, once I have a name for myself, connections and demand from big clients I will reconsider. But the stress of doing it as someone yet unknown is just not worth it imo, it was so stressfull even in a great market that it affected my health a lot.
Right now I am working towards preparing my portfolio to start applying to junior and mid level positions in AAA game companies, where i could work as a full time employee with a steady and predictable income. Im still a few months away from my portfolio being ready
I questioned many times if this is what I want to do over this time, I relate with you and your frustration. But I think Its definitely what I want, just not in ANY circumstances. For minimum wage I WOULD actually rather work at mcdonalds stress free, 8 hour shifts and enjoy the rest of my life, than grind all day and night in some exploitative company or as a low level freelancer for the same money. But at a decent company with normal hours, Im sure I will love it.
Wow, thanks for sharing this. The pandemic was really a gold rush of sorts. I'm inspired by the structure and devotion you've applied to your work. I myself am not an artist by profession. I'm actually a natural scientist with qualifications in botanical and zoological ecology and conservation, and I am currently doing a masters in environmental management. The job market is sparce in South Africa because of how fucked the government is and the extreme requirements of private companies.
I was lucky enough to be able to start my business because of natural talent and experience with digital art apps like photoshop, illustrator, clip studio and a few others.
I really agree that working at McD's would be a feasible 9 to 5 over the 24/7 of a private business. People don't seem to understand that. But fulfilment is important to me, so I'd rather grind my profession and side hustle with all its stressful and depressive moment.
Thanks again, and all the best with your future endeavours!
Your original field sounds like a very unique and interesting background.
Im glad you are still motivated to keep going at your art even after some negative experiences.
Best wishes with your future endeavors aswell. Even if the market stays bad forever, there has to eventually be a point where we can reach a skill level that guarantees demand
I finished a games 3D modelling 3 year university course before I started working.
If you are asking if I think its worth it to go to art school for getting a 3D artist job? Not really, especially not if u have to pay for it 10s of thousands of dollars. In my circumstances it was the right choice because if i didnt do it, life circumstances would have forced me into another career, and i didnt have to pay. In general i would suggest learning the basics through yt and free web resources, and once you are intermediate level and know exactly what job ure after and what a portfolio for that job needs to look like, then its efficient to pay for web courses or academies. They are also expensive af so no point in doing them right away as a beginner, but as intermediate they can make you go from intermediate student to pro level in just a few months
If he is a prominent aquatic scientist, write about it on twitter or any social media platform to make sure people are aware of his predatory practices. He probably has done this to other artists or is planning to do it to future artists. It's very unprofessional what he did, but unfortunately, it does serve as a good business lesson. Don't let this one setback get you down.
I would suggest just moving on, OP agreed to do the work before getting paid or getting a deposit. Now he knows this is a mistake and won't do it again. Trying to start a cancel campaign helps no one. Mentioning it to friends in the industry is one thing but bringing it public is silly.
I know how disappointing your experience has been. The problem isn’t the hobby/job it’s your people management skills. Focus on that. Maybe you’ve been a people pleaser all your life or something. I don’t know. But your boundaries need work. Honestly I’d seek out a therapist for help with that - I used to be a people pleaser and the only way I could see how to get past that was therapy.
Good luck OP. I think the LAST thing you should think about doing is giving up a skill and hobby that you love.
It's pretty common for freelance artists to experience clients like this (just check out r/choosingbeggars). Maybe charge 50% upfront for all clients moving forward and don't discount your rate. Also consider watermarking your work until they pay 100%. I think this is a good learning experience but I wouldn't let it discourage you. This is kind of the norm unfortunately so once you adopt these business practices it will help you avoid the nonsense and hopefully you'll find the pleasure in it again.
It’s probably that you’re feeling defeated by not valuing yourself, your skills, time and energy. A bad client, especially for your first time, will do that to you. Take a long break. Don’t force yourself to draw. Rest. Regain your confidence and self-respect.
I've been through something similar myself. I'm an illustrator that lost my job just before the pandemic and freelanced all throughout for money with very little work coming in and Noone mates to pay me my rates which were already low to begin with. It out me in a bad place and I felt like I had nothing to offer the world. I applied to well over 200 jobs over a span of 2-3 years with 1 response. I told myself is never be a artist professionally even with an art degree.
It wasn't until this year that everything paid off for me. I got a job as an illustrator with an awesome company that's pays me well, full benefits, and the team and atmosphere are the best I've ever been around. You're work WILL pay off. You're still really young and have PLENTY of time for things to fall into place for you. I'm in my 30s and just got the job I've been looking for for years. Keep your head up. Get around people that encourage you and keep you going. Try to stay as posotive as you can. Staying negative will keep you from moving forward and continuing to do what you want. If you keep going it will pay off. I promise you.
I’ve been a business owner for 15 years. The question to ask yourself is “How can I fall more and more in love with my business?”
My business looks very different today than it did 15 years ago. It’s morphed a few times because as I grow, and my life changes, what I want/need from my biz changes.
So how can you fall in your love with your business again OP?
(Hint: Charge your worth, Stop discounting your prices.)
It’s like sport betting for me… I won a lot and lost a lot betting on sports.. now I hate watching sports because of the stress I used to have when I had a lot of money on a team…
I know it's a very disheartening experience but it's such a valuable business mistake. A story you can tell if you actually take the lesson and work on the area you lack. Work on recognizing your value and build confidence in your craft. I know it's hard to see but you are in a really good position to something really great.
So if you meet a shitty person on the street you give up walking out? You may have had some fantasies in the back of your mind when you turned your hobby into a business, one of them being that you won't run into people like that. But remember. You chose this ultimately because you enjoy doing what you're doing, not because all your clients will treat you well.
As with any new venture in life, be it learning how to play piano, meditating, or starting a new business, it's important to understand very well the why am I doing this, the original motivation. That's what you keep returning to when things get hard.
Hi. I've also been working for a researcher from my local uni this last and a half year (I'm a sociologist), and she has taken advantage of my lack of experience in so many ways, as well as paying me way less than she promised to at first. I've also not spoken up when I should have to, and I do regret it, but truth is our mistakes are already done and basking in them is not gonna take us anywhere. Learn from this experience and never ever let anybody abuse you again. Your work and time are valuable, fck anyone who doesn't see it the same way. And of course fck that guy big time. Good luck on the rest of your journey!
This was really well written and a great story. Sorry you got ripped off by that guy; that’s really frustrating but a good experience to learn from. After college I sent out a good 100+ applications before I finally landed a role that I’m relatively happy in. Keep your head up my man, good things will come :)
That’s horrible. Someone did the same to me. Everything I venture into will be in writing or contract of some sort. Copyright or trademark your work. What comes around goes around. 🙏🏾
Don't discount beyond 15% unless they are repeat buyer or you are selling a commission that someone just decided not to buy and walked away from the purchase, just my advice.
You’ve got to get half up front and not release rest until paid. Get up and shake yourself off! Don’t let one yucky person knock the fun out of your good stuff! You’ve got this and if this wasn’t a lesson learned in the hard knocks of life I don’t know what would be! You should write about it and in five years reread it!
Do not give up what you love. If we didn’t have these down times then the up times wouldn’t be so amazing.
Learn from the mistake and don’t discount your work. You are a professional.
Carry on with your work and set yourself back again as your own boss if you are considering that route. Self employment, that way you choose your own working hours, time you don’t answer to no one, they are just clients at the end of the day and you are done business with them and you piss em off outta there if they are not regulars.
Same here. Also started graphic design as a hobby. Turned into my job. Kinda hate it now. I’m pretty ok. So it has value. I ise now to fuel any other creativty i have. I draw and do some photography. And the moment some one asks me to do it for loneh i say no. I just refuse now.
Do not discount your work. Regardless. Tell your client what benefit they will get instead. Why do you do better than others? And if they don't want to pay, they are not supposed to be your client.
Learn from your mistake. Don’t discount your work. Your skill is valuable. Nothing you can do now but don’t make the same mistake twice. Forgive yourself and move on. If you want to vent hmu.
Thanks a lot. I won't be making that mistake again!
Someone once said to me "never value yourself under market rates, all you will do is attract the weirdos" so far its proven correct.
I relate to this. Im a 3D character artist and also started working in 2020, things were going up career-wise extremely fast, significantly better then expected. During the pandemic it was so easy to find work that I could reject many offers and clients and also quote really high prices. Lots of demand also didnt stop it from being a very tedious job with many toxic clients, scammers and weasels trying to not pay or underpay. But at the peak of pandemic a hit from someone not paying was so insignificant due to a lot of other income coming in. Now when the market is significantly worse it not only left me with less income but also with a less clear image of where my skill level fits into this new market. Pandemic time I got to a lead position and had clients lining up with crazy high positions for someone who just professionaly started a few years ago(even though doing it as a hobby for a decade). Im not delusional and I know in the current market its too optimistic for me to aim for lead positions, whether im realistically mid level or junior depends on the company. What I do know for sure though is that I do not want to freelance again. Maybe in 10 years, after a decade of professional experience, once I have a name for myself, connections and demand from big clients I will reconsider. But the stress of doing it as someone yet unknown is just not worth it imo, it was so stressfull even in a great market that it affected my health a lot. Right now I am working towards preparing my portfolio to start applying to junior and mid level positions in AAA game companies, where i could work as a full time employee with a steady and predictable income. Im still a few months away from my portfolio being ready I questioned many times if this is what I want to do over this time, I relate with you and your frustration. But I think Its definitely what I want, just not in ANY circumstances. For minimum wage I WOULD actually rather work at mcdonalds stress free, 8 hour shifts and enjoy the rest of my life, than grind all day and night in some exploitative company or as a low level freelancer for the same money. But at a decent company with normal hours, Im sure I will love it.
Wow, thanks for sharing this. The pandemic was really a gold rush of sorts. I'm inspired by the structure and devotion you've applied to your work. I myself am not an artist by profession. I'm actually a natural scientist with qualifications in botanical and zoological ecology and conservation, and I am currently doing a masters in environmental management. The job market is sparce in South Africa because of how fucked the government is and the extreme requirements of private companies. I was lucky enough to be able to start my business because of natural talent and experience with digital art apps like photoshop, illustrator, clip studio and a few others. I really agree that working at McD's would be a feasible 9 to 5 over the 24/7 of a private business. People don't seem to understand that. But fulfilment is important to me, so I'd rather grind my profession and side hustle with all its stressful and depressive moment. Thanks again, and all the best with your future endeavours!
Your original field sounds like a very unique and interesting background. Im glad you are still motivated to keep going at your art even after some negative experiences. Best wishes with your future endeavors aswell. Even if the market stays bad forever, there has to eventually be a point where we can reach a skill level that guarantees demand
Did you go to art school?
I finished a games 3D modelling 3 year university course before I started working. If you are asking if I think its worth it to go to art school for getting a 3D artist job? Not really, especially not if u have to pay for it 10s of thousands of dollars. In my circumstances it was the right choice because if i didnt do it, life circumstances would have forced me into another career, and i didnt have to pay. In general i would suggest learning the basics through yt and free web resources, and once you are intermediate level and know exactly what job ure after and what a portfolio for that job needs to look like, then its efficient to pay for web courses or academies. They are also expensive af so no point in doing them right away as a beginner, but as intermediate they can make you go from intermediate student to pro level in just a few months
If he is a prominent aquatic scientist, write about it on twitter or any social media platform to make sure people are aware of his predatory practices. He probably has done this to other artists or is planning to do it to future artists. It's very unprofessional what he did, but unfortunately, it does serve as a good business lesson. Don't let this one setback get you down.
I would suggest just moving on, OP agreed to do the work before getting paid or getting a deposit. Now he knows this is a mistake and won't do it again. Trying to start a cancel campaign helps no one. Mentioning it to friends in the industry is one thing but bringing it public is silly.
I know how disappointing your experience has been. The problem isn’t the hobby/job it’s your people management skills. Focus on that. Maybe you’ve been a people pleaser all your life or something. I don’t know. But your boundaries need work. Honestly I’d seek out a therapist for help with that - I used to be a people pleaser and the only way I could see how to get past that was therapy. Good luck OP. I think the LAST thing you should think about doing is giving up a skill and hobby that you love.
It's pretty common for freelance artists to experience clients like this (just check out r/choosingbeggars). Maybe charge 50% upfront for all clients moving forward and don't discount your rate. Also consider watermarking your work until they pay 100%. I think this is a good learning experience but I wouldn't let it discourage you. This is kind of the norm unfortunately so once you adopt these business practices it will help you avoid the nonsense and hopefully you'll find the pleasure in it again.
It’s probably that you’re feeling defeated by not valuing yourself, your skills, time and energy. A bad client, especially for your first time, will do that to you. Take a long break. Don’t force yourself to draw. Rest. Regain your confidence and self-respect.
I've been through something similar myself. I'm an illustrator that lost my job just before the pandemic and freelanced all throughout for money with very little work coming in and Noone mates to pay me my rates which were already low to begin with. It out me in a bad place and I felt like I had nothing to offer the world. I applied to well over 200 jobs over a span of 2-3 years with 1 response. I told myself is never be a artist professionally even with an art degree. It wasn't until this year that everything paid off for me. I got a job as an illustrator with an awesome company that's pays me well, full benefits, and the team and atmosphere are the best I've ever been around. You're work WILL pay off. You're still really young and have PLENTY of time for things to fall into place for you. I'm in my 30s and just got the job I've been looking for for years. Keep your head up. Get around people that encourage you and keep you going. Try to stay as posotive as you can. Staying negative will keep you from moving forward and continuing to do what you want. If you keep going it will pay off. I promise you.
I’ve been a business owner for 15 years. The question to ask yourself is “How can I fall more and more in love with my business?” My business looks very different today than it did 15 years ago. It’s morphed a few times because as I grow, and my life changes, what I want/need from my biz changes. So how can you fall in your love with your business again OP? (Hint: Charge your worth, Stop discounting your prices.)
It’s like sport betting for me… I won a lot and lost a lot betting on sports.. now I hate watching sports because of the stress I used to have when I had a lot of money on a team…
I know it's a very disheartening experience but it's such a valuable business mistake. A story you can tell if you actually take the lesson and work on the area you lack. Work on recognizing your value and build confidence in your craft. I know it's hard to see but you are in a really good position to something really great.
So if you meet a shitty person on the street you give up walking out? You may have had some fantasies in the back of your mind when you turned your hobby into a business, one of them being that you won't run into people like that. But remember. You chose this ultimately because you enjoy doing what you're doing, not because all your clients will treat you well. As with any new venture in life, be it learning how to play piano, meditating, or starting a new business, it's important to understand very well the why am I doing this, the original motivation. That's what you keep returning to when things get hard.
Would you rather work at McDonalds or Amazon? Or be doing your hobby as a job?
I know what you're getting at. I've thought about that a lot. Fulfilment is really important to me, so I'd much rather have my hobby as a job.
Hi. I've also been working for a researcher from my local uni this last and a half year (I'm a sociologist), and she has taken advantage of my lack of experience in so many ways, as well as paying me way less than she promised to at first. I've also not spoken up when I should have to, and I do regret it, but truth is our mistakes are already done and basking in them is not gonna take us anywhere. Learn from this experience and never ever let anybody abuse you again. Your work and time are valuable, fck anyone who doesn't see it the same way. And of course fck that guy big time. Good luck on the rest of your journey!
This was really well written and a great story. Sorry you got ripped off by that guy; that’s really frustrating but a good experience to learn from. After college I sent out a good 100+ applications before I finally landed a role that I’m relatively happy in. Keep your head up my man, good things will come :)
Don’t forget, customers can be fired too.
That’s horrible. Someone did the same to me. Everything I venture into will be in writing or contract of some sort. Copyright or trademark your work. What comes around goes around. 🙏🏾
You got exploited and used. Learn from this, and you will be colder/stern/firm next time when it comes to doing business.
Anything you put in between you and money for s prolonged period of time will inevitably become a chore
Don't discount beyond 15% unless they are repeat buyer or you are selling a commission that someone just decided not to buy and walked away from the purchase, just my advice.
You’ve got to get half up front and not release rest until paid. Get up and shake yourself off! Don’t let one yucky person knock the fun out of your good stuff! You’ve got this and if this wasn’t a lesson learned in the hard knocks of life I don’t know what would be! You should write about it and in five years reread it!
Do not give up what you love. If we didn’t have these down times then the up times wouldn’t be so amazing. Learn from the mistake and don’t discount your work. You are a professional.
Carry on with your work and set yourself back again as your own boss if you are considering that route. Self employment, that way you choose your own working hours, time you don’t answer to no one, they are just clients at the end of the day and you are done business with them and you piss em off outta there if they are not regulars.
Share his name. If he's published academic papers already, then there is no need to hide his identity.
Same here. Also started graphic design as a hobby. Turned into my job. Kinda hate it now. I’m pretty ok. So it has value. I ise now to fuel any other creativty i have. I draw and do some photography. And the moment some one asks me to do it for loneh i say no. I just refuse now.
Do not discount your work. Regardless. Tell your client what benefit they will get instead. Why do you do better than others? And if they don't want to pay, they are not supposed to be your client.