In science, specifically medicine, if you are taking a drug and have a reaction and then stop the reaction you can assume it was the drug. But to be really sure you need to take the drug again and see if you have the reaction again. Depending on the reaction most people would rather not do this.
I started drawing pets for money and was really stressed. Lost the joy in drawing, as I was afraid I would. But I thought maybe it was just because the response in the beginning was overwhelming, once I had 3 pictures to do, and even though there really wasn't a time frame, I felt there was. It also took me 3 to 4 times longer to draw these pictures. When I was developing a portfolio, I was drawing pics for free, mostly people I worked with. The response was great, I really enjoyed it and it wasn't taking me that long to do. Enter money. The response was still great, but I got some criticisms, and that should be fine (trust me I know it's my issue, Dave would say they weren't even criticisms). But since I already feel like the prices are high, and this is with giving nearly everyone some sort of discount (I think I sold 9 pictures and only 2 were at the website prices) I felt like if I were selling to people I didn't know and charging more, the stress would be even higher. I would be spending even more time with each picture trying to avoid any chance of criticism, wanting each one to be perfect. And obviously if I am spending more time, that's less profit. With the current pricing and the amount of time I spend doing it, I make more money at my "real" job and there's less stress at my real job. So I stopped marketing almost completely.
Time passed, I decided to market for Christmas. I have gotten a couple orders and BOOM the stress is back and I haven't even started drawing yet! So it is obviously related...hence the aforementioned medicine comparison. So, now what?
Dave says just stop. And I think I have to. I have been toying with drawing again before I got the orders. Drawing for myself. But now I don't even want to do that.
I had soooo much fun drawing for my portfolio. But it's obviously quite silly to just draw for free. The supplies aren't cheap. I have thought about doing a pay what you want, but I have a feeling I would end up with hurt feelings--"THAT'S all you think my time is worth??"
I have thought about not doing custom stuff anymore, maybe it wouldn't be so stressful if I just drew stuff and people bought it. Like hummingbirds or palm trees. Then I wouldn't feel like it has to look EXACTLY like a photo. I don't know what I will end up doing but this pet portrait stuff seems to be coming to an end. I don't want to promote myself only to be stressed out....that would defeat the purpose of leaving retail pharmacy!!
This is why I like folding clothes....it is soooo much easier! I don't spend time dwelling over whether I folded them good enough. It's mindless work and that is still what I need. Too many years at a stressful career has left me ambitionless and this time without the stress of that career has left me happy...I want to keep on being happy.
Bonus points if you get the song I was referencing with my post
title...of course you don't get anything with your bonus points!! :P
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