Issues: Mewsagi

[vexinglyyours.livejournal.com]

I had browsed this community many moons ago and thought it was a neat idea. Never had I thought that I would have to post here about an artist or commissioner.

Now, before I begin, I will say that this is resolved for the most part.

So, back in December 2009, a popular Mew/Mewtwo artist by the name of Mewsagi (Mewsagi on deviantART, and I think she goes by the same name on FA) opened up for a bunch of $5 chibi commissions. She took several of them, managing to finish a few in a few weeks. She has beautiful art, so I couldn't pass up the chance to buy two chibis from her of some Organization XIII characters of mine.

Soon, she begins posting art she did for herself and some birthday gifts for friends. She posts 18 of her own pics before doing another commission. She posts another 17 pics for herself until she posted two badges she was paid for.

I really hate deviantART's date system, as I don't know when the hell 15 weeks and 1 day ago was. But when I noted her, I wasn't wondering about the progress of my commission, but rather if it was too late to change what I wanted. I think she assumed I was rushing her and blurted out with an excuse that her parents were both sick and that she wasn't feeling well either. I could understand her situation, since my dad is very ill with cancer and I would put everything on hold to care for him. I didn't think anything of it until today, when I noted her with:

Hello,

I'm noting you concerning my commission. I know you've been having IRL issues with your dad and being sick too. I know exactly how you feel, as my own father is very sick. It's very stressful.

I truly empathize with you, but you have been posting your personal artwork instead of commissions. While I and many others enjoy your work, I think people that commissioned you would be more than happy to receive the art that they paid for after they commissioned you more than 9 months ago.

If you are unable to go through with my commission for whatever reason, I would like a refund. I am willing to wait a little longer for the chibis, but in the future, please realize that your personal artwork comes second to artwork that people have bought from you.

Thanks.

To which she responds:

Yes i know, i would have finished at least a few before i disappeared two months ago, but i kept asking myself what's more important '' finishing the stuff i owe my commissioners '' or '' my father's life ''..

And trust me, i love my father very much and it hurts to see him what he's going through ever since this started in april.

The newest stuff that i have been posting was mean't to be posted before i left two month's ago, since they were sitting aside for week's, i tried to finish a few commissions, but the way my mind and body is right now, i just can't seem to think, i just keep thinking about my dad, i'm worried what's going to happen.

And since this is the 8th note i got similar to what you've just said, and i kept on telling my reason, my father is ill, why can't you guy's see that.. it seem's my message just goes right through them, they want to commission more, and ignore my father's illness..

Give me your e-mail adress, i'll refund your money.

She makes a journal about it telling all of her commissioners (that's 13 people on queue) that she'll refund money and saying that all people care about it art and that no one cared about what she was going through. I instantly feel guilty for noting her concerning my commissions, but she had 9 months to work on commissions instead of posting artwork she did for herself. This is advice to artist who take commissions: Artwork for yourself comes second to anything you've been paid to do. It's disrespectful and shows you don't care. I did care about Mewsagi's issues, though she claims I don't. I am practically in the same spot she is, but she decided to guilt trip me and possibly other customers.

I was refunded my money... in Canadian money instead of USD, turning $10 into $8, but I decided not to care because she's already stressed as it is. Mewsagi is a great artist, but if you want to commission her, realize that her stuff is going to come before yours.

Comments

[sigilgoat.livejournal.com]

I have a bit of an issue with your point of:
"Artwork for yourself comes second to anything you've been paid to do. It's disrespectful and shows you don't care."

I work on my commissions for the majority of my day, but I also need to do personal art too. Sometimes its to vent, sometimes it's for a project and sometimes it's for fun. I will post personal art as I finish it just as I post my paid work.

I guess what I'm saying is that artists deserve their own time just as much as any other worker. If all someone does for months is personal art, that's unfair, but I think that statement is unfair.

[vexinglyyours.livejournal.com]

But my statement still holds true. You say you work on your stuff between commissions. Your leisure came after work. :) I do often work on things inbetween commission work myself, but she was just putting it off and off and off, posting lots of personal work over a period of months with only one commission inbetween them.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

I'd agree with what you said, that said personally whenever I have anything hanging over my head, it's downright difficult for me to draw anything because my conscience nags at me because I should be finishing the waiting work; that's just me though, I don't understand how artists can turn out piles of personal work while commissioners are waiting.

[ichigoneko33.livejournal.com]

Once in a while I need to take a break and I draw mostly personal work for myself and requests (since I chose who I want to do out of inspiration).

But, I let my commissioners know and it's usually just a few days, a week at the most, and two only if I don't have a lot on my plate and at least do a bit of work.

So I think in that case it can be ok to just do lots of personal stuff, but the artist in this case was way beyond that.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Oh I can understand that, I just can't personally do that, to be honest, I have barely drawn anything personal when I have been able to draw in about a year because I have outstanding trades that I haven't finished yet because of serious medical issues (I'm only able to work on them here and there for short periods). Admittedly I have kept the other parties informed and they've not sent me their half and won't until my half of the trade is finished but I still feel so guilty about it that I can't even doodle currently.

[ichigoneko33.livejournal.com]

Ya, I'm a bit half and half. It's why I just take short breaks. Enough so I still get to work fast, but enough for me to be relaxed again.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

I think I tend to stress too much about things, I worry about if it's good enough, I worry if the other party will like it (thanks to an earlier trade gone wrong in which the other party apparently hated my work) I worry that I'm taking to long. Pile on medical issues, worrying about the quality of my artwork and the harassment issues I've had with a couple of artists recently and I'm wound tighter than a rubber band plane. >.>

[onesteptwo.livejournal.com]

I think it's fair to allow the artist to do some personal work, but it would look better on her if she wasn't uploading nearly twenty of them before she uploaded any commissions.

If you know you have commissions hanging, it probably looks better to a majority of people if you don't post PERIOD when something bad is happening.

Kind of encourages the whole "Wow, they're so busy with [insert stressful thing] here. That sucks."