Not sure how to approach this...

[phoenixsrequiem.livejournal.com]

Hey guys! So I have a bit of an issue with a local artist. I don't want to name names right now, hoping it will be resolved before then.

I've known this artist as a friend for a while now, we both go to some events together. About a month ago, they were looking for time cards for various reasons and things (i.e phone cards etc etc). I had some extra money to spare, so I sent this person a phone card, with a description of what I wanted.

This artist was just about to go into some iron artist slots, and said for the full piece I wanted, the time card would be more than sufficent.

About a week or two later, the artist informs me that they are no longer going to be offering the iron artist slots.... okay, im fine with that. Then I'm informed they feel uncomfortable drawing the subject matter in my piece ( it was a vehicle) I understand and agree, that i will come up with something else they can draw for me. I gave them a reference for what I would like drawn . Then, I heard nothing.

This piece had a hard deadline set for next week, and as of late this person has become sick. I understand, life happens and getting sick happens... but I bought this card well over 3 weeks ago, almost a month and nothing yet.

I'm just worried that I may never get my art as when they did have free time, they were just doing streams of art for people who paid in the stream :/ I've got a few friends too that paid for art a while ago and still nothing.

Any suggestions? I plan on pm'ing the artist soon here just as a friendly reminder.

Comments

[ansitru.livejournal.com]

Friend or not, a business transaction is still a business transaction and one shouldn't be expected to have to write it off as a gift is said friend is abusing the commission-artist by exploiting the friendship.

[ocelotish]

Yeah it's great that you shouldn't have to write it off as a gift, but artists shouldn't drop deadlines, commissioners shouldn't drag their feet, but this community exists so obviously that happens.

I'm not really talking about who's in the wrong; everyone knows who's in the wrong. What I'm talking about is how to proceed so you can preserve the friendship. A friend would understand sickness, getting in over your head, etc. a friend would understand being a little short and that you'll pay when you can. Those are both things that are reasonable requests for a friend and things that will get you screwed over professionally. It's direct conflict: you push professionally and the friendship's gonna give, you push the friendship and the transaction's going to give.

It's the same reason why you should avoid loaning friends money unless you can consider it a gift: no matter what, when you push for a reasonable return, you're going to be the bad guy. They should pay you back, but that doesn't mean that you won't wind up looking like a jerk in the process and lose the friend.

When it's a friendship and a professional transaction the should's go both ways. You should fulfill your requirements as a professional and you should be understanding as a friend. You can't really say which is more valuable without judging the transaction against the friendship.

It's also not always exploitation: that's a strong word. Are you telling me that you've never borrowed money for pizza and then never paid it back? Were you exploiting your friend then? Or did things just happen until you forgot? As far as I'm concerned the same thing's happening here: it's not like the artist is out to pull one over on the commissioner: they got sick. Asking for a little sympathy and understanding from a friend in that case is not exploitation: if you aren't willing to give a little for a friend that's sick, what kind of friend are you in the first place?

The conflict of interest is why I hold that you shouldn't do business with friends unless you're willing to write it off as a gift. It's great that things should go smoothly, but by the same token, there shouldn't need to watermark images, get payment in advance, etc. We recommend that don't we? What's the difference between recommending that and recommending not doing business with friends unless it can be considered a gift?

[ansitru.livejournal.com]

Are you telling me that you've never borrowed money for pizza and then never paid it back? Were you exploiting your friend then? Or did things just happen until you forgot?

---

At the risk of going slightly off-topic here: no, I have not because I barely loan money from friends. And when I do, I make damn sure to pay them back within the next day or within the week.

Though I agree on your statement of not doing business with friends: I personally think it's probably more of a headache than what it's worth in some cases.

[ocelotish]

At the risk of going slightly off-topic here: no, I have not because I barely loan money from friends. And when I do, I make damn sure to pay them back within the next day or within the week.

You're ignoring the forest for the trees: I avoid borrowing money from friends too, but I have lent money to people and had them not pay me back. However, the point was that it's something we can all easily see happening without "exploiting" the other person.

Though I agree on your statement of not doing business with friends: I personally think it's probably more of a headache than what it's worth in some cases.

That's exactly it. If you're going to do business with them, don't do something that you're not willing to write off as a gift. You might be perfectly willing to consider an icon/$10 a gift for the other person and in that case there's no reason not to try the transaction. It also seems to be more the case with close friends. With acquaintances you can push a little more, but with friends, when you hold them to strictly professional deadlines while their life is going to hell in a handbasket they have every right to be angry with you. While they are being unprofessional by missing deadlines, you can still be a lousy friend for not understanding their problems.

It's just a bad situation for everyone.

[phoenixsrequiem.livejournal.com]

Issue has been resolved I suppose. Supposed to be getting sketches in the next 2 weeks. We will see what happens.