Ghosts of Projects Past
I’ve been feeling nostalgic while digging up old work from clients I found in the wild back when I was crazy enough to show anyone curious about my art LOL Of course I had SFW stuff to show to clients who were not on the LGBTQ scale, but I felt like a joyful gremlin speaking about my ventures into the BL Pipeline. How did I get started? At the time I began freelancing, I was a sophomore in college, and did not have a computer at the time, but that would be my last year without one.
Here we are more than a decade later and boy do I have some notes about past projects I took from nightmare clients. Some of this was work I wasn’t paid for and kept for myself as proof of things I’ve done and luckily for ME I did not sign an NDA with these people so I can literally do whatever I want with them, and I feel like sharing. lol
I've done well to NEVER mention this project name and
never will because they definitely don't deserve any advertising. I did such
good work for them for a few years before I cut ties, and started over. This
story was over 100 pages when I left it, and was probably one of the longest
projects I did. It was my very first gig, and as a bright-eyed youth I
accepted it not knowing how bad the pay was. BUT, I turned that situation
into a good one as I learned many skills that put me where I'm at today.
This was the results of that time-period.
Avoid Idea Guys
Ironically I did have one heterosexual client who I worked with for a year in 2018-2019 who had a comic idea but could never finish the scripting in a timely manner, or would frequently change his mind about the comic. He always expected me to do the heavy lifting with ideas, which was ultimately one of the reasons we ended things. There isn’t enough money in the world to take on that kind of stress, and he would constantly attempt to haggle me about price, and I had to cut ties. If there are people who constantly attempt to argue with your prices, let them know that is your price and they can find someone else. Never be afraid to say “we aren’t a good fit”.
The story surrounds the main character Nizel who finds out during an
assassination attempt on his life that he is the true heir to a kingdom where 12 powerful
kings battle for his empty throne. It was a sick idea, but this client shot himself in
the foot by constantly haggling me, stressing me out about deadlines days after we
discussed what work I was doing for him, harassing me when I was busy with other
work, so I let him go. Folks, NEVER be afraid to say "we aren't a good
fit". Not all money is good money. I made Magnum Opus later that year.
He and I did speak a year later during the pandemic, and he was hoping I was available to
continue, and it felt so good to say "NO" to him. lol I was more than happy to
show him my updated price list when he asked. It's safe to say we won't be
working with each other again. I did send him resources and info of other artists,
and it seems like his story hasn't been picked up since. I wonder why. lol
You Don’t Have To Settle For Less
The climate for artists is depressing for some right now, and sometimes we all need to hear what others have been through. Things that make you go “man, I’ve been there. I’ll get through it.” I’ve had the most amazing journey with clients over the years, and a lot of people came and went. Now that I’m in a better position where I’m not constantly feeling like I have to do things out of survival, I am much more free to experiment and make stories I’m passionate and care about. I can now take these experiences of what I do want and put all my efforts there. I haven’t looked back since! Do not feel sorry for setting boundaries. It’s a way to avoid stress, being abused and being underpaid while working on growth and providing value to the people who see that.
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