another post for the young artists out there:
the temptation to start commissions is strong and i see a lot of people on art subs asking if they are "ready". here's the secret: you are ready for commissions when you have a significant number of people asking, unprompted, if you take commissions. opening at any point before that is going to be a motivation-breaking battle against the algorithm.
people asking you if you take commissions is not the same as people telling you "you should sell your art". these are well-intentioned words of encouragement from idiots who love you. someone saying "i would buy it" is also not the same-- that's a load-bearing 'would' that hides a secret 'if'.
turning your art into a business is a skill unto itself and not one you should worry about developing before your product is refined into something with an actual demand. i'll keep saying it until my breath runs out: banish the grindset demons, you are not losing money by not monetizing your hobbies. stop it. i'll get the rolled-up newspaper. i will.
