If you ask an artist to do custom work for you, PAY THEM! If you want free work, do it yourself. Hundreds, if not thousands of hours go into building the skills of their craft and they deserve to be compensated for their work. I'm not talking about them GIVING you a gift, I'm talking about actually requesting to use their skills and knowledge to have them create a piece made specifically for you, for your benefit. PAY THEM FOR THEIR SKILLS AND THEIR WORK! Would you expect someone to design you a house for free? Give you a "good" tattoo for free? Sew you a custom outfit for free? Make you a chair for free? All these skills are not just something that a person learns in one day. Some require years of schooling, pain staking work to learn and master, supplies to make said item, and as I stated before, hundred of hours to learn and get to the point of being comfortable to offer their services to another. If you want a personalize piece, custom piece, anything that requires another human being to actually and physically MAKE you your item... PAY THEM FOR IT! (Unless you are offering an equal and even trade for said item.) *rant over* (not about me, no one stiffed me on work) #starvingartist #paytheartist #payforart #dontbeamooch