Clueless, mooching relatives & Miss Manners
Lenona
Well, OK, that may have been too harsh a header. You be the judge.
Lenona.
http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/article.aspx?cp-documentid=23496578
Dear Miss Manners,
I'm currently studying veterinary medicine, and while I am clearly not
a career artist, I currently make money on the side as a graphic novel
illustrator and taking private commissions. Although I do enjoy making
art, I consider it a job and rarely have time to pursue it further due
to the time-consuming nature of my studies -- when I have time to draw
something I have to expect to be paid for it.
My family and friends support my "hobby," enough so that come holidays
or birthdays they often request pieces of art as gifts. This is often
expressed in terms similar to, "You don't have to buy me anything,
just draw something for me." Since I am a college student on a budget,
I suspect that my relations are trying to do me a favor, whereas in
reality, it is much more difficult to fill these requests than it
would be to give a more conventional gift.
When I do eventually give a purchased gift rather than the art that
was asked for, I always hear about it later ("So when are you going to
give me that painting?").
I would love to draw for all my loved ones, but the level of quality
that they expect from me usually takes at least 25 hours to complete
-- the same quality for which I often charge $200-400 per piece. How
can I tell my friends and relatives that I can't afford to give them
art as a gift without sounding selfish or hurting their feelings? I
feel like I'm saying, "I love you, but not enough to spend my quality
time on making you a gift."
Gentle Reader,
What a delightfully flattering picture your family and friends have of
you -- effortlessly tossing off your studies and your art work, while
they, poor souls, can barely do one job and find time to shop for
presents.
Miss Manners is afraid that you will have to substitute a less
glamorous self-portrait. "I can hardly manage to keep up with my
studies and the drawings I do on paid commissions to support myself,"
you should plead. "So while I'd love to do a picture for you, I'm
afraid it will be a very long wait. Some day I hope to have a
veterinary practice that will allow me time to give drawings to people
I love."
Let us hope that you will find that some of them love you enough to
commission a drawing.