It’s Okay to Turn Work Away

Is there ever a time when it’s okay to turn work away? Or is it professional suicide? Am I crazy for even suggesting it?

Turning paying commissions away. Crazy talk or words of wisdom? (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 49774450 Copyright: vadymvdrobot)

Actually, sometimes it’s the smart thing to do. It can also be one of the toughest things to do if you’re just starting out.

However, as a brand new artist or an artist who is struggling to make ends meet, turning work away may sound like the absolute worst thing you can do. And of course, sometimes you do what you have to in order to survive. As a brand new artist, you do what you can in order to establish a name for yourself and to gain valuable experience. As a starving artist, sometimes you do what you must in order to put food on the table and keep the lights on.

There comes a point in time it’s beneficial to be more choosy about the work you accept.

For example, if you are trying to establish yourself as an artist who does portraits in oil paint, but you continue to accept work doing animation just because you can, you’re essentially drawing attention away from portrait painting jobs. Do you want to be known as a painter or an animator?

Case in point, it’s an extremely rare occasion that I draw anything other than animal portraits. I am known as an animal portrait artist. People know me for that and that alone. They don’t know me for the rare human portrait. They don’t know me for painting or working in color. And even with all of the things I’m not known for, I still have all the requests for animal portraits that I can handle.

Just because you specialize doesn’t mean you’ll get less work. You will in fact get more of what you specialize in. And one thing I know for certain is that doing the work I specialize in, the work I’m passionate about, never feels like work. Taking on jobs that I don’t specialize in absolutely feels like work every single minute that it takes me to complete.

One of my favorite quotes (by Confucius or Winston Churchill depending on who you ask) is, “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

Are you accepting work that will help grow your reputation as the artist you want to be? (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 52080556 Copyright: sifotography)

Another scenario in which it’s okay to turn work away is when you begin accepting more work than you can handle in a reasonable timeframe.

Rushing through work practically guarantees that you won’t be doing your best work. Your customers come to you with your talents in mind. They’ve seen your best work posted on your website or social media. They’re willing to hand over their hard earned cash for your best artwork. The last thing you want to do is give them work you rushed through just so you could accept another job. Instead of earning yourself a happy repeat customer, you could lose them (and their potential referrals) altogether.

There’s nothing wrong with telling a potential customer that you’re booked up. Give them a date when you’ll have some time. If they fell in love with your artwork enough to seek you out, they’ll understand and wait for you to be free. Meanwhile, you’re free to focus on your current commissions knowing that you already have that project set up down the line.

Are you accepting more jobs than you can handle while still doing your best work? (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 22128337Copyright: Elnur)

If you’re in the habit of taking on too much work, take a step back and consider the following three points:

1. Rushed work = less than your best work. There is never a time when offering less than your best is acceptable.
2. Repeat customers are just as important (if not more so) than brand new ones. Repeat customers tend to refer you to their friends and drop your name willingly. People love showing off their art purchases. On the flip side, an unhappy customer will be the first to bad mouth you and your shoddy work.
3. New customers more than likely did their research for an artist that fit their needs. They found you and picked you over other artists for a reason. You’ve already beat out the competition. If they really want you, they’ll gladly wait for your next available time slot. The fact that you’re booked only confirms that your artwork is high in demand and worth the wait!

So what’s the solution? I won’t lie and say turning commissions away is easy. Unless it’s work that’s completely out of your area of expertise, of course. But if you’re trying to establish yourself as a certain type of artist, you never will until you focus all of your attention on that one thing. Weigh your options carefully, figure out what you really want, and go from there. If it has to do with whether or not you should rush a job in order to accept more work, the answer is simple. Don’t.

Further Reading:

Quality Control Check: Your Name is on the Line!