#polite communication is important

(A while, as in several months+)

It’s perfectly alright, imo, to take your time with commissions.  Most of your commissioners will probably understand that and be prepared for it: After all, people are generally aware that most of you do commissions on top of a day job, are struggling with real life issues or simply took on a lot of commissions to begin with. And people want their commissions to turn out nice and not rushed, so most are entirely willing to wait quite a while.

What’s not so great: If you give zero signs of life after taking on those commissions. Communication is key.

You don’t have to give daily updates, not even weekly, as far as I’m concerned. But if you take commissions and then just simply turn inactive for months with one little status update at the most thrown in and then going back to silence? That’s not good. Especially if you have a payment-up-front policy, and even more so if you have fairly high prices. Because getting paid that money (and maybe even directly spending that money for all to see on your social media sites) and never comunicating with the people who gave you that money? That will make even the most good-natured commissioner leery after several months of radio silence on your part.

Are there entitled people who are pushy and rude about commissions? Absolutely. Those aren’t the people I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the pleasant, patient people, who spend money on art, money they often have to save up themselves, and who deserve at least a few small updates on what’s happening with the thing they paid you for.

I’m not telling you to work faster, nor am I saying that you are frauds who try to scam people. Most people who wonder about those commissions they paid for don’t think that, either. I’m just urging you to communicate. For everyone’s sake.