Hobby To Hustle Podcast · Gemma Dillon & Candace Lam

Why we quit commissions | Ep. 19

·47 min·3 clips

A first commission led to tears after an eight-hour rush order and a rejected proof.

1. Hobby Turstle Podcast episode 19 focuses on why Gemma and Candice quit commissions. 2. Gemma is a calligrapher and Candice worked on motorcycle decals for helmets and motorcycles through Koku Island. 3. The episode asks whether commissions are worth it when they offer flexibility, demand, and creative pressure. 4. Gemma says her calligraphy commissions included wedding speeches, memorial poems, and a poem about a dog. 5. Candice says her commissions involved motorcycle decals and custom artwork, and she was the only person in her local area doing it. 6. Gemma and Candice both say they are no longer offering commissions, even though they still see value in the niche. 7. Gemma describes commissions as sentimental because they often marked weddings, memorials, birthdays, and family reunions. 8. Candice contrasts that with helmet work that was usually about customising something for the owner rather than gifting it. 9. Both hosts say commissions can be easy to start because the materials are limited and the work can be shown in a portfolio. 10. Candice points out that calligraphy, digital art, decal making, and tattoo artwork can all sit under commission work. 11. Gemma says she did not enjoy calligraphy seating charts and received terrible feedback on her first attempt. 12. Candice says clients often wanted designs that ignored the shape of a helmet, such as horizontal stripes on a round surface. 13. Gemma says commissions became stressful because clients could request many amendments and because proofs needed careful checking. 14. Candice explains that she used long written explanations of rates, includes, and exclusions to reduce confusion. 15. Gemma says a £150 piece took her eight hours, involved a spelling mistake, and ended with a rejected order. 16. She also says the experience taught her to double-check proofs word by word instead of trusting her brain to read silently. 17. The episode has a conversational, back-and-forth format with the hosts correcting each other and adding examples in real time. 18. The tone shifts between practical business advice, frustration, and humour about being a booked-up creative. 19. Creatives weighing commission work, side income, or niche pricing will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a polished interview or a short answer may skip it. 21. Gemma is the host who says her calligraphy commissions included wedding speeches and memorial poems. 22. Candice is the host who explains motorcycle decal commissions and the pressure of helmet design. 23. The main hook is that a £150 commission can still be underpriced when it takes eight hours and causes hand cramps. 24. Candice says motorcycle commissions were often custom work on black-and-white helmets and dealership apparel. 25. Gemma says commission work can still be useful for people who want to pick their own schedule. 26. Candice says commissions can become a vetting process when clients keep proposing impossible ideas. 27. Gemma says she now tells clients her commissions are closed and redirects them to other artists. 28. Candice says she learned to charge more only after realizing how much time and stress the work actually took. 29. The hosts treat boundaries, proofing, and pricing as the main tools for staying sane. 30. Their central argument is that commissions can work, but only when the artist controls the scope, price, and workload.

As heard by us

A practical look at how commissions can become a heavy time commitment.

Gemma and Candice approach commissions with a grounded, practical eye. They keep coming back to the slow back-and-forth, the hours lost to revisions, and the need for clearer boundaries around policies, rates, and extra charges.

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Why you'd press play

If commissions keep eating your time, this one will feel painfully familiar.

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