We all want to have the best assignments and commissions that are right for you. But how do we work out what commissions will be like before we say yes? Today on Thriving Women Artists, Sarah, Ping and Dorien will be talking you through how they choose who to work with and which projects appeal to them and why.   KEY TAKEAWAYS For Sarah the first thing she thinks about is money. Does the assignment pay well? Are you being attached to a big to a big company who will help get your name out there? Is there good exposure? For Dorien, money or the exposure isn’ the first thing she thinks about. She asks if it fits within her vision of the world and if the topic connects with her. For Ping she has a checklist with a scale where she rates the pay, the reputation of the company, whether she will get to be experimental with her art, etc. And if the number that scale adds up to is below a certain level, then it’s not a commission she would find worthwhile. It’s a scientific and emotional way of looking at it. If you only ever say yes to the commissions from charities that will make you feel good, you won’t actually be making very much money or sometimes no money at all. It’s not selfish to put yourself first as an artist. The best assignment isn’t what other people think, it’s all about what you think is best for you at that time. If you evaluate afterwards you will find out if that type of assignment was right for you and if you should do it again at that stage of your career.   BEST MOMENTS ‘I think I worry about what other people are going to say about my decision’ ‘Our best assignments change depending on what stage we are at, at that moment’ ‘Timing is so important, if I had this assignment too early I couldn’t have handled it’ ‘Struggle builds up our resistance’   ABOUT THE PODCAST A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam.  This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people. www.thrivingwomenartists.com www.instagram.com/twapodcast    ABOUT THE HOSTS   Ping He Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline. www.pinghe.art [email protected] www.instagram.com/pinghe.art   Sarah van Dongen Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life. www.sarahvandongen.com [email protected] www.instagram.com/sarahvandongenillustrations   Dorien Bellaar: Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art. www.dorienbellaar.nl [email protected] www.instagram.com/dorienbellaar See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.