Product vs. Commissions: Finding Balance as an Artist
Being an artist is tricky business. You want to create what you love—what inspires you—but at the same time, you need to make a living. The phrase “starving artist” didn’t come out of nowhere.
So how do you avoid becoming one?
For most artists, sustainability comes down to balancing two primary revenue streams: product and commissions. Each comes with its own set of challenges, but when approached intentionally, they can work together to support both your creative practice and your financial well-being—without leading straight to burnout.
What Is Product?
Product is anything you create for broader, repeatable appeal. For many traditional artists, this often means prints of original work, or artwork applied to items like bookmarks, mugs, or other home goods. These pieces are typically quicker to produce, priced lower than originals, and accessible to a wider audience.
For pyrography artists, however, product can be more complicated.
One of the biggest draws of pyrography is that it exists on wood. While I—like many pyrographers—do offer prints, they simply don’t generate the same level of demand as prints do for painters or illustrators. You can increase interest by offering limited editions, numbered runs, or certificates of authenticity, but at the end of the day, most customers want the real thing: burned wood.
For me, product means scaling my artwork down, not removing it from its medium.
That looks like creating smaller pieces—vases, magnets, bookmarks, earrings, ornaments—items that require less time and detail than my larger works but still carry the same aesthetic and craftsmanship. These pieces create a comfortable middle ground for customers: more accessible than large originals, but still unmistakably handmade.
This approach is especially effective during the holidays, when people are shopping for ornaments and mid-range gifts for friends and family.
Making Product Feel Personal
One way I set my product apart is through light personalization. Even though these items are made ahead of time, I often leave room for a name, a short phrase, or an unfinished back where the buyer can add their own message.
This small touch makes a big difference.
It adds authenticity and prevents the work from feeling mass-produced, while still allowing me to maintain efficiency. Because each piece is hand-burned, it retains the uniqueness and charm of my larger works—just at a smaller scale.
What About Commissions?
Ask almost any artist, and you’ll hear the same thing: commissions are both the best and the worst part of the job.
On the positive side, commissions are powerful. People don’t always want something “off the shelf.” They want something personal—something original that reflects them. Commissions give clients the ability to influence the design, style, and overall feel of a piece, and they’re often willing to pay more for that experience.
The downside is that you’re no longer the sole voice in the creative process.
Once a piece becomes a commission, it becomes a shared vision between you and the buyer. Clients may suggest ideas you wouldn’t normally pursue—or, in some cases, ideas you actively dislike. While you always have the right to stand your ground (they hired you for your artistic vision, after all), doing so can sometimes create tension or even cost you the sale.
I personally love doing commissions. I love working with someone closely, getting to know them to bring their piece to fruition. Most commissions bring me great joy. I may not be the sole voice in the creation, but I thrive off the collaboration. Sometimes it gives me ideas that I use in my future work. I firmly believe in the idea that a client came to YOU because they saw something in your work that called to them, and that’s why they chose you to create the piece. Most clients I have had have a main idea sparking my creativity and they give me creative freedom to create the piece based on their idea.
I think that one thing that you need to remember is that you have creative freedom to accept or decline a commission. I always speak to a client about the piece they would like before I accept the job. It’s probably the second question asked after “Do you do commissions?” If it’s not a piece that I would otherwise do, a subject matter that I do not like, not in my wheelhouse, etc I decline the job there. I may or may not offer another artist to take the job. The stress of doing a job that doesn’t make me happy, or I simply do not want to do is not worth any amount of money the client can pay me (truly, the price I would name to “make it worth it” to me would not be a price most people would pay.)
Finding the Middle Ground
The key is transparency.
Be upfront about your process. Clearly communicate what you’re flexible on and what you’re not. It’s far better to lose a commission early than to push through weeks of uncomfortable revisions only to risk losing the sale later.
In my experience, most clients appreciate honesty. When expectations are set clearly from the beginning, people tend to be respectful of both the process and the artist behind the work. I explain to my potential clients my process: getting their information, email with details that need confirmation, mock-ups that need emailed approval or emailed revision requests. I give them timelines: when they can expect the order confirmation email from me (which has the order details, customer details, and other important details), when they can expect the finished product: <insert number of days> from the email approved mock-up. I keep them informed at all stages. I tend to send pics through the stages (which of course is NOT mandatory, but seems to please most clients especially if it’s a bigger piece.) I’m honest about delays, and I try to let them know as early as possible.
So… What Should You Be Doing?
There’s no single right answer—but there is a strategy.
Use product to create steady, lower-pressure income that reaches a broad audience and keeps your work accessible. Use commissions selectively, at a pace and structure that protects your creative energy and artistic voice.
The goal isn’t to choose one over the other—it’s to let each serve a purpose. When balanced thoughtfully, product and commissions can support your business and give you the freedom to keep making the art you love. Some people do commissions and charge higher prices. But they do less of these. On the interim, in between commissions they make product and do small markets to supplement their income. It’s up to you to find the balance that works best for your business.
