Hello, community!
I need your opinion on something because I can’t understand how can you do that 
(Or maybe I’m just dumb.)
In short the situation is:
An amazing editor posted on her Insta story at the start of this year that she will do a few free edits. I was one of the people who got lucky. I sent her everything, we chatted. But then she started ignoring me, not answering when I asked about the progress as I needed that scene in my story.
A couple days ago I finally had enough and posted on my Instgram people who I haven’t received an art/edit from. The specific editor finally responded asking why she’s in there.
I explained everything without using censored words or angry language. (I told her practically everything that is on here)
The answer I received in short was:
It doesn’t matter if you waited months because it was free. If I didn’t wanna finish it, I could. it is what it is. Obviously you don’t understand that I was busy. I don’t have to give any explanation to you. I don’t have to answer you. I don’t have to apologize because I didn’t give you something for free.
So my question to you all are:
If you post on your story that you wanna do a few free requests, get people that would like to receive them And then just say I didn’t have to explain everything as it was free,
Is it ok?
Is it ok to only care about money and not give a damn about anything else? I just want to understand this because I have been drawing for free for 2 years and kindness is the biggest payment for me. I do it because I like to and not because I’m addicted to money. There hasn’t been a time I have ignored someone. Even if I couldn’t complete the request, I texted people, so they know that they don’t need to wait on something that will never be ready.
Oh, and I did gave her time - 7 months.
Your thoughts?
Is this ok?
- This is not ok!
- This is ok.
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Sounds like you had an agreement with her that she reneged on. Doesn’t matter if it was free or paid for.
If she was having issues then she should have contacted you months ago.
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I think no matter if that’s a free request (as here, an edit) or a paid commission (art or smth else), communication is key. If someone can’t do the work that they’re supposed to do (either because you paid them or they agreed/offered their services for free), they should at least say something. “I don’t owe you an explanation” isn’t the best approach in any case. I’d rather hear in the first week or two that someone can’t do the thing they agreed to (and get a refund if that was a pre-paid commission or find someone else) than wait months for something that won’t happen at the end of the day.
Everyone is busy these days, and it’s understandable, but there should be information regardless and a simple “hey, unfortunately, I can’t fulfill that request/commission, so we have to cancel it” to avoid any confusion, tension, or unnecessary bad blood.
And before someone picks “it was a free request” - I’m saying that from both perspectives (as I was requesting/asking for edits in the past and as a person who commissions a lot and there were different situations). If someone is agreeing to do smth, but they’re busy and they can’t fulfill it on time or at all, I want to know. Because at the end of the day, you can easily find someone who will do that for you instead, and the problem is solved on both sides. I was ignored even by people that I commissioned (pre-paid/half-paid or was supposed to pay after receiving), and it’s never a nice feeling, no matter if money is involved or not.
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Honestly, thank you @jar_output_error and @Mi_writes for responding. 
I have been thinking all day if the community changed that much or I’m just dumb. But after I asked a few friends and classmates, they went with the same thing you both - that she should have let me know.
If needed I can provide the convo too, but her part was in voice message so I just rewrote it before. If someone want to know who it was.
lana.augustine . On Instagram.
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Hey @KikiMoon,
No you’re not dumb. This can happen to anybody. I totally agree with @jar_output_error and @Mi_writes, communication is the key AND this sounds as you had an agreement with her that she recalled.
I understand why you have agreed with free art. I’ve the same issues, not all the money of the world, so yes I get it. But in my case I befriended some cute nice artists that didn’t mind to make a free art-scene for me, which I definitely credit in my stories.
It’s cruel you became the victim of a scam (or a rude artist), I feel for you. The best thing you can do is search on this forum for other artists with free art (they are more trustful than artists on Instagram or Facebook, to my opinion. 
) And please warn friends and co-authors for her, so they don’t become her victim also.
For the rest: heads up, keep on writing and don’t hesitate asking for help.
Love A-W
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Hey, Angel.
Well, she asked, I just answered 
I like to get free art if it’s possible because I don’t even have an acc yet.
Right now, I don’t need a new art as this story is on hold, but thank you for suggestion! I’m an artist too and my besties also, but I usually like to try out new ones : )
I posted on my Insta story as I wrote. That’s why I got the answer from her. But a few more friends reached out to me saying they got into exact situation with her, just didn’t do anything about it.
I will always! Thank you so much!
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@Sydney_H you can close the thread!
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