Tail End of this Puppy

Yawn (because it's 11:44pm, not because I was bored with the project). Finally put my book illustration puppy to bed tonight. Some observations I recalled today about book illustration deadlines. The final 24 hours are obviously the most stressful but it's also when the proverbial matrix spits out a wealth of distractions and demands on your time. Felt like I was fighting off people who wanted my undivided attention, to the point of locking myself in my room and slapping a "On deadline...disturbing me would qualify as a bad move on your part" sign on my door. Oddly, I answered my phone. People who don't illustrate books for publishing houses don't get this. We all have our respective pressures, but in my little world, this kind of project is up there with the big boys. Members of the "setback committee" include Telkom and my failed ADSL line for 3 days. Which meant no research online. Bliksem.

Even though I've put the illustration pile in an envelope addressed to the artwork controller, the adrenalin is still coursing its way through my system here. Admittedly, I was so distracted with the polishing up and scanning of the artwork I almost forgot to invoice my client!

Now there's an interesting point. When I forget for a fleeting moment that I need to send an invoice with the artwork, it brings home to me why I do this. Because I love it. This is a client I've had since 2003. No complications or delays with these people. It's always been simple - they give me the brief, I do the artwork, they send a driver to collect it, I invoice them, they pay me. No comebacks, just about no changes, I've never been late with a deadline for them with the exception of a request for an additional 24 hours on one...don't we artists wish all our clients were like that? Sigh. These are the kind of clients I'll work through the night for, they can phone me with an urgent deadline and expect it yesterday and I'll do it.

Here's to the good clients...the ones who are professional, don't piff paff around and pay up on time. And well.