Why I Pay for Fanart Commissions

Yeah.

So, I did it again.

I commissioned an artist for a fanart piece.

I recently read a post on POMEgranate Magazine that perfectly encapsulated my feelings on fanart.

Yes, I AM a grown woman. Yes, I DO have a disposable income. Yes, I AM just a big ol’ fangirl at heart.

Thinking of all the times I’ve commissioned people for fanart, it’s safe to say this is now an addiction.

The first time I did it, it was for a fanfic I was writing, a Hey Arnold! x Puella Magi Madoka Magica crossover.

I loved it so much that I did it again a few years later.

I also commissioned fanart for fanfiction that I didn’t even write, but respected and loved immensely. Here’s the commissioned piece for a Hey Arnold! x Men in Black crossover called “Project Phi-B” (in hindsight, I think I just really vibe with crossover ideas).

Then I commissioned someone to make an image for my Wattpad page when I was striving to write 50,000 words before Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie premiered.

And finally, I just commissioned someone for Sailor Helga fanart because I felt like it. I wasn’t writing fanfiction anymore, but I still wanted to see the characters I envisioned in my mind made manifest. And so here we are, with my latest paid commission:

A lot of you may think that it’s weird. Me, a grown-ass woman, paying my hard-earned dollars for a bunch of cartoon drawings.

It’s an unusual addiction to have, to be sure. But I also think the act of paying for commissions is an absolutely justifiable one. Here are my three reasons for paying artists for commissions:

1. You Support Creatives

The starving artist is not just a trope; the arts and culture are still a very undervalued and underappreciated industry in our society. When you pay someone else to create artwork, you are financially supporting their talents and their efforts.

It’s so important to show that you value a creative’s work. That’s why I’m so adamant that writers value themselves and insist on getting paid for their time.

Don’t do guest commissions! If you’re going to write for free, you might as well post on Medium, on Vocal Media, or on your own personal website.

2. You Get Something That Truly Makes You Happy

YOLO, am I right?

We only have one life to live: why live it in constant fear of what other people think?

Why worry if people think it’s weird you like combining two different properties for your own enjoyment?

If it’s not hurting anyone, then have at it. You do you. OWN YOUR WEIRD.

3. Art Inspires

The most important reason for supporting art commissions is explained by actor Bill Murray in the following clip:

In the clip, Bill Murray discusses how viewing a particular piece of artwork convinced him to not commit suicide.

Can you imagine? A creation that someone brought to life…inspiring another to keep their own life?

It’s crazy. It’s incredible. It’s the true, transformative power of art.

Art has the ability to inspire. It inspires children to write stories, it inspires broken adults to continue living for at least one more day.

Art has this weird, psychic aspect to it. Hear me out: it’s got this ability for an individual to extract what’s in his/her/their mind onto a page/canvas/tablet/etc. for others to receive and interpret in their own unique, beautiful way.

It’s the closest thing we have to actual telepathy. It’s like a telepathic game of telephone. Art is amazing!

I’ve constantly been inspired by fanart.

Fanartist CTW36 created of series of artwork where the characters of Hey Arnold! were turned into tarot cards. I loved them so much I wrote an entire Princess Bride-esque fantasy fanfic, creatively titled “The Hey Arnold!: Fantasy Adventure Epic”. All the artwork can be viewed within the chapters.

I have been very vocal about my love and support of fanart and fan artists. I even did an episode about fanart during my Vacant Lot Podcast days (you can listen to it here):

And I will continue to support fan artists, and the quirky people such as myself who pay for commissions.

Because you never know: your quirky, weird artwork idea may not only give a person the financial support to pay next month’s rent, it may also bring another person out of a deep, dark place.

So don’t judge. INSPIRE.

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Sylvie is a dual American/Canadian citizen living in Toronto, Canada. She has written for numerous sites, including Screen Rant, The Spool and Midnight & Indigo. Sylvie is currently writing her first YA novel; follow her writing journey at https://sylviesoul.com and @sylvsoulwriter on Twitter.