Before contracts, invoices, and “net 30” terms, artists had to protect themselves. No paperwork, no legal teams—just a handshake and a promise. And promises? They were broken all the time.
So, artists got smart.
One of the best methods? Milestone payments. Instead of painting an entire fresco and hoping they’d get paid, artists would start with a sketch or a small panel. If the patron paid for that, they’d move forward. No payment? No more work. Simple.
Fast forward a few centuries, and deposits became the standard in law, construction, and high-value services. You don’t get a lawyer without a retainer. You don’t get a house without a down payment. Yet, for some reason, creative work—the thing that literally fuels businesses—still gets treated like an afterthought.
The Client Who Ghosted Me (And Why I Didn’t Care)
A while back, a client reached out, excited to work together. I was happy to help. We talked through their problem, I asked a lot of questions, and once I had a clear picture, I sent over a proposal explaining exactly how I’d solve it. They agreed—great.
Then, the usual routine kicked in. A couple of extra emails, like they assumed I was already working. But here’s the deal—work doesn’t start until the deposit lands.
Because that deposit says, “Hey, I trust you, and you can trust me. Let’s do this.”
So, they paid. I did the work, sent it over.
And then? Silence.
At dinner, my partner asked, “How’s X client?”
I shrugged, “They ghosted.”
Maybe they got busy. Maybe the problem wasn’t as urgent. Maybe life happened. Who knows?
What I do know is—I don’t care.
That’s the beauty of the deposit. It’s not about saving money—it’s about saving time. If I ghost, they’re only out half. If I did the work and they disappear, I still got paid for the effort.
And if they come back in a month? No problem. The deposit wasn’t just for work—it was for peace of mind. Happy to start back up.
If you're a creative, you’ve probably been there before and I hope it was as much of a non-issue as this was for me. Someone reaches out, excited about working with you.
And since you love what you do, you start.