When I was little, as in very little, like six years old little, my step mother decided that I lacked etiquette and enrolled me, her own daughter, and my older sister into an etiquette class. During these classes I learned to walk, sit, and eat properly, among other things. I am not so sure they had a very lasting or even immediate effect, but it was my first real experience with the idea that there is a polite way and an impolite way to doing things.
This brings me to a short list of impolite and polite ways to deal with a craftsman (I am using this term, instead of artist because I feel that this list can be applied to people of a craft. Ex: stylists, plumbers, photographers, painters, website designers, etc.)
Impolite:
1. It is impolite to assume that a craftsman is willing to preform their craft for free, for you, because you are family or a friend. It took me years to realize that this was rude. I mean a free haircut is great, right? But was it really free for the person who cut your hair? No, no it wasn't. A free painting is awesome, but was it free for the person who painted it? No, it super wasn't. Is it awesome that my sister takes all of our family photos for free because she is a kickass photographer (link to her page is here), yeah, yeah it is, but is it free for her? No, and I feel horrible about this and am going to try to rectify it.
Only recently I have come up with a new rule for myself. If I ask you if I can paint a painting for you, it is free. If you ask me if I can paint a painting for you, it is not. Grandma included.
2. It is impolite, upon finding what type of craftsman the person you are talking to is, to immediately say something demeaning about said craft. Telling a hairstylist or an interior design person that you think people who spend a lot of money on such things are vain and silly isn't the nicest thing you could have said to them. They are most likely proud of their work and do not feel that they are vain or silly.
My sister-in-law is a good example of this. Upon telling her what type of art I would like to paint, animal portraits, she went off for a good fifteen minutes about how weird people are for putting up paintings of their animals, how she would never do it, how she doesn't understand the relationships people develop with their pets, etc etc.
3. It is impolite to ask a craftsman how much money they make at their craft. The assumption that they are just hobbyists is not a nice one.
Polite:
1. Is it polite to ask a craftsman for their website solely because you are curious? Yes. Will said craftsman assume that you are going to pay them to do something for you? No, well... they may hope.
2. Is it polite to give a craftsman advice on how to market themselves? Yes, and usually super wanted, but only if you actually have real, good, "this could help you" advice.
3. Is it polite to tell other people about said craftsman, especially when they are family? Yes! You should be pushing your friends and family their way as much as possible, but only if said family member is actually any good. Is it impolite not to? Yes.
And now, I descend from my soap box.
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