My tablet driver crashed right before a big commission deadline

I was finishing a character piece for a client in Seattle, about 3 hours from the due date. Suddenly my screen froze and the pen pressure stopped working, leaving these jagged lines across the whole piece. I spent 45 minutes trying to reinstall the driver while my heart was pounding. Ended up having to export the file and finish the linework on my old laptop with a mouse, which felt awful. The client liked it, but I know it could've been better. Anyone else have their gear fail at the worst possible time and how'd you handle it?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sam5d ago

You said the client liked it, but you know it could've been better. Honestly, I see that as a win. The gear failed and you still got it done on time with a mouse, that's pretty solid problem solving. In my experience, clients rarely notice the tiny details we beat ourselves up over. They got a finished piece they were happy with, and that's what pays the bills.

black.joel5d ago

Ever notice how the tools we rely on the most seem to break at the exact worst moment? It happens with everything, not just art gear. Your car makes a weird noise before a road trip, or the internet drops right when you need to submit something. It feels like a weird rule of the universe. The real skill isn't having perfect gear, it's being able to switch to plan B under pressure, which you totally did. Getting it done with a mouse is honestly more impressive than if everything had just worked.