Don't Lose Site of the Prize, but it's OK to take another rout!

When I first set out to become rich and famous before I die, I had decided to paint nice landscapes and fantasy art and sell them to people all across the country. As time went by I would get more collectors and fans, and I would slowly raise my prices until I could support myself with my art alone.
   Things haven't quite worked out that way. I needed to change things up a little.
   About ten years ago, I painted a picture of this fellow's house to give to his wife. He's a design engineer, and a damned good one. But he has no taste in art. When I presented it, I was shocked: He hated it. Imagine that! That never happened to me before. But he really didn't like it. I had to rework it several times. The colors weren't right because my camera didn't catch them accurately. Actually, the colors were OK, but he didn't like how the sunlight changed the color of the house. Since he was a design engineer, and demanded extreme accuracy, he scrutinized my perspective. I had to give him a lesson in vanishing points and how lines recede in the distance to these vanishing points (as opposed to isometric views, which look like perspective, but the lines are all receding at 45 degrees instead of converging at a single point). When he was finally satisfied, he gave me an extra $25 for my troubles!
   Later, he asked me about painting his kids. I turned him down. You can understand why.
  After that, I decided not to do commissions. I was disgusted. I let this guy turn me off. I let him get me down. After awhile, I became disgusted with myself for letting him control me. So I decided to accept commissions again.
    Still, I wanted to paint what I wanted to create and let people come and buy from me. It's much more fun! I did a few commissions here and there, but mostly I created on my own.
    Last year I finished up the second commission for one of my best clients, the small business owner and marketer of Hycreek Hunting Clothes and Gear. He asked me how my marketing was going. I admitted it was slow and expensive. He asked me how people were finding my site. I told him Google ads and Facebook ads, but they were slow and expensive as well. Then he asked me a life changing question: Why didn't I market my self as a commission artist? The first thing I thought of was the design engineer's house. Then I got mad at myself again! A painting I did ten years ago was NOT going to control me!!
   So I set up another Google campaign, this one focused specifically on commissions. I also reworked ArtofJohnFrench.com to provide an easy way for users to contact me about commissions, as well as to highlight the commissions I've done. I'm developing this strategy further.
   Guess what: It has worked!  I've made a lot more money on commission work this year than existing work sales last year!
   I've not lost sight of the prize, I've only adjusted the rout I'm taking to get to it!