Builders,textures and the dishwasher approach.

I haven't had much time to write on here lately, mostly because I am becoming very busy with building something in SL..plus I resumed teaching after the Christmas break and despite loving it, it just makes me want to jump in bed right after the bell rings. Oh well, my night owl days are over....kinda over, lol.

My passion for building is growing anyway, and I can't stop dreaming of building whatever comes in my mind when I wake up in the morning. This attitude doesn't match well with my renowned 'dishwasher approach' in anything I do. I am sure some of you know what I am talking about, that is....I hate instruction manuals. When it comes to learn how to make the new dishwasher work for the first time, I prefer just to press the 'ON' button and wait for something/anything to happen, rather than go sit in the lounge and read the 234 pages instruction manual, safety precautions included. So, same for building in Second Life. I have been given hint notecards, shortcuts manuals, starter's guides from my builder friends but never read any. It's crazy, I know. I just click on the build button and start learning by experience.
Plus, lately I have been focusing on just ONE project, and of course it's the hardest one to achieve.

So hard that I want to complete it as soon as possible, lol. I know I can make it all by myself, as one of the few things I don't lack is optimism. But after the initial boost of confidence, I have come to the conclusion that I need at least a little help in dealing with the textures I need. Building is fun, no matter what you do. You make things right, and you 're happy. You screw everything up, and you 're happy anyway, 'cause at least it gives you a smile and after all, you can't screw things up twice in a row (or can I? lol).
But textures, TEXTURES are BITCHES!! Textures don't forgive. No second chance, nothing left to do when you 've uploaded the wrong one than spend another half hour searching for the good one, hoping it will be THE good one. You have no time to look at how beautiful your linked prims are, when you're rushed to make them appear as something more than a few wooden cubes glued together in such an unpredictable shape.
So, I thought maybe I could get professional help..lol. Time to pay for your dreams, Midd. I contacted some famous builders/custom texture designers, helped by the endless patience of my dear friend Rohana, and it's not making things easier at all.
As Rohana said, being a talented builder herself, "In Second Life there is no worst bitch than a builder, me included". I didn't give it much credit at first, but now I think

I should, lol. What's wrong with you guys?? This is just simply wearing me out. All of them, and I say ALL of them, have put me through the same tiring process of a corporate job interview. And no, I didn't play the part of the interviewer.

So here's a short explanation of what I need to be done. I will put it here, so next time I can redirect you guys here, instead of spending another couple of hours in lagging IM windows. :

1) Yes, I DO need custom textures. Custom made, for me means, made appositely for me, from scratch. Custom made, for me, means that you have to launch you photoshoppy thingee and hit "Create New File". New file, blank sheet of paper, and start working on it.

2) Yes, I will provide you with RL pictures explaining precisely what I'd like the final result to be. But I don't want you to use those same pictures to actually create the texture. I can do that myself with Microsoft Paint, it wouldn't even need Photoshop. You look at the picture I give to you, and then start drawing the texture the best you can, to make it look as real as possible. You think you can do it? Then, do it. You can't do it? Then tell me.

3)Yes, I know such a thing requires a lot of work. Yes I know it's a hard work. Yes I know it's not quite like the simplest thing you 've ever made in your career. But please, tell me how much it will cost. I am not asking the precise amount, I just want to have an indication.

4)No, I won't place a big order at first. I want to know the average cost per 'unit'. As in, one texture costs....and then make the count myself. You don't need to know how big my Sim is, you don't need to know how many textures I need, you don't need to ask ME how much I would spend for it. I want you to make a first (paid)work sample so that I can judge and eventually consider if you are worth my trust for the remaining parts of the job.

5) Yes, I agree you may need some time to think about it. But If you call yourself a custom texture maker, I guess you know that people come to you when they have no other option left, and that they have already spent a while searching for "normal" textures. So please, think about it, but think quick.

6)Yes, I know you are obviously busy right at this moment. You are building half a dozen other sims, you deal with Im hell as well, but please make some sense of what you're saying. I am the one asking, I am the customer, so please reduce your 'diva' attitude to the first couple of minutes in the convo and then go straight to the point..."WILL YOU FRIGGIN DO THE JOB FOR ME OR WHAT?????"

7) Yes I know my profile shows 'No payment info on file". This is none of your business. It's mine. Just please tell me how much you cost, do a good job and you'll get the money. The end, lol.

oh, please tell me guys, am I asking for too much?? ;)