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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?
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3 Comments
the_sam
the_sam1mo 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.
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black.joel
black.joel1mo 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.
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the_pat
the_pat1mo ago
Ugh, that's the worst feeling. @black.joel is right about that weird rule, it's always the main tool. I had my keyboard die mid-game once and had to use the on-screen one to finish. How do you even backup your work now?
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