I like to see self-conscious artists like you. You know what condition you need to be creative and to create your art. You know that you want to work with the client and not only for the client. You probably need a free hand in details (this is what I understood from your text).
I think it's unrealistic that there is so much pressure put on artists. Everyone works differently and the inspiration doesn't necessary comes every day so how you are supposed to be able to produce 7 collections a year? Is this still art or does it change into mass production?
I think we should not overwork our creatives as this is when we lose them. Creativity is not something what can be forced. If you have a period that you can't create well you can't create..
I wish you a lot of happy projects and clients who will understand you and the way you work :)
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Thank you for your thoughts and wishes @delishtreats! You're really right that overworking our creatives hurts everyone in the long run because we as a society lose out when we lose them. And I agree that 7 collections a year turns a designer into a machine and there is no way to do quality in that kind of quantity so again we all suffer as a society! Better to have one knock-out and innovative collection than 7 so-so ones.