Wait @river_wright you seriously had that happen back in '14? That's wild. I've been in this industry long enough to know how much of a nightmare a steam drum failure can be. Keeping spare gaskets in the truck sounds like a smart move though. Crazy how something so small can save you from a total shutdown. I bet you've had some close calls since then that paid off big time.

A watermark still on it? That's wild, I would've lost my mind right there. Bro got paid to give you a preview file and dipped.

Bigger screws would've torn the drywall out without an anchor. Wall anchors work fine for light stuff but they still pull through if someone leans on the shelf. Dowels grab more material and hold better over time if you drill them in right.

Monthly fits are good but that daily check is what saves you when you're in a hurry. Had a guy swear his seal was fine until I had him lean over and blow on the mirror trick. Always do that little test before you step foot on the floor.

Actually a buddy of mine went through almost the exact same thing. He was a freelance illustrator and lost his main gig with a big publishing house that paid him like $1,500 a month for two years straight. He panicked for a month, thought about quitting art completely and became a store clerk for a bit. But then he started posting his sketches on Twitter just for fun, and a small indie game company reached out to him out of the blue. Now he makes more than before working with them part time, and he told me losing that first client forced him to try new things he wouldn't have otherwise. What was the tipping point for you deciding to stick with design or not?