I have been decorating on my own, just your typical character pan type cakes, for about 5 or 6 years. Just self taught, nothing spectacular, but not too terrible either. Finally this year I started taking the Wilton courses and I have done fairly well. I thought I was getting more confident, I was ready to start making cakes for people. Then last week someone asked me if I could do a birthday cake and suggested I might need do a wedding shower as well. This is what I have been waiting, and practing, for, right? But the more I think about it the worse my nerves get, the lower my confidence goes, and I am seriously doubting myself and my work!
I don't know how to put my question into words really, this may sound stupid...but does that feeling ever go away? lol Does it get any easier? I know we are our own worst critics but I look at my cakes and I think they are "okay" until I think about making one for someone else. I would love to do cakes on a fairly regular basis but I just don't know if my nerves can handle this. 
How do you deal with the nerves, build up your confidence? I know practice will make it better but then I think maybe my pesky perfectionist nature will never let me be totally confident in my abilities. 
Any advice from you seasoned pros?
Anya
Ok. I have work in many bakeries and trust me, not even their cakes are perfect. Just make sure you can do what you say you can and you should be fine. If you feel up to it take it up a knotch with each cake. You need to try new things with each cake so if you think you can do it go for it. i still get that feeling all the time but when you get the final product and see how much they like it it's all worth it. If you still don't think your ready try taking paid orders from friends and family first. Then as you gain confidence, from other people. Just remember that if you don't try you will never know if your good enough. Once you get more practice as you go you will be glad you did.
I am not a seasoned pro by any means but I know what you mean. I have had a look at your photos and I think you should take confidence from the number of people who have your cakes in their favorites. I love the igloo cake.
I must admit that I only really do cakes for family & friends and I include a disclaimer that I will do my best but it might have to be adapted to suit my skills! To date everyone has said they were happy.
Good luck and remember CC is always here for tips and support.
Panda
I just took a look at your pics and they are great. You should be really proud of yourself and know that you can do anything that you put your mind to. You do have ability you just need the confidence. Once you start selling to real customers you will hear all those compliments that you need to keep going. Don't waste that talent.
Okay, girl! Your cakes are AWESOME!!!! You have nothing to worry about.
I sure wish that I was as good as you are! I'm still afraid to try fondant and I've been doing them for about 6 months now! I'm just now experimenting with different flavors and fillings and frostings!! You really do have talent! Don't ever doubt yourself!
I've never seen a really good decorator who wasn't a perfectionist.
For many years I wouldn't let anyone pay me for a cake because if it was free, they couldn't complain. Not anymore. Now if they don't like it, they just don't have to order from me again.
I still worry about every cake I send out and I'm sure right up until the moment they tell me they love it, that they're going to hate it.
I've finally just decided to accept that this is how it is for me and try not to go crazy in the process.
Your cakes are gorgeous and you are very talented. You have nothing to worry about...but you still will. I think we all do.
Btw...I see you're from Oklahoma too! I hope you're not too close, I can't begin to compete with your cakes! 
I wonder the same thing myself! I've decorated cakes for a long time, and as much as I continually impress myself with my patience during cake disasters or even just cakes I'm not 100% happy with... I always wonder if that anxiety will ever go away. That stress, and especially the times where the image in my head is just so much better than that I actually produce.
That said, I really think the frustrating moments are worth the joy, and if you're anything like me... you won't WANT it to completely go away! If you think you've mastered something, there's so little incentive to keep trying to be better. Every cake decorator needs a little perfectionism and even just a little bit of the neurotic feeling to keep them going. Try to focus on the good things...
I know from my little experience, though, that orders in particular do get easier, and I've been doing it for others only about a year. I sent out an order today I was absolutely NOT happy with, but I realized it was a learning experience and that it doesn't really matter if these people think I'm the second coming of Colette Peters or not. I'm doing this for me, because I love it, and there are plenty of people who are made happy through my cakes. If they don't like it, okay, I be making a cake for them again. But I still have what I learned from it and I'll have plenty of cake orders in the future. For me, the more orders I did, the more zen I was able to be about it. Keep your chin up, that part definitely gets better. 
And by the way, your cakes are just gorgeous! I just added the black and white one to my favorites, I absolutely love it. And your roses are just incredible!
Let me put on record 1st, I'm not a seasoned professional by any means.
Now in saying that , I looked at your pics and you should feel great knowing you are great. What you think you can't do now, you'll probably master in no time. The jitters, some have gone away for me but then I still get jitters with other types of cakes. Sometimes, I think it really comes from the type of customer I'm dealing with. I've come to really know some customers to the point that they don't care what type of cake I do for them because they trust me that much. But then, I get some that change their minds with the blow of the wind and I'm like...are they really going to like what I do 'cause they don't really know what they want themselves. I might not be doing what they expect. I pray alot...seems to help with the nerves 
So in saying that, I'm not perfect at all but am a perfectionist to a flaw. (I tell ya, I see everything) It drives me crazy but I do my very best in everything that is asked of me even if I think it may not be perfect (which could mean anything in my crazy mind ). I think the more you do it, the nerves will get better and your self-confidence will sky-rocket. AND we love you here so start eating up that positive feedback 'cause you can do this!!
I know how you feel, you wonder if they are going to like the look, the taste and even the texture of the cake. Since sometimes you doctor them up they are different than the usual store cakes. It's always an overwhelming feeling but when they call you again for another order or they recommend someone to you you'll know your work was great. The feeling passes a little but it's normal to have those feelings, don't worry about it.
My mother is a retired teacher. You know what she'd tell her students when they expressed fears of failure? She'd tell them, "That fear is the reason you will succeed. Life is about facing your fears and learning not just in spite of them but, because of them." You're very talented, so push forward and you'll do fine.
I've looked at your pics and your cakes are great! I am not a pro, seasoned maybe, but not a pro, although I used to sell a few cakes and trying to get back into it again.
I know from experience that we are our own worst critics. I've realized that although my cakes are so far from perfect or usually what I even envisioned, they are much better than what I can normally get at a bakery. Even though I have been so disappointed with a cake, the person it was for loved it.
Your cakes are great! Just hang in there, take a deep breath and look at it the way someone else will see it. You will do a great job!
copacabanya,
Your cakes are lovely. Your technique is good, as far as I can tell from the photos.
Give yourself a break. Take a deep breath & relax.
Make a list of what needs to be done. Get organized.
Then do what I do when I get scared.
Say "One cake at a time. One task at a time."
Repeat that everytime you get nervous.
I have been decorating cakes a very long time...almost 20 years and almost 2000 cakes. I still get nervous when someone asks me for something "different" because I want it to be perfect. None of us is perfect, no matter how hard we try. We just try to do our best.
It does get easier, yes. But the nervousness will never be gone completely.
If it did, cake decorating would not still be as exciting for me. I still love it!
I even heard Colette Peters say in an interview that she still gets nervous about doing cakes. Amazing, huh?
Sooo you guys are saying this is normal? I'm normal?? That's a first!
Seriously, thanks for all the input. I guess if I'm honest with myself I am the same way about doing cakes for people as I am anything else! Always my own worst critic, always the perfectionist, but it does indeed push me to do my best, so I shouldn't complain. I just never put that into perspective before.
It does help to hear that I'm in good company!
I think my donations to CC should count as therapy bills sometimes. 
Thanks ya'll! And thank you so much for all of your wonderful compliments!
Anya
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