Okay, is that a loaded subject line or what? I could be asking for trouble....
Anyhow - I delivered my 2nd paid cake today. Started on it yesterday, finished it off this morning. I had anxiety like you couldn't believe! I couldn't sleep - had to go out on the couch and watch tv and pray for sleep, although i felt dead on my feet from working all day. everytime i closed my eyes, i kept picturing what else needed to be done, was everything all set .... yada yada yada. I enjoy doing them, but I have to know, does this get better? Will this extreme anxiety ever go away? I don't think I could handle being like this everytime I got a cake order!
Any advise or words of wisdom would be appreciated!
Deanna
Hi Deanna,
YES, it does get easier. I have been doing this for pay for almost 20 years and there are times that you lie awake playing the "what if" game and there isn't too much you can do about it. After a while you do become much more confident and tend to relax. I just peeked at your photos and believe me when I say...YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! Your work is VERY nice! Take deep, slow breaths. Your confidence will come with each cake that goes out the door. >^.,.^<
Hey, another Deanna! 
It gets a LOT better after you've done a few more paid cakes. You'll get a lot more relaxed about it as time goes on.
Deanna
I'm a Mass. girl too! North East part.
I don't remember having that much anxiety over cakes ever, even when I first started. Do you get that way over other things too? I'm sure it will get easier. You delivered it to the customer already, didn't they love it? I am sure they did.
Hey another Deanna, too! Very unusual to see another one - we're few and far between! Thanks for the votes of confidence - I really need it. LittleLinda - Do I get anxiety over other things in my life? Yep, unfortunatley I do - but not this bad! *fingers crossed* it will get better.
psurrette - I'm from Western Mass - about 1/2 hour outside of Springfield, in a teeny tiny town that no one ever knows!
I'll keep plugging away I guess!
Deanna
Yes, you are normal. At least if I am.
I did my first paid cake (other than for friends/family) this past week, and I found myself thinking/planning repeatedly throughout the week, and I hardly slept the two nights prior to delivery of the cake.
It didn't help, though, that my 13 year old son had Wilton Course 3 until almost 9 p.m. the night before the cake was to be delivered, taking away prime decorating time for me, while I sat and waited around for him.
I have done other crafty-things for pay, though, and I know that the jitters DO go away. All I can suggest is that you make sure to build in relaxation time when scheduling yourself. I did a foot bath and salt scrub when I was done working the night before delivery of the cake. (I work full-time, so I had to finish the cake the night before it was due.)
For anyone who wants to know what I was making:
It was a half-sheet cake for a martial arts studio's black belt ceremony for their kids' program. I made it 1/2 chocolate, 1/2 vanilla, by using two 9X13 cakes, side-by-side. The base icing was white buttercream. The border was cornflower blue shell, with yellow, red, and green squiggles on top, to add color. I made color-flow (icing runout) figures of a kicking boy and girl in karate uniforms. These were in the upper corners of the cake top. In between was the school's logo, partly color flow, and partly buttercream. Finally, there was some writing, saying congratulations, and listing the students' names.
It came out good, I think, other than the fact that I *hate* writing, and had to put names of all of the belt-earners on the cake.
The owner of the studio has asked me to do more cakes for them in the future, and asked if he can mention it to another studio owner.
--RP
If you're still standing and you still want to create cakes, it sounds like you passed the initiation test with flying colors.
Those first steps are the hardest, but you took them and survived. Welcome to the world of professional cake decorator.
And yes, it does get easier.
I havn't even made a paid cake yet. Just cakes for my roommate, boyfriend and myself; even over that I will get that way a night or two after I actually start making the cake.
I'm like that over a few things too though. Have to move from NY State to TX State in 3 months hence why I am up right now reading CC. :p
I think that it is normal for people to worry about things and lose some sleep sometimes over worrying if anything will go wrong or whether or not everything will fall into place.
I'm pretty sure it will go away with time, especially as you gain more confidence in your skills.
Funny thing about the name Deanna. Hubby and I named our daughter Deanna because it was a beautiful and somewhat unusual name. Guess what? There was actually another Deanna in her first grade class. Usually you don't hear one and there were 2 in one class. LOL/
mushbug - doesn't it figure? i've spent my whole life having my name mispronounced and what do i do to my daughter? i name her Marlana - she has the same problem as me! lol my husband recently took a business trip, and on the way home sat next to a woman whose name was Deanna. When he told her that was his wifes name, she almost didn't believe him because it's so unusual.
thanks for all the words of wisdom everyone! i knew i could count on all the wise women and men in here for some insight!
Deanna
I haven't done any paid cakes yet but I worry even when I am making a practice cake to take to work. Even though the cake taste good I want it to look good too. I am still fighting when getting the icing smooth and no crumbs. No matter how much or how little I put for the crumb coat, I still get crumbs in the actual icing. Maybe one day I will get past this issue. 
You guys keep saying it gets easier, and maybe it just takes a long time. i've been doing this for two years (okay, that's like a blink of an eye for some of you more experienced bakers) and I still feel like Deanna every time!! Especially if it's a creation totally from my own design!! I actually get stomach aches over some of them!! Must be one of those things that will get better in say... ten years or so 
.
No matter how much or how little I put for the crumb coat, I still get crumbs in the actual icing.
Always keep your icing ahead of your spatula. Always lift your spatula off after first dragging it back into the icing.
7yyrt and LittleLinda,
I do try to keep going in the same direction when I am doing the crumb coat but yes sometimes I go in reverse. I do try to keep icing in front of spatula. I guess the more I practice the better I will get at it.
LittleLinda,
Your name brought back memories from my teen years when babysitting. A couple of girls use to call me Little Linda since they also had an aunt named Linda.
Thanks to both and I will keep working at it.
Linda
I feel you on this one. I've had several orders now but I always find myself worrying about the cake when I wake up in the morning. I check the cake about ten times before I deliver it.
Call me paranoid. 
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