Your time is too valuable to not show your work. Show it early and show it often. Show the unfinished project and show the derailed project. Show the good stuff and show the bad stuff. Show the stuff you suck at and show the stuff where you’re pretty good.
Before investing your time in a project for eight weeks only to get feedback that it’s all wrong, show that work to the client all along the way.
I’m still trying to figure out the best way to do this in my own business. It can be tricky to explain to a client that the finished project will be much nicer than what you’re showing and have them understand you and be comfortable with that.
High-paying clients may be terrified if you turn in something that is 10% complete after a week. They can’t see the 100% complete artwork and the sketches are scary to see. I think the answer is to be forward about the discomfort they will feel and that you’ll update them every 3-4 days with new status’ so they can watch it be built and offer input and guidance.
If you start showing your work and if the client has confidence in you, they can offer suggestions and pointers to ensure you stay on course with the project before you invest 80 hours only to find out most of that effort was a waste.
I still don’t have the perfect system for sharing creative work with clients early in the process, but I’m working on figuring it out. Feedback is scary, but it’s much less scary when you realize it saves you your valuable time and helps complete projects much sooner than you otherwise would (and with less work, too!)