A working artist came to me last spring with a problem, a problem that I’ve encountered myself time and time again, a problem of money and its relationship to capacity as a creative.
She had fifteen years of practice, a strong audience, and even repeat collectors of her work. She also had a chronic illness that took twelve hours a week from her, at least, more during flares.
She couldn’t work enough to make enough money. She charged what her peers charged, pricing herself competitively in the market.. She could barely make rent. The issue was the math, not the work.
She had been comparing her rates to artists whose practices were structurally different from hers. Same medium, same market, same approximate reputation. Different bodies, different hours, different capacity. When she priced by comparison, she was pricing herself against people who had the time and energy she did not have. The rate that kept them solvent put her underwater.
Coming up with a new system wasn’t easy. It doesn’t work all of the time. But we got to something that works most of the time. And I want to share it with you today.
After the paywall: The full pricing system, the five-step calculation, three pricing structures, scripts for stating your number and deep understanding of the inner work that this may require.
This is all available to paying subscribers of Create Me Free. Remember that this work takes work. Support it if you can.
