Up to you, but this series is going to be a work in progress for a very long time. REMEMBER ONLY YOU can properly and completely perform the necessary due diligence to determine your costs – this article, like all on this blog, are a starting point, not the last word by any means. While I hope it is worth more, its value is exactly the same as what you paid for it – no dollars.
Among the perennial questions in just about any group where people also sell their finished projects the question of pricing will not only come up but it will be brought up on a rather regular basis.
You may not be surprised to find I have some strong – some have said harsh opinions. My answer is usually if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. The reality of the business world and certainly the competition for “disposable income” in any economic time, much less one where folks are worried about paying their mortgage or buying food or medications or clothing their family do not make it less harsh.
Unless you have a patron – perhaps a spousal unit or even a day job – that covers your cost of living. If you want the life of an artist, best you start by understanding you may have to make some life style choices.
Because unless you are very very lucky, not only unique but manage to be discovered – the road to success is long and hard and increasingly paved with people who can afford goal number one so will be giving away what they do.
It was not until the first time the sale of my art made the difference between eating or not were beaded earrings outside a Dead concert. The reality of that experience along with realizing that my pricing meant I could not afford to buy the materials to make more, made the bus ticket home look like a very attractive alternative even if the job and the life waiting there were a lot less interesting. So the sooner you get smart about pricing, the better of you will be.
You can not price your work without answering as honestly as possible (and it took me a LONG time to be able to do this) WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
Do you want/need the ego boost of calling yourself an “artist”?
Do you want/need to make “pin money” so you can buy more materials to continue your “art”?
Do you want/need to contribute to your support or that of your family?
Next up… Costing
