Wecan

There is yet another wonderful discussion going on over at AJ Marketing.  Most of the people on the list are working artists, but I believe this topic applies to all of us as women, and is rooted in our self-esteem. How do we value ourselves AND our work or art?

I know I am at risk of saying something a bit unpopular here, but I am going to just state my opinion for what its worth. I am always open for debate as most of you know .  When artist’s began using EBAY and ETSY to sell their work, I was actually horrified to see where the bids were starting. Some were as low as .99 and it broke my heart to see artist’s buying into the idea that "art is a hobby, and has no value."  For some it may in fact be a hobby, but what about those of us who are making this our life’s work? As a coach, I honestly feel this is one of those topics I slay with my warrioress sword over and over. If this is what WE believe, the fallacy will continue to live in our culture-art as hobby, not to be taken seriously.

If each of us, really sat down and calculated the time, supplies and effort we have put into our work-no matter what that work is-we would never start a bid at .99 cents!  This was one of my biggest transformations as both an artist and a coach. I did not value myself, my time, or my expertise, and so for a lot of my career I gave it away. Shame on me, but a truly valuable lesson once I realized that if I truly wanted to pay my mortgage and still have food in my fridge, I had to shift the starving artist/social worker mentality. I had to dig deep into the root of my own beliefs to see where this lived.  When I did, I was able to heal this part of myself and step into my true value. Was it easy? No! 

The first time someone called me for a t-shirt design after working with this gremlin, I was trembling inside. I had already decided what I was going to do when that next call came in, but a challenge had not arrived. Then…the phone rang. "I hear you do t-shirt designs." "Yes I do," I replied with quivering lower lip. "How much do you charge per design."  "$$$$" I replied, and then proceeded to take a deep breath and hold it so I would not start saying my usual, "But if you can’t afford it, I am happy to lower the price to make it work for you…blah…blah…blah."  The offer to discount, actually happened BEFORE the other person even had a chance to say yes or no! It felt like 10 minutes went by, as I stood there holding my breath, lips pressed hard together, so the discounting statement would not come tumbling out of my mouth, turning bluer and bluer in the face.  It actually took the person exactly 20 seconds to make a decision- "Sounds great, he said. When can we meet?"  My breath came rushing out as I set the appointment feeling like I had just slay-ed a major dragon.  At that moment I realized that for so many years,  due to a lack of self-esteem and fear that no one would buy my work, I was my worst enemy, not the client or customer. If I did not believe in my value as an artist and therapist, why should other people feel that value?

And so, as an artist, who is building her client base and reputation, I have chosen to go big! I now have prints of my original artwork, made by my wonderful print Goddess Lindsay at Studio 101 Digital Printing. Going "cheap" is not always the best option when we are looking to sell our wares and ourselves. The customer sees it, they can feel it, they really do. Lindsay’s prints are not "cheap," I would not want them to be. I deeply respect the investment she has made in her business and the time, attention and care she puts into my work. When I take all this into consideration, the prints are very reasonable in price and have incredible value as she creates beautiful high quality images. They look and feel totally professional-because they are!  I am willing to pay a little more, because I see the value in Lindsay and her work. I can still price them reasonably and educate my clients about their value.  See the circle here?

To help my customers and clients see the value,  I let them know how each of those prints is made and that they are a Limited Edition Series. I do the same with my coaching, by informing my clients as to how I work and how my expertise can help them if it is a right match.

Write It: How do you see value related to self-esteem?

6 Responses

  1. I agree with you. I think (as children, young girls especially) that we are told to be modest and humble in all the wrong ways and that creates heaps of trouble later on in life.
    What I see with eBay and etsy is the combination of normal insecurities and a lack of basic business procedure.
    One of the things that helps me is to ask “Would I trust any other professional that charges so little for time?” If my dentist worked for 3 hours on something but only charged for materials, I’d be really worried about my teeth. Same if my plumber showed up and said “Well if you can’t afford it we’ll work something out.” So it’s a bit of reality check to put things in perspective.

  2. Our art is an extension of ourselves. If we don’t value ourselves, we will not value our work. Artists who feel worthless as people have a long ways to go….but, those of us who are between the two polarities of worthlessness and “the sky is the limit”, have it a bit easier. Just ask yourself whether you could make more money at a minimum wage job that could be done by anyone. That put things into perspective for me! How do you see yourself? Behind in your bills? In a beat-up car? Get clear on self-image, and everything will fall into place. All you need do, is ALLOW it.
    Mai-Liis

  3. A few years ago I stopped writing for free.
    It’s the same mindset – people don’t value it – the “anyone can do it” mindset. Yeah, right. Do some random blog searches and you’ll discover not everyone can write. It’s the same with art – people don’t value the work, including artists.
    You can’t keep other people from devaluing themselves and their work, but you can keep yourself from doing it.
    Now, when someone asks me about writing for them I tell them my price and they can take it or leave it, but I do not make any apologies for being expected to be paid for my work. It’s a skill I have developed through much effort and it’s worthy of decent compensation.
    Sure, you can get your brother-in-law’s second cousin to do it for free – and you’ll get what you pay for!

  4. I love this entry. I put my work in
    etsy and was appalled when someone told me my original drawing was priced too high for etsy at $35.00! I am not in the hobby field, I’m a trained artist who took years to refine my craft! I think I’d like to find other venues to sell my work where it is valued. The lower I’ve gone on my original work, the worse I felt, and soon I am finding, everything came to standby. I see why your voice is so needed on this group. 🙂 !

  5. Thanks for your comments and thoughts ladies. I agree with each one and it is wonderful that you have seen this or yourselves and come to understand the value of the gifts you bring to the world.
    Let’s hold the space for raising the bar on our self-esteem and value!
    ~Sheri

  6. I think there is a big difference between self esteem and good business. Sometimes listing art on ebay with a STARTING BID of 99 cents is GREAT for business. A starting bid is not indicative of value. A starting bid is a starting bid. Part of being successful as an artist is being smart about business choices. Sometimes that means not letting your identity and esteem be defined by a selling price. In my experience, the 99 cent opening bid has always worked in my favor. It gets buyers in the door! Ebay and etsy are great marketing avenues for artists. In order to gain a following and collectors, you have to have prices to suit all budgets. Price your originals higher than your prints! People who can afford the originals will buy the originals….my grandfather taught me this little lesson very early in life and I always keep it in mind. Price ranges are a good thing :).
    I sell really high priced art and I give art away for free. It always evens out in the end.