Authenticity

Many creatives struggle with the concept of pricing their artistic products. I've heard a lot of different perspectives on the topic and have grappled with my own thoughts and ideas. I've gone through different stages in my pricing and small business journey. At times it has felt necessary to charge more because I didn't want to devalue my art or not have enough of a profit margin to be able to continue to do what I love. I now feel like this is a fear based response.

I've also done my fair share of gifting and giving pieces away. To this day one of my very favorite William Shakespeare quotes is "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." I think there are a series of ways I can embody this quote and it doesn't always mean I have to give away my art for free.

One of my gifts is earned knowledge based on experience. I've spent a lot of time and will spend a lot more time playing around with different concepts, mediums, textures, and tools. I can share this knowledge with other creatives as they work to develop their own skill set. I get a tremendous amount of joy by encouraging the creative expressions of those around me. Watching children and adults' eyes light up as they learn and create something new and beautiful of their own.

My conclusion has been pricing should represent authenticity. What does this mean? For me it means all the details of your product offerings should be a true representation of yourself. My authentic self truly believes art is meant to be enjoyed and obtainable. I want my art to spark joy as a joyful expression of my own creativity. If I made it too expensive then it becomes less accessible and is not in alignment with my core beliefs. As a small business, I do cover my expenses and am thankful I am able to offer free shipping. I also add a little extra me in my price by always trying to use my own magical number combinations instead of rounding up. My husband even builds solid wood custom floating frames for my original pieces as an amazing finishing touch. In the end, I'm able to offer a polished, professional, and beautiful final product for a reasonable price which makes my heart happy.