Value Your Worth

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susanI recently was teaching a private student on the basics of creating a comic book. He had expressed when we began that he was short of money and sort of sacrificing everything to study with me. I had planned to have several students but he ended up as my only student, ensuring that he got more than his money’s worth from every session we had. As we finished the first month, he said he thought he might not be able to continue due to his financial situation. I told him I sympathized as I was struggling to make ends meet as well. Then he said it.

“Do you think you could charge me less for this next month to give me a break?”

I thought about it. Half the rate for one student is better than the full rate for no students. And it really wasn’t a lot of work to prep for the class, though he was kind of a pain and a difficult student as it was. But I decided not to give in and told him I just couldn’t do it. I had to stick to my rate because, well, that was my rate.

And it got me thinking. How many times have we creatives given in and cut our rates or done things for free just because we felt we had to or because we didn’t want an opportunity to pass us by? How many times have we said, yeah, okay, just this one time I’ll do it for half/free/credit but next time… And then the next time, we do the same thing.

People think that those of us who create do it simply for the love of it. And, yes, that’s part of it. But, dammit, we need to make money, too. And many of us have studied for years to become as good as we are in our field. But that rarely gets acknowledged. Not in the way that doctors or lawyers or other businesses are acknowledged. Yet our skills have just as much value.

I think it may come down to the fact that when we create, we provide people with something intangible and that makes it hard to put a value on it. How you put a value on the heartbreak you feel when you watch the “Doomsday” episode of “Doctor Who” as David Tennant leans against the void wall with Rose on the other side? How do you put a value on the way you feel when you study a painting by an artist you love and it takes your breath away? How do you put a value on a web series that is charming and makes you laugh and feel good and forget your crappy day? The creators behind every single one of those pieces of art deserve to be valued the same way a doctor or a lawyer or any other business person is valued.

So how do we do this? Here’s what I suggest:

  1. When you’re trying to figure out what your time is worth, think about what you would pay someone to do what you’re doing, or what you would ask for if it was a “real” job. Ask around to others doing the same thing and figure out what your rate is. And then stick to it. No freebies. No discounts. It’s hard but it’s necessary. And if anyone argues, explain to them that this is your job, this is how you make your living. And if they expect professional results, then they should treat you as a professional and pay your rate. I always feel guilty when I ask an appropriate amount for a painting but I’m learning more and more to realize there is an amount that my time and my supplies and my skills are worth.
  1. As for freebies, well, I guess occasionally you could choose to do one, but make sure it’s a good one. I have a couple of friends for whom I will forever do things for free or for cheap because they do so much for me or they give me their own version of freebie and it all balances out in the end. And once in a while, I choose to do something for free or less than my rate because it’s a loss leader – the person will be good for publicity or they will make sure people know who I am. And even less often, sometimes it’s just something I really, really want to do. If something speaks to your heart, sometimes it’s worth the freebie. But you have to be careful to not overdo freebies or your worth will suddenly diminish.
  1. Now this one is the tough one. Learn to value yourself, your talent and your time. That’s the hardest thing to do and that’s what makes #1 on this list the hardest thing to do. You are valuable. Your skills are valuable, whether your skills are knowing how to use Twitter or how to launch the Space Shuttle. Both are equally as valuable. We are not taught to value our skills as somehow that makes us prideful and bad. Yet we admire the same skills in others. We need to learn to look in the mirror and see value. Maybe I should have put this one first. Once you accept that you have value and that your skills have value, it makes it easier to let others know that they need to value you and your skills, too.
  1. One of the best and hardest things I learned was to be strong and proud when I introduce myself and make sure I am solid in who I am as a professional. When I first started introducing myself as a director, I felt like a fraud because I was “only” doing 99 Seat theater and I was “only” directing short run shows and I was “only” doing… whatever. But the moment I got over the idea that what I was doing was not worthy, that’s when I really became a director. Same with my art. It wasn’t until I could really say “artist” without feeling like a fraud that I suddenly felt my own value. Then it became easy to set a rate or ask for a fee without feeling that I was somehow being ridiculous. So find your way to really stand solidly in your shoes as a professional and suddenly your own value will increase.

This is an area I know I will continue to struggle with but the more I value myself and my time, the easier it becomes to make sure people know that what I have to offer is of value. So find that value in yourself and make sure that you value our worth.