Pricing creativity
As an artist and content creator, I often get asked:
"How long did it take you to paint that?" or "How much time did it take to come up with that idea?"
The implication is that the value of creativity should be measured in hours. As if a good idea, or a finished painting, is the result of a clock ticking and hands moving. But creativity doesn’t punch a timecard. It’s not about how long it takes. It’s about what it takes.
What creatives bring to the table, whether in front of a canvas or a content calendar, is not just effort, but perspective. Not just execution, but intuition. The ability to make connections no one else sees, and then give those ideas form, color, and clarity.
I can’t count how many times I’ve had a salesperson call and say,
“I have a client meeting in 30 minutes. I need a never-been-done-before idea. Just a sentence or two. It’s quick.”
Except… It’s not quick. It’s not a typing assignment. What they’re asking for is lightning in a bottle. And somehow, I’ve always found it. Usually, after a walk around the office or a pause to let the mind do what it does best: connect dots that aren’t on the same grid. More often than not, that “quick idea” helped win the client.
The value of those 30 minutes wasn’t in the time. It was in the years it took to know where to look for the idea, and how to shape it when it came.
Now I’m preparing for an upcoming art show, and I’m facing the familiar challenge of pricing my work. The math is straightforward:
Canvas + Paint + Frame + 40% Gallery Commission = Cost
But where in the equation do I put the value of the work itself? The moment of inspiration? The creative decision to pivot mid-painting? The skill I’ve built over the years that lets me know when something feels finished, even if I couldn’t explain why?
As a creative, I’ve been trained, often subtly, sometimes loudly, to question the value of my own talents. To believe that unless it looks hard, or takes a long time, it’s not worth much.
But here’s the truth: The most valuable part of creativity is often the part that looks effortless. That doesn’t make it less worthy of compensation. It makes it more.
I price my work based on insight, not hours or effort. But on the essence. I’m offering experience, expertise, and a perspective that no one else can offer. And that’s valuable.
