CC Bella Says...

CC Bella Says…

“something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it” 

Yay or Nay?

It’s been a hot minute since I wrote a blog post/editorial, something I was famous for (among my family and friends) over ten years ago. Then everyone and their brother started a podcast, except for me, but that is a mulled whine conversation for another day. I’m happy to be back offering some food for thought and my insights… or lack thereof. 

The above is the bastardization we’ve all heard of John Naisbitt’s actual statement, “Value is what people are willing to pay for it.”  What are our thoughts on this? For me, I find myself cringing as I craft a furiously indignant rebuttal while also nodding in some agreement. Enter the bane of most artists’ existence, pricing their art.

I am mostly a visual artist now, but even when I was a self-published poet and a modern dancer this seemingly simple concept felt like a Rubik’s cube… (making a note to myself to update my references.)

I have read many articles on various formulas for visual artists taking into account the cost of materials, time spent, and the size. Here is one example. Yet none of these have felt right to me. Partially because most of my work consists of upcycled and recycled materials.  Meaning I buy all my canvases second-hand, I buy used paint from a Goodwill-esque art supply store, not to mention the various little details that oftentimes are things I found on the street. So my materials cost is LOW. Also, the time I take on each piece varies greatly. A piece might coalesce quite quickly and feel complete inside of an hour or two, or it could take me weeks/months. 

In general, I price my work on the low side because I believe in making art accessible to everyone. That being said, I also believe in valuing my time and my unique vision. My first year in a gallery I sold the most work of my career, but when I did my taxes I lost waaaay more than I made. 

I held an art pricing party at our home where everyone went around with post-it notes and wrote what they thought I should be asking/what they would be willing to pay… and the wide chasm between them left me even more confused. 

At this point you’re probably realizing this editorial is of the “lack thereof” insight variety I mentioned in the beginning. Sorry, not sorry. We want to hear from our AURi artist community though, how do YOU all deal with this slippery slope?

How do we get our potential fans, collectors, readers, clients to realize that “When you buy something from an artist, you’re buying more than an object (or a video, or a book, or a story). You are buying hundreds of hours of errors and experimentation. You’re buying years of frustration and moments of pure joy. You’re not buying just one thing, you are buying a piece of a heart, a piece of a soul. A small piece of someone else’s life.” - Rebekah Joy Plett

-Courtney C. Trowman

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