My Journey

As an artist, I think a continuing theme in my journey is the desire from people to disregard my talent by trying to haggle. They think that an artist does it as a hobby, and a person shouldn't get paid well to do what they love to do. Staying motivated is hard as it is, and when someone tries to argue with my prices, it kind of gets under my skin. Most people go into a shoe store and pay the asking price for that shoe - be it a $50 shoe or $150 shoe. Never mind the shoe cost all of $2 to make, they never balk at the price ... they just pay for it no questions asked. A few years ago, a rep for Pepsi told me they pay all of 3 cents to make a 20 oz. bottle soda, and we think nothing of shelling out $1.25 for one.

To crack out a portrait in oil, charcoal, or graphite ... to design and paint a mural ... to create in any medium ... takes time, training (be it professional or not) discipline, and determination. Years upon years are put into an artist's craft. And for someone to either haggle with me on my prices, or try to get out of paying for those services, is nothing less than utterly disrespectful. I've been taken advantage of before - it's the nature of the beast, but a recent experience completely took me for a loop.

Maybe I'll discuss it at a later date. I don't believe in complaining about things when you're upset, emotional, or angered about them. It's best to let it rest for a few days or weeks, and then address it. Let's just say that I was royally taken advantage of, and I have nobody to blame for it but myself.