Selling creativity
When you are a creative you love to spend time creating, it’s the normal thing to do and this is what you are here for.
You have the right music on…. (my favorite is Stromae) you are working the hours away not even noticing time…. By the end of the day you created something amazing….
LOVE LOVE LOVE
Nothing wrong here, right!
NOTHING!
You create from the heart and you do it with gusto. I mean you throw in your whole being just for the sake of it…the whole shebang… ahhh. So good!
I know you are nodding your heads right now… YES YES YES!
Now I am going to change how you feel in an instant….. Ready?
-I know it's scary, but hear me out because I have a reason for doing this-
SELLING YOUR WORK
….is super hard
Sorry! Don’t stop reading now because if this sentence makes you feel bad, you are in the right place…… and I will make you feel awesome in 2 minutes!
First of all you are not to blame!
Ah that already feels better right?
You see, society has been telling you to feel bad about selling.
You weren’t born feeling bad about selling.
Actually you were quite good.
You could easily persuade your best friend to join the game you were playing so you could have fun together and make the most of the huge puddles after yesterday's rainfall.
You could simply sell your ‘snack-wish’ to your mom so she would get it for you at the supermarket around the corner. “Ahhh mom, pppppppllllleeeaaaasssssseeeee”
And you could -with just a look- lure your partner over for a kiss, in the cinema during that romantic movie you saw together that one rainy day.
Just because you wanted to.
Yep, that is selling and you have been doing it forever. Selling your wishes all day long every day to anybody you meet….
Feeling bad?
So feeling bad about selling your work is not you.
It has nothing to do with you.
It’s society telling you you should feel bad about selling.
It’s other people selling you the -feel bad about selling- story!!!!!
That you are not allowed.
That you should not be able to make money doing something you love.
Well I have a surprise for you.
Yes you can yes you are allowed, and HECK yes you can do it.
Yes you, the one who is feeling kinda excited right now.
Are you sure?
YES I’m sure.
You see most people think, NOT YOU, that creating something, a craft, a hand made item is just too much fun creating….
And since they HATE their jobs>>> you can’t make money with something you LOVE.
They won’t feel comfortable with that thought.
It's their thinking that makes you feel bad.
It’s them… not you!
So you end up selling for next to nothing or giving away your work. For FREE…. ouchhh!
Am I right?
Okay, I’ve been there too and yes it feels horrid. You start feeling so proud of your work and then other people come and they make you feel so small.
So you end up thinking, okay let’s get this over with. Sure here, have it…. As long as it’s out there… I will get some exposure. That’s always a good thing!!
WRONG…. You will not get exposure and you will not get any sales from giving away work.
Yes, even if you sell for a crazy ass discount. It will not work.
You’ll hope it will work, but it won't.
Hope is good for hoping it won’t rain, but business doesn’t run on hope. It runs on deliberate actions!
But lets go back to those people… as they seem normal people, they look normal, they talk normal, they in fact are just like you.
OR NOT….
There is ONE big difference…
they are not creating!
Not making anything themselves or even… whispering now: dare to show their work in public.
So what’s that got to do with anything you say?
Well…. Since they don’t dare they have no empathy for those who dare…
Since they don’t create they have no idea what it takes to create what you create.
Since they are not you… they cannot do it….. So who are you to be able to sell this thing for this crazy price…. HUH?
They are not creative.
They are not like you!
They don’t think like you… they think that creating is not a job.
They think that selling creative work is a side hustle that should not bring any income…. As THEY are working their asses off for their job they hate.
You are having too much fun…. So, no I’m not going to buy from you at that price…. As if!
You see…..It’s their thinking and their way of doing things that make you feel bad…
So we have to stop doing this. STOP!
There is an SUPER easy remedy.
Ehhh…. No in fact there are TWO
#1 Create prices that are realistic for you! YOU decide whether to sell at 1500 or 10.
It’s your time, energy and unique style… so you get to decide. And stick to it!
#2 Start looking for people who love your work.
Yep, start finding people who are totally in love with what you do and don’t make you feel like they are doing you a favor by buying from you.
And no it’s not about price…. 99% it’s not the price… it’s the people you sell to.