How to Value Your Time and Stop Working for the Wrong Clients

You're fresh out of school, eager to work or maybe you just don't feel like you have the skills to charge more. Maybe you're a stay-at-home Mom and simply too enthusiastic to make a side hustle. Let me fast forward and tell you exactly what happens when you get into the cycle of working for the wrong clients and undercharging. You stop taking yourself seriously as an artist. Your confidence is shit and you're not making any real bux so you're broke.

Sounds nice, doesn't it?

I'm going to show you how you can avoid the mistakes I have made in the past and quit working for free for good.

Stop treating your career like its a hobby.

Yes, when you start off as an inexperienced anything your price tag is reflected. Maybe you take on any project you can get because you're trying to build your portfolio and your bank account. More work generally means more money but if you're working hard and not compensating yourself fairly you're not going be able to keep it up.

That doesn't mean you should go out charging $1000 for a logo that took you a half hour to make. There is a balance here.

Keep track of your time and never assume that because you are new to something that your time in not valuable.

Break ties with people trying to squeeze as much out of you as possible.

You do not want to work for people who come to you because you are the cheapest. You and your artwork will suffer for it and you will grow tired of the grind. Working more for less money is not a fun place to be. It will make you resent the craft that you should be taking pride in.

You want people to come to you because they think you're talented and admire your distinct style.

These clients DO exist and they DO PAY. If you haven't come across them don't lose hope or sight of the real goal: to make art AND make money off of it. You are way better off in the long run investing your time in perfecting your skills. Get better at your craft and add to your value rather than working for people who are taking it away.

Shift your mindset.

When I was wide-eyed and 20 years old I did not value my time because I treated it like a renewable resource. I took on free gigs and stayed up all night finishing them. The work was ehhhh (I look at it now in horror) and I was missing the gratification of actually getting paid. I didn't take myself seriously and I didn't put myself out there the way I should have.

Now that I have kids I am very aware of my time. Mainly because I don't have enough of it. It is precious to me. Every minute I spend in front of a computer versus with my kids is worth a great deal and I charge accordingly.

Value your time and invest in you.

If you are not charging appropriately you will burn out at some point. You are your business. Art is expensive and technology changes it constantly. Get up to date with your craft, learn new tools. This is what you're prices should reflect. It is not enough to just get by. At some point you're going to need some big ticket items to grow and you are going to wish you had money for them.

Keep making things but get PAID for them.