Why Pricing by the Hour Doesn’t Work for Artists (And What to Do Instead)
Jul 16, 2025
Why Pricing by the Hour Doesn’t Work for Artists
If you’re trying to figure out how to price your artwork and you’ve been told to “just calculate your hours,” this post is for you.
Because when it comes to creative work—pricing by the hour completely misses the point.
Yes, time is a factor. But art isn’t about how long it took you.
It’s about how it makes someone feel.
It’s about the emotion it unlocks.
It’s about the story it tells—and how it lives on in someone else’s life.
And that value? It goes way beyond an hourly rate.
1. Art is an Emotional Exchange, Not a Time-Based Service
When someone buys your art, they’re not buying two hours of labor.
They’re buying the feeling it gives them when they walk past it every day.
They’re buying a memory, a sense of calm, a flash of joy, or a moment of reflection.
You can’t reduce that to minutes and labor.
Your art holds emotional value. And emotional value is what people actually pay for.
2. Your Work Carries a Story—and So Does Your Price
Every piece of art you create carries your story:
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The years it took to find your style
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The hours you spent learning techniques
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The moments you almost gave up
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The healing that happened while you were making it
When you price by the hour, you ignore all of that.
You compress your entire journey into a number that doesn’t reflect what the work really holds.
Your pricing should honor the story behind the art, and the story it will become in someone else’s life.
3. Time Doesn’t Equal Value
Let’s be honest—some of your most impactful pieces came together quickly.
Others took weeks and never quite felt right.
The emotional resonance of a piece isn’t about how long it took.
It’s about what it stirs in someone else.
That’s why pricing by time can lead to either undercharging your most powerful work—or overpricing something that doesn’t carry the same energy.
Instead, start thinking in terms of:
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The emotional weight of the piece
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The transformation it creates for the viewer
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The uniqueness of your perspective
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The long-term connection someone will have with your work
4. There’s a Better Way: Value-Based Pricing
Value-based pricing focuses on the worth of the piece to your collector—not just the labor behind it.
To begin shifting into value-based pricing, consider:
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How people respond emotionally to your work
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The depth of story or symbolism in the piece
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The demand for your style or perspective
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Your experience, skill, and unique voice as an artist
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What similar work is selling for (without copying—just to inform range)
And remember: the right people aren’t looking for cheap—they’re looking for connection.
Price for the connection. Not the clock.
Final Thought
If you’ve been struggling to price your work in a way that feels fair, aligned, and true to what you offer—let this be your reminder:
You’re not selling hours.
You’re offering emotion.
You’re offering beauty, reflection, joy, depth, and meaning.
You’re offering something that lives beyond the moment it was made.
Let your pricing reflect that.
Want More Support with Selling Your Art?
Inside the Collaborative Artisans Collective, we talk about these things in real time.
How to price.
How to connect.
How to show up fully without burning out.
If you’re ready for more confidence, community, and clarity around your art business—we’d love to have you.
There’s a place for you here.
