How do I discover my true hourly rate, my genuine worth of time?

As an artist, we pour our heart and soul into our creations, dedicating countless hours that often go unnoticed when it comes to their value. It’s a piercing question—how much is all this passion, effort, and sacrifice truly worth? Let me help shed some light on this journey. I know it can feel overwhelming—things can get tangled in complexity—so I’ll begin with a simple, honest approach.

Picture this: we assume our time is at least worth the national minimum wage—$7.50 per hour. If we spend 6 hours on a painting, that’s an emotional investment of $45 in our work. To be fair, we add in the cost of materials—say $20—bringing the total to $65 for that piece. But here’s the real question: how do we verify that this is our true hourly rate?

The answer lies in the crucible of the market’s verdict! We must dare to put our work out there—sell at markets, online platforms, pop-up shops, gift stores, even to friends or neighbors. If that painting finds a buyer at $65, we’ve uncovered a foundational rate: our baseline hourly worth. But if it doesn’t, well, then our price is too high, and we must adjust.

For some, $65 may feel like a triumphant start—a victory. For others, it’s just the beginning of a journey toward earning more. This is what I call growing pains. We decide to raise our rate—say to $100 per hour—and test the waters again. We display that $620 masterpiece, wait patiently, and see if it sells.

Sometimes, it might take years—2, 3, or more—before that piece finds its new home at that higher price. It’s growth, yes, but painfully so. The market might initially reject it—claiming it’s too costly, or perhaps that buyers lack the funds. But eventually, someone will come along who perceives its true worth. Or perhaps inflation shifts the value—what once was $620 becomes just the price of a simple burger and fries. And if you’re no longer around—unless you’ve developed time-traveling or freezing techniques—the opportunity might pass you by.

Here’s the core truth: You have three options to sustain and grow your art business. First, increase your production to meet fluctuating demand. Second, lower your prices until the market tells you “yes” more often. Or third, expand your reach—enter more markets, tap into different audiences—so that more buyers recognize the value of your work and are willing to pay your asking price.

The abundance of “yes” responses is how steady income is built. Perhaps you start with the minimum wage—$7.50 an hour—and make $1,300 a month. But maybe, you need to earn $3,000 a month simply to survive. How to figure that out?

Divide $3,000 by 4 weeks—$750 per week—and then by 5 days—that’s $150 per day. Then, by an 8-hour workday, your hourly rate needs to be at least $18.75. If each painting takes 6 hours, that means pricing your piece around $112.50 to cover your time—an achievable goal once you understand your true worth.

This mindset is the first step toward uncovering your real hourly rate—one that can grow as your body of work expands. But you have to begin somewhere. Reach out to local galleries, ask those interested in your art—what are similar pieces selling for? What’s the maximum you’d pay for this? Then, be brave—sell it at that price. If you need to earn more, trust that as your reputation builds and your production increases, you can gradually raise your rates.

This is the path to transforming passion into a sustainable livelihood. Embrace it. Your worth is waiting to be recognized.