The value of creation….

What is the real value of a piece of art? A crafted item? Some writing? Recently I finished a lovely little felted rabbit sculpture that fit in my hand. I will probably ask £10 for it. That’s what it will sell for - - - - but what is it actually worth?

I started the rabbit after lunch. From 1pm - 5pm I worked upon the shaping of it. That was 4 hours. Then I stopped for some dinner. From 6pm -10pm I worked on adding the shading and colours to the rabbit and finished it off. Let’s see - that’s 8 hours of work upon that small little ball of wool that sits so softly and sweetly in your hand.

Minimum wage in England is £ 8.21 at the moment for people over 25 years old. 8 hours at £ 8.21 = £ 65.68. That is what “unskilled labour” is paid. I am a highly skilled artist. That price of £10 will cover the cost of the actual product(s) used in the creation of it, but what it DOES NOT cover is the skill and experience I have acquired over the years, the amount I have paid for the tools that I use, my time as an artist, my time in contemplation of the creation of the piece of art, craft or book you are interested in buying.

If I priced the piece at the actual value it would run about £250, and it would not sell. None of that value includes the love, joy, excitement, learning, enjoyment or frustrations that I experience every time I create.

So the next time you visit a craft fair, art show, market, look at self-published books - the least you can do is leave an encouraging comment for the creator. Blood, sweat and tears really do go into all we do!