.the.cost.

Quite frequently in dance as well as art I hear two arguments from people not wanting to pay what I think my work is worth. Always the same arguments, though phrased differently - always consistent, and always with the same underlying message.
"But you do this for fun, right?"
"This would be a really great promotion for you."

Both of these statements echo in my mind of the same thing: "I don't want to pay you for this because I don't see it as actually being work." No one argues with a plumber with these phrases, or a doctor, or a lawyer. No one goes into a restaurant and says to the manager "You should feed me for free because it would be a really great promotion for your restaurant," or "You really like cooking, right? You do this because you enjoy it, so I only want to pay half that."
But here's the thing - very few people fall into a profession by choice without enjoying some aspect of what they're doing. Yes, I enjoy art and I enjoy dance. They happen to be things that I'm fairly good at and so I've turned them into my job. Yes - JOB. But lets look at these other professions for a moment.
Do you think a doctor, on some level, doesn't enjoy not only understanding how the human body works but also the problem solving in diagnosing a disease or ailment? Does a doctor not gain satisfaction in having treated that same ailment? Does a chef not enjoy the look of delight on a customers face as they take a first bite of special dish? Do lawyers not enjoying both arguing, and winning arguments based on logic or trickery? Does a police officer, on some level, not enjoy protecting the innocent? Does the maintenance man not enjoy fixing things?
If they didn't enjoy it on some level, would they put up with the garbage brought to them by their customers on a daily basis?
Yes, customers. People paying other people for a good or service. We might call them patients or clients or patrons or tax-paying citizens, but they are all customers.

And so yes, I do enjoy making art and dancing. But someone who calls about an illustration or a painting or a performance is still a customer. I don't do this for free. Aside from the massive amount of time that it takes to create a costume or an art piece or put together a dance, there is also a material cost. And when a person asks for a performance or a drawing for free or nearly so - they are not only disregarding the time that I put into my craft, but also the cost of the materials.

I can only assume that when people call me for any of these services it is because they've seen my work and seen value in it - there was a reason you picked me over the myriad of other artists and dancers available. I may only be dancing for 15 minutes that you can see, and that painting on the wall that you've fallen in love with may only be 12" x 12", but is it really so easy to disregard experience, talent and craft?

Please don't insult me by assuming you're doing me a favor.
My prices are not arbitrary. And in art as in law or medicine or cuisine - you are getting what you pay for.