Artist Debates Living Wage against People Online Liking him More
Artist Paul Hanaoka has been arguing with himself for the past several weeks about whether he should raise his prices in order to maintain a living wage for himself, or to lower them so that people will stop bothering him online. “I make most of my money through commissions, and my prices have been set for some time now. On the one hand, grocery and rent costs have gone up. My artistic skills have improved too, to the point that a handful of jobs from RPG companies reaching out. It stands to reason that my work might be worth more than it used to be. But, on the other hand, if I lower my prices some people people on twitter might say they like me in my DMs.”
Chase Gardner, a longtime customer of Hanaoka, understands the dilemma he faces. “It’s definitely a real balancing act. I’ve commissioned Paul in the past, and if he raises his prices, I might not be able to commission as often, even if the quality of the piece will definitely be better. But, on the other hand, if he lowers their prices, maybe even offered art for free, then I would be the person who gets to save money, and that sounds pretty sweet too.”
When we left Hanaoka, he seemed to have come to a compromise. “I think at the end of the day I have to raise my prices if I want to keep my head above water. It might mean a dip in sales for a bit, but I think I’ll be able to weather it. But, I’ll also offer art for free if people get real pissy about it on twitter. Everyone who complains about my prices will get a quick sketch of me giving them the middle finger. It’s a win-win for both of us: they’ll get art from me, and I’ll be forced to practice hand anatomy.”
