Yesterday was a day full of value.

In a meeting of Creative Edinburgh* in the morning, I had three conversations focusing on value one after the other.

A photographer found himself underpaid for one of his pictures which appeared on the front cover of one of yesterday’s national broadsheet.  It was a wonderful image which was worth far more than the price the paper paid.  Interesting: this picture was worth different amounts depending on where it appeared in a paper, its size, and whether it would be reproduced in colour or black and white.

Then another conversation with a designer of mats and cards and T-towels and more – I’ve just been on her website and it’s very attractive produce.  Our conversation focused on the question of how much do you charge for the things you design and make?

A thought was forming, which I’ll share in a moment.

I then had a third conversation with another photographer who was sharing how customers struggled to value his work, like not understanding how turning up for two hours at a wedding can cost as much as it does – the tip of the iceberg phenomenon.

Later in the day, I was meeting with someone describing his exploratory ways for lecturing in university, creating a learning environment for all, including himself.  An exciting conversation as we’re both passionate for producing creative people – he didn’t want to simply train students to pass an exam.  By this level of education this can be the driving factor, so were the students and university authorities valuing this new approach?

My thought formed some more.

Only you know the true value of what it is you do.

Whilst you need feedback, you cannot trust your “customer” to know what the value is or to set the “price”**  – you may produce the most amazing food but if someone is just looking to have a quick snack, they will not value your art, or pay you what it’s worth.

There’s another dynamic at work here: you must recognise as valuable the thing you do – which may be anything from a unique product you make to a wonderfully generous outlook on the world which you express in the ways you treat everyone you meet.

I can’t emphasise how important it is to know what your art is and to value it.  If you don’t, you may make a tradeoff which disadvantages you in life – trading the valuable thing you do at a low cost for something which is not valuable, but has a high cost.

One last word: you don’t have to look for something crazily different to everything or everyone else.  When you know what your art is, and you value it, whatever comes to mind is an expression of your uniqueness: ‘An artist who is inspired is being obvious‘ (Keith Johnstone).

(* A not-for-profit supporting creative industry businesses and individuals in Edinburgh.)

(** I’m not talking about being extortionate.)