I have to vent now.....I love you all so much and I know you will not be judgmental of me.
I don't know how much to rate my feels on being told before art shows my rates are to low. I know other people want me to charge more but I want what I charge for them and I also want to sell them. Art shows cost me a lot of money to set up. Frames cost money, my time to hang every thing cost money and me painting everything cost money but people don't think about that when they say "would you rather sell something for less or get what it's worth?" If I'm selling it I just want to sell it so I can make more art. It takes so much energy from my mind and heart to make art. It is like a hole in the center of my head pouring like a waterfall all over my hands and eyes screaming "you have to make this!" Plus honestly .....I feel like a failure when I have a show and sell nothing for a month. It hurts a lot to see people say "tell me about you and your art" and then they walk away as if to say "that is not what I want."
I know my loved ones want to help me and so they want me to ask for more money for paintings. They want me to do well but I can only take so much rejections as a painter before I start to feel suicidal. This is all I have ever really wanted to be and not showing off what I do feels wrong and honestly is addictive in so many ways.