It's the lead in a good thread. It is directly in line with why I can't really produce art at any meaningful speed anymore.
I'd like to keep my hands working, even if that means I don't get to sell art anymore. I never made a huge amount of money from my art, outside of the bigger graphic design bids I sometimes got. I did commissions largely because I enjoyed the challenges some folks threw my way, and some of the jobs I turned down have become interesting stories that I sometimes use for lessons on customer service and personal boundaries.
There is an astronomically high number of talented young artists that burn out in various ways, and this is one of the worst of the lot because this can break an artist in all other ways when it progresses. This sort of issue, when not taken care of, can take away the use of your hands. And when it is taken care of, it can cost a small fortune and become demoralizing during the time you are stuck 'healing'.
Understand, there's often a reason young artists start raising prices, and it isn't always an ego thing. When an artist raises prices, don't assume they are being greedy. Often, they are being FORCED to evaluate their true worth.
