It can be scary to charge for your work, your services, your product, your game.

I know that fear. It’s the same fear that keeps so many creators from valuing themselves the way they should.

It’s why “starving artist” became a household term.

But here’s the truth I’ve had to remind myself again and again:

You deserve to be paid for…

  • Your work,
  • Your time,
  • Your life,
  • Your story.

The Fear of Charging What You’re Worth

I think it’s fair to say that every creative person has wrestled with this question:

“Am I really worth charging for?”

Imposter syndrome whispers:

  • “I’m not good enough yet.”
  • “Other people are more talented.”
  • “What if no one pays?”

And because of that fear, many of us undervalue ourselves.

We give discounts we don’t need to give.

We price our games too low.

We even consider making things free “just to get them out there.”

But let me ask you a simple question:

Would you go to work, five days a week, eight hours a day, and tell your boss: ‘I don’t want my paycheck this week’?

Of course not.

So why do we think it’s okay to do that to ourselves?

The Myth of Free

When it comes time to discuss pricing with your community, someone inevitably says:

“But what about Linux? What about Blender? What about the Godot Engine? What about [insert ‘free’ game]? Those are free!”

And it’s true — you can download and use them for free.

I use them myself almost every day, and I’m immensely grateful for them.

NarrativeFlow was built on Zorin OS, a Linux distro. I relied on dozens of open-source tools to create it.

But here’s the reality: those projects are not actually “free.”

  • Linux is funded by multi-trillion-dollar corporations who depend on it.

  • Blender, Godot, and many other projects are heavily supported by their communities and receive donations from massive companies.

  • And open-source projects with a smaller following are supported either through crowd-funding platforms or simply through the creator’s own hard-earned money.

The only projects that are truly $0 are ones that someone makes as a hobby in their spare time.

And even then, that creator is paying with their time — time they could’ve spent on something else.

And when something really does seem free, you’re often paying in another way — usually with your data…

So even “free” isn’t free.

Games Aren’t Really Free Either

The same argument shows up in games.

People will say, “Well, I’ve played [insert successful game] and it’s free, so yours should be too.”

But here’s the interesting thing: the most successful “free” games in the world actually make far more money than the games that charge upfront.

Why?

Because “free” is just a different payment model.

Instead of charging once at the start, they spread the cost out over months or years.

Some players end up spending thousands of dollars on a single “free” game.

And you know what? That’s okay.

Those studios created the game. They decided how to charge for it. That’s their right.

And you have that right too.

Why Your Story Has Value

The truth is, there’s no shame in needing money. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be human.

But there’s more to it than that.

Your story has value because:

  • Your perspective is unique. Nobody else has lived your life, seen what you’ve seen, or felt what you’ve felt.

  • Your skill took years to build. Every choice you design, every character you craft — those are built on thousands of hours of learning, practice, and iteration.

  • Your work is energy. Even if it looks effortless to someone else, it cost you time, thought, and creativity.

That’s why when someone tries to undercut your narrative design services, your writing, or your game, you don’t need to feel guilty about charging.

If you’re putting your humanity into your work — your time, your life, your story — then you deserve to be compensated for it.

How to Start Thinking About Pricing

I’m not going to give you a magic formula. Everyone’s situation is different.

Here are a few questions I’ve found useful when deciding what to charge:

  • What would it cost me to rebuild this from scratch? (Time, tools, energy, late nights.)
  • If I didn’t do this, how much would it cost someone else to hire the skill I’m providing?
  • What is the long-term value of this work to the person using it?

For example, if you’re hired to design dialogue for an indie game, that dialogue could be the difference between players dropping off or becoming lifelong fans.

That has massive value to the studio — even if it’s hard to quantify upfront.

The point is: stop measuring your worth by “how fast you did it” or “how little effort it took.”

The value is in the outcome and the years of experience behind it.

The Starving Artist Myth Is Dying

The old idea of the “starving artist” is just that: old.

Today, there are more ways than ever to make a living from creativity:

  • Patreon, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee
  • Itch.io and Steam direct sales
  • Crowdfunding through Kickstarter or Backerkit
  • Community support via Discord, Substack, or YouTube

Some creators earn tens of thousands every month on platforms like Patreon from the “silliest” of things.

Creators are proving every day that you can charge for your work — no matter how niche — and build a sustainable career.

But you won’t get there if you keep treating your time and skill as worthless.

Be Brave Enough to Charge

At the end of the day, charging for your creative work isn’t greedy. It isn’t selfish.

It’s brave.

It’s brave to look someone in the eye and say, “This has value.”

It’s brave to reject the voices that tell you to give everything away.

It’s brave to honor your own time, your own life, your own story.

So when it’s time to launch your game, release your narrative, or offer your design services — charge what it’s worth.

Don’t be held back by those who are too lazy to pay or too apathetic to do it themselves.

Remember: those other companies, studios, and projects — the ones people point to as “free” — they’re still getting paid, making a living.

And you deserve the same.

Closing Thoughts

I’ll leave you with this:

Your work matters. Your story matters.

And because they matter, they deserve to be valued.

When I chose to build NarrativeFlow, I did it because I believe stories shape people.

They shape players, communities, even cultures.

And if stories have that kind of power, then storytellers — you — are worth more than you probably give yourself credit for.

So the next time you doubt yourself, the next time someone tells you to charge less, or to make it free, remember this simple truth:

You deserve to be paid for your work.
You deserve to be paid for your time.
You deserve to be paid for your life.
You deserve to be paid for your story.