Why Are Creatives Sh*t at Talking About Money?

We're brilliant at our craft. Terrible at negotiating what we're worth. It's not our fault—we've been trained to undervalue ourselves. This post unpacks why creative professionals struggle with money conversations and what we can actually do about it.

Read on if you:

• Keep hearing "it's a great opportunity" instead of a decent budget

• Know you're undercharging and want to change it

• Are a curious creative who trusts Google blindly

So, back to the original question:  

why are creatives sh*t at talking about money?

Don't worry, this isn't the start of a bad joke. Although that would be less painful than the grim reality.

See, we create brilliant work. Work that sells products, shifts perceptions, maybe even wins awards (the effective ones, not the golden-ego-ones that don't count in the eyes of clients). Work that makes our clients look good, sound smart, and - let's be honest -makes them a lot of money.

And yet when it comes time to talk about what WE get paid for that work, something happens. Our mouth goes dry. Our brain goes fuzzy. We start talking too fast or not at all. We hear ourselves saying "whatever you think is fair" and we want to crawl under the desk. And we tell ourselves afterwards: I'm just not good with the business stuff. I need to be more confident. There was no room for negotiations. Next time….

Wanh-wanh !! (SFX: wrong answer game show buzzer)

Do you really think you're bad at this because you're "too creative" to understand money? Maybe you're bad at this because you've been systematically trained to be bad at it. And the people on the other side of the table are counting on it.

Passion as Payment Propaganda (Or: How "You Should Feel Lucky" Became a Negotiation Opening Tactic)

Gratitude is a currency. Here are my favourite opening statements:

"We'd love to work with you on this." "It's such an exciting project." "You'd be perfect for this." "What an amazing opportunity."

Feels good, doesn't it? Someone wants YOU. They see your talent. They value your work.

Except here's what's actually happening: they're front-loading the emotional payment so you'll accept less actual payment. This might not be a compliment, but tactical empathy as an opening move. An emotional anchor drowning you at the beginning, and with it your mind starts spinning around the amazing opportunity. And it works because you've been groomed - by every pitch, every "portfolio piece," every "we don't have much budget BUT..." - to feel grateful for the opportunity itself.

Can you feel that the word "opportunity" is doing the heavy lifting that a proper fee should be doing? It's all about playing off your enthusiasm for the job against your bank account. This invisible training made you jump through the hoops so many times you started believing passion could pay rent.

I call this: The gratitude trap.

And when you spot it, counter it! As soon as you hear, "You'll love this opportunity," pause. Acknowledge it. Redirect. "I do. And that's exactly why I'm wholeheartedly committed, do excellent work and charge accordingly."

They Have a Procurement Team, You Have Imposter Syndrome: The Power Asymmetry

The client-creative relationship is usually marked by an imbalance of power. Nevertheless, creative pros strive for the most collaborative working relationship possible, so everyone's on an even footing. Why? What is the rationale behind this? Just so you know, there's a deal in place that says you swap skills and lifetime for money. Let me tell you, it is beneficial to have clear conditions in place. So, go for it! It's good to know when to say no. It is healthy to set boundaries. If we had clear expectations, we wouldn't end up constantly overdelivering on the budget.

You're sitting in that meeting - or worse, on that Zoom call where you can see your own nervous face in the corner of the screen - and the brief is vague..."we're still exploring creative directions." The timeline is "flexible, but we'd love to see something soon." But the budget? Oh, the budget is suddenly crystal clear when you dare to ask for it. And they usually counter: "We don't have much leeway here, what is your number?"

Your stomach drops. You mumble a number. It sounds too high the second it leaves your mouth. You immediately start justifying it, or offering a discount before they've even blinked.

Hmmmmm…Vague brief. Vague timeline. Crystal clear budget ceiling. Guess which one expands during the project, and guess which one stays locked?

Sorry, not sorry - you have to hear this: They've been trained. You've been winging it. Hope is not a strategy! You wouldn't show up at the Olympics, untrained and hoping for gold, would you? Why at negotiations? Fix this.

Shame!

Cueing my inner bell from GOT.

Now here's the bit that really does my head in. You know all of this is happening. You've felt the squeeze. You've watched scope creep turn your fixed fee into minimum wage. You've said yes to "quick amends" that took three days. You've discounted several times to meet the budget. You worked at the weekends, at night and even on Mum’s birthday...

And what do you do afterwards?

You blame yourself.

I should have been clearer about the scope. I should have asked for more upfront. I should be better at this by now.

Stop.

Not reading, of course. I am trying to help here.

The industry sold you the myth of the "passionate creative" who does it for love, not money. It benefits from your uncertainty how to ask, your belief that talking about money makes you somehow less of an artist, your fear of losing "the greatest opportunity of your life".

Stop.

Start recognising that you're already IN a negotiation. Start getting to grips with negotiations, tactics, strategies and all those other uncreative things. To become a better creative.

It's called the ART of negotiation for a reason.

So why shouldn't artists excel in it? Exactly!