Ever notice that in an electronics store, nobody walks up with an iPhone and says: "I'll take this one, but I'll pay the Xiaomi price because that's my budget"? Sounds ridiculous, right? But when it comes to a creator's work? Suddenly it's completely normal. A client walks in, doesn't even take their shoes off, and says: "I'd like the premium version, but at the economy price, because the competition does it cheaper."

I have an uncomfortable question for you. Not "how much did you make last month" — that's an easy question. You check your account, see the number, done. The question is: how much did you REALLY make? After subtracting everything. Literally everything. Most freelancers shut down at this point. "I make X dollars a month" — end of conversation. But I'm not like most people. I don't just know how to count — I'm not afraid to do it . And if you count it out with me right now, you'll discover a...

I wake up just before sunrise. There's that familiar tightness in my stomach — fear of the day, the tasks, the responsibility. I open my...