Why Elly Is Expensive

Sometimes people wonder why my rates for creative work, videos, and projects can be surprisingly expensive.

At the same time, they also see me doing some projects for free or charging very little for certain people.

So the question becomes:

Why?

The answer is simple.

My pricing is not just about paying for my skills.

You're not only paying for editing, filming, ideas, or technical knowledge.

You're paying for my commitment.

You're paying for my attention.

You're paying for my guilt.

Yes, guilt.

Because the moment someone pays me a significant amount of money, I feel responsible.

I feel accountable.

I feel guilty if I don't give my best.

That pressure pushes me to work harder.

To think deeper.

To revise more.

To clean things up.

To become more creative.

To make sure that what I deliver is worth the trust and money someone gave me.

The funny thing is that if I charge too little, I sometimes lose motivation.

Not because I don't care.

But because my brain starts treating the work differently.

The work slowly becomes a burden instead of a responsibility I willingly accepted.

And honestly, I don't like that feeling.

I'd rather not do the project at all than do it half-heartedly.

After going through so many experiences, along with the guilt and disappointment that came with them, I’ve developed a kind of internal rule. If I don’t feel like doing the work, or if I’m already busy doing things I enjoy without getting paid, then money becomes the thing that helps me shift my focus and commit to delivering something for someone else based on my taste.

That's also why I sometimes choose to do projects completely for free.

Because if I volunteer for something, then I chose it.

I wanted it.

I believed in it.

The motivation comes naturally.

The payment becomes the joy of the process itself.

Ironically, some of my favorite projects were the ones that paid nothing at all.

Years ago, I used to charge very little.

I thought low prices meant humility.

I thought being affordable meant being kind.

But eventually I realized something.

Doing work you don't want to do for very little money feels worse than not doing it at all.

Because now you've lost time, energy, motivation, and creative passion all at once.

And that's dangerous if you want to keep loving what you do.

So yes.

If Elly is expensive, then yes, I am.

Not because I think I'm better than everyone else.

Not because I want luxury.

Not because I want to squeeze money out of people.

I charge high because it makes me take the work seriously.

It forces me to care.

It forces me to give my best.

And honestly, I'd rather be expensive and proud of my work than cheap and resent the process.

At the end of the day, I want two things:

To create things I'm proud of.

And to still have enough energy left to create the things I want to create for myself.