For two years I answered every inquiry by hand. Somebody asks about a small still life, I write back with the price, the shipping, the framing options, three paragraphs. Half of them disappear after that message. Not a no, just silence.

In September I was behind on a commission and fed up, so I put the numbers directly on the site. Small works, medium, the two large ones. Prices visible, no "contact for pricing."

I expected it to kill the interest. It did the opposite. The emails got shorter and better. "Is the 40x50 still available, I can pay half now." That kind of thing. Fewer people, more of them serious. I sold three in six weeks, which for me is a lot.

What I lost: nobody haggles anymore, and I liked the little dance of it, honestly. What I gained: I stopped doing unpaid work for strangers who were only ever curious.

The part that stings a bit is that I spent two years convincing myself the secrecy was protecting me. It was just making me tired.