Resin Pyramids of the 2020s are Facing a Reckoning using a Small-Business Song: 'It costs that much cause I don't have superpowers'

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If you've ever scrolled TikTok for too long, you've probably heard the catchy little tune called "It Costs That Much"— a small business anthem that's now causing eye rolls from people who are not impressed by small-business artistry.

Have you heard this song? It goes like this: "It costs that much 'cause it takes me f**king hours/ It costs that much 'cause I don't have superpowers…"

Released by a creator from an art page called Woah Dude Designs, the song is an anthem from the POV of small creators who are tired of the silly, repeated, and often disrespectful questions customers will ask.

Customers aren't afraid to approach vendors at art fairs and question why a scarf costs $100 when it costs $10 on Amazon. The answer is because, as the song answers, "It costs that much 'cause it takes me f**king hours." The customer is paying for expertise and time spent… but they'll happily tell an artist that they can get it for cheaper online.

Artists would ideally love to make a profit on top of the cost of their materials, but these prices can frustrate shoppers at the same time. A shopper will never see that an artist spent 20 hours on a painting, but they'll balk at paying $250 for it. That could equate to $50 in paint and canvas, and 20 hours of work at $10 an hour, but a lot of folks just don't want to pay these prices. And that's not even factoring in other things, such as paying for a studio, or considering that an artist might've gone to school to learn their craft.

You'd never demand that people in most business jobs break down why their services are priced in a certain way, you'd just pay them their advertised rates. And yet artists face this uphill battle at every turn, from haggling over prices, to insisting that their art can't just be given away for free to well-meaning friends and family members.

The song is also an amazing rebuttal to folks who want artists to do things for exposure, which, as the creator sings, "doesn't pay the bills." Sharing art with a massive audience is all well and good, but not if it brings in zero dollars in actual sales.

Anyway, the song found its popularity in 2021, but now, 5 years later, TikTokers have flipped it on its head — they've now got jokes about resin pyramids and artists who, they feel, are too full of themselves, too proud of their mediocre crafts.

Photo via savvy.wav

Photo via vaultsec3

Much of the criticism focuses on resin pyramids. Why? Ah, well, let’s take a look at one person’s interesting Goodwill find:

Photo via jaylo_halo

Looks real crusty inside there! Ready to see another interesting use of resin? Because this person took a bunch of chicken nuggets and put them in a lovely table top in 2021. I can’t even imagine what they look like now! (This person has put chicken nuggets and resin into so many items, so… Clearly they’re successful at the resin-crafts lifestyle.)

Photo via nuggy.buddy

While you can put some foods in resin, it’s not recommended to use anything too wet or perishable. Plus, there are plenty of steps along the way that can botch a resin project, from having improper drying techniques to not fully covering up all the food to not getting all the bubbles out before it cures. Anything you put in resin can get funky if the resin isn't dried properly. People think it looks easy… but maybe they should give it a try before roasting resin artists too hard.

Photo via Katt

Photo via Yasmine Summan

TikTok is a place where trends drive everything, so it’s no surprise that people are bugging out about an old trend’s cringyness. It might also be a response to just the nature of social media during those dark days between 2020 to 2022-ish. Everyone was stuck inside alone, indefinitely, and crafting was just one good way to spend one’s time. Remember sourdough starters? Remember all the different dance trends? Now that we’re about 5 years out from that, it’s just time for a reckoning.

And, as a few of these TikTokers have pointed out, not every craft looks sellable. Some do look like they could be done in a few hours — hence, they're not worth anyone's money. Art is in the eye of the beholder, so you'll have to make up your own mind about that one.

Is a resin craft worth it if it contains the ashes of a loved one who has since passed? What about if it has a sentimental meaning about a pet or a baby? Only the artist and the buyer can judge that with certainty.

As for the use of the “It Costs That Much” song, well, at least the song is getting rediscovered! Sure, it may be very tongue-in-cheek now, but I do think hearing it must’ve taught people a lesson about being polite to artists. If you hear something enough times, it’ll surely get ingrained in your head.

Next time you visit an art vendor’s table and wonder why some little craft costs $75, a little voice in your head might sing, “It costs that much cause it takes me f**king hours!” And then maybe we'll all be a little kinder to artists, who are, in the end, making the world a more beautiful place.

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