Should I charge my friends/family for my art?

[Anonymous]

I'm a full time artist, and selling my paintings is my only income. Some of my friends and family keep stopping by my studio, picking paintings and asking me to take them for free. I have no problem creating a special piece for free for a birthday or Christmas. But they keep doing it all year long. Like everyone else, I need to pay my bills, and can't keep wasting my art. Am I wrong to want to be paid for my work? If not, how can I tell them that they need to pay if they want my paintings?

[Texasgal95]

Maybe every once in a while give them one free but you’re gonna make your money so they should have to pay like everyone else maybe give them a discount but you shouldn’t have to give them your are free every time they want a piece