Wow, this was brilliantly answered. You make some really excellent points here.

"Helping others doesn't mean that you don't recognize the value of your own work" was powerful, and acknowledging that in the end, we're still providing a "service" is on the mark. On that notion, however, there's another hurdle that content creators have to overcome.

Since working for oneself and being a content creator means you have no boss and you are your own boss, the service you are providing was not explicitly asked for. In a traditional job, a service is needed and you're hired for that role. You are paid by your boss to carry out that role. If you're a content creator, in most cases, no one asked you to be one. No one asked you to scratch an itch. Thus, some creators might feel like "How can I ask someone to pay me for what I create when no one asked me to create in the first place?"

Your point on accessibility is also sound. A price tag can definitely increase perceived value and tell a potential audience that what you're doing has value to it. I do agree with offering some free content so at least people can have an idea of what you're doing before they dive right in to pay. I'd like to ask why you've chosen not to spend your time on FB & Insta though.

Helping and earning are not mutually exclusive, which is a great note to end on. This comment is extremely insightful and honestly, I'd encourage you to make an article about what you just wrote out here. It would benefit a lot of content creators as it has benefited me.