Here we go again - Working for Love vs Working for Money

[karadinart]

Found at The Guardian:

If (authors/artists) have a love and passion for their work (which they bloody should have) then they will still be impelled to write. If they were only in it for the money, then maybe they should be considering something else anyway. It's only a small percentage of writers who make enough to live off their writing alone. Most have to supplement their income in some other way anyway.


*sigh*

I want to try this argument on the plumber when he comes to visit, 'you are in it for the love and passion aren't you? My paying for your services shouldn't be necessary.'

From my POV as an artist and an author - yes, I create with love and passion, but that shouldn't make a difference in being compensated for my work, as much as the market will bear. If I can make money from what I create, that means I will have the time to create more and spend less time doing other things to pay the bills. From a consumer's point of view, this would be a good thing, more for you to enjoy.

You know what I hate this attitude coming from the most? Not the general public, but from people in the industry who buy creative works, ie: art directors who always tell you it's necessary to give away your work for 'experience' or 'exposure'.

The artist (or author) is not only giving away work for free, they are actually paying for their work to be used (because they've incurred costs in creating the work in terms of time and materials) meanwhile, that publication or site is billing their client for your services as an artist.

At least these days I can set up my own sites and promote with my own blogs, that wasn't available when I started this artist lark.

Comments

[earthspirits.livejournal.com]

As an artist, I certainly empathize with this!

[mrnihil.livejournal.com]

Most systems don't work the way they should work. This goes for politics, the art world, religion, charity, blah blah.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

So true, there needs to be some education that creative work is WORK, it doesn't just come to you in a burst of inspiration.

[mrnihil.livejournal.com]

We'll probably always be stuck between the extremes. Without a massive overhaul of civilization... eh, you know the drill.

[aidannwn.livejournal.com]

That does not make sense. If you only dd what you liked and only for free, you;d starve to death. This is not just artists, it applies to everyone. Or should I say artists cover a broad range of people, from architects and programmers to authors.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

yep, yep, and it seems to be the people who don't make things that think this way, yet they consume the product, just like anyone else.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Whenever someone tells me I should write for the glory of it, I say that they're still paying their printers/paper/web host, so fuck them.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

rock on!

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

I would never work for an art director that asks for free work. Unfortunately there must be people out there that will, since I hear about that sort of thing way too often.

Another attitude I get fairly often is, "You do art for money so you can't be a REAL artist." I suppose languishing dramatically in a drafty attic is a prerequisite. You just can't win. XD

[kayay.livejournal.com]

*daggers at the person who wrote that quote*