Beggars can't be choosers, can they?
I don’t usually offer to work for free with the exception of volunteer work. I like lending my hand to organisations that are working to make the world a better place and that align with my values.
A few weeks ago, I came across an animal welfare charity looking for someone to design a mural. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to combine my love of animals, art, and architecture into a beautiful mural that could inspire people to adopt animals.
I submitted my application, along with examples of my work, and I was thrilled when the charity reached out to me.
However, when the charity asked me to estimate materials costs and submit a full project outline within two weeks without discussing any expectations or guidelines, I was confused.
After inquiring further, I discovered that they hadn't actually chosen me as the final artist, but were asking all the artists who had sent an application to submit ideas so the charity could choose the best one.
This is a practice I’ve seen many companies use and I felt upset about it — it felt exploitative.
Why not choose an artist based on their portfolio, instead of asking all of them to spend time creating designs that might or might not be chosen?
I tried to explain to the charity that there was a better way to approach this project — they could choose the style of art they liked and then collaborate with the artist to come up with a design that would make both parties happy.
But they weren't interested in my suggestion, so in the end, I decided to pull out of the project.
Sadly, there's a pervasive belief that art is just a hobby, or that artists will be grateful for any opportunity to showcase their work. As a result, artists are constantly asked to work for free, or for "exposure."
I couldn't in good conscience participate in a situation where my work and time weren't valued.
It made me wonder: if a bunch of accountants offered their services for free, would the charity ask them to submit multiple sets of forms so they could choose the best one? Of course not.
They would choose the accountant based on their qualifications and experience, and then work with them to ensure the best outcome.
The bottom line is that artists deserve to be treated with respect, just like any other professionals.
Even if we’re offering to do something for free, that doesn't mean that our time and effort are worthless. It's disrespectful and exploitative to ask artists to jump through hoops or to compete with each other for the chance to work for a paid job, let alone for free.
If you're an artist, stand up for yourself and don't let anyone take advantage of you. And if you're not an artist, remember that the next time you ask someone to do creative work for free, you're asking them to give up something valuable.
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