We must CONSUME the stuff you make—but we have contempt for you (creativity rant).

The BBQ Pit
1

First off, this isn’t a copyright rant. There are several threads on copyright going on now, so I see no need to start a new one. But I have something I need to get off my chest, and now’s the time for it. Actually, this rant is more inspired by a thread from an art-related message board on a similar subject: how some non-artist types think that all artists should give their work away for free, or for a pittance. (And I want to add, before I go any further, I am assuming that most of you on this board are more enlightened, so my ire is not directed at you. Just the clueless ones who are guilty of the behavior I describe below.)

First off, I’ll re-post something I wrote on one of the copyright rants, since I think I expressed myself well enough there, and am too lazy to re-do it again:

OK, that’s just part of it. But I’ll elaborate more:

Don’t tell us that how “poor” you are. Don’t tell us, “but you’re my friend!!” I mean, that sometimes works, and sure, I often have done favors for friends in the form of free art. But don’t expect it, any more than you’d expert your car mechanic friend to always fix your car.

Just because we enjoy doing whatever we’re doing, don’t assume that we’ll find the project you’d like us to do to be equally enjoyable. To be honest, I don’t think I’d find doing a pencil portrait of your Aunt Martha all that “enjoyable”. True, I love to draw pencil portraits, and true, I doodle and draw all the time. But I enjoy that because I draw what I want to draw. Drawing your Aunt Martha, while not exactly Chinese Water Torture (perhaps even an enjoyable challenge) is not something I’d ever do on my own time. Chances are, I’d only do it because I’m being compensated in some way.

Please don’t give me the line that if I give you some of my art for free, you’ll “promote” me. I’ve heard this line for a very long time, and I’ve ceased to believe it. Also, please don’t insult me by asking me to do some work for a business project you are working on for free, with the nebulous promise that, “After I make all my money back, maybe I can pay you for your artwork.” Don’t do that. Because we both know that it’s quite likely that I’ll never see any money from you. Oh sure, you’ll get your money back, and all your other creditors will get paid back, and I’ll be last in line.

(A caveat here: I know that sometimes there are some really beneficial situations where artists do free work and do get promotion out of it that is actually helpful. But the way it usually works is that the artist picks the time when they want to give out some freebies, and the artist approaches a suitable person and offers them freebies.)

Please don’t assume that because I don’t take a long time to complete an art project, that it’s “easy”, or that it’s not worth a whole lot.

People see me draw something out so quickly, and get offended when I want to charge a certain amount of money for the work. There are two main reasons why this pisses me off:

First, why act so OFFENDED about what I charge? If it’s too high for you, just go ask someone else. I am not the last artist on the planet, and trust me, if you don’t have me do a portrait of Aunt Martha, the world will not collapse. Don’t act as if I am taking bread from your starving children. You don’t have to own my artwork.

Secondly, if it takes me only a few hours to do the artwork, and therefore is so “easy”, let’s see you do it. Oh? What’s that? You can’t do it? Why’s that? It must not be that “easy” after all!

Did you ever consider that the reason I can finish my artwork in a (relatively) short amount of time is because I worked REALLY hard at it? Do you have any idea how many sketchbooks I filled up, how much practice I had to do to build my speed and accuracy up? When some of you were diddling away your time with video games (not that there’s anything wrong with video games…) I was drawing. Drawing, drawing, drawing. A drawing geek, that’s me. So yeah, if I’m fast at it now, it’s because I earned every damned bit of that speed.

Well, I think that’s a long enough rant for now. Sigh. It felt good to get that out.

2

A villager decided he wanted a picture of a rooster, so he approached the village artist in his studio and described what he wanted and its size. They negotiated the price (it was not cheap) and agreed on a completion date.

A couple of weeks later he returned to pick up the piece. “Oh,” said the artist, “just a moment”. He turned and with several deft motions drew exactly the rooster the villager had been looking for. “Now wait just a cotton-picking minute” said the villager. “Why should I pay a large sum for that? It’s a wonderful piece, exactly what I wanted, but it only took you a few seconds to draw that rooster.” Without saying a word the artist led the villager to a closet and opened the door. Inside were stacks and piles of drawings of roosters.

3

It’s not like you’re giving away anything of value, though. It’s just paper, for Og’s sake. And it’s not like drawing is a job – you do it for fun! Besides, it’s just art, it’s not furniture or food or anything that people should pay for.

Get over yourself. You owe the world.

/sarcasm

4

This sort of thing comes up on the Harplist all the time. (I don’t play out for $$, but a lot of people there do.) People apparently expect you to play “for exposure” or to donate musical services.

Harps are expensive musical instruments. It takes a lot of time to learn to play one well.

So it’s not just a problem in the visual arts. The workman is worthy of his hire.

5

There’s actually a local artist who’s work I absolutely ADORE!

I’ve commissioned a few pieces from him and he always gives me a fabulous price because he’s friends with my roommate.

While I’m quite happy to get a discount because of my connection, I would never dream of asking for something for free. Frankly, I think that would be offensive to everyone involved.

However, come to think of it, my roommate has convinced him to come and paint my bathroom vanity in exchange for dinner. Mind you, I have just commissioned a mirror from him…

Well shit. Here I was looking forward to having my vanity painted but now I feel bad. However, he was the one who suggested dinner to her as payment.

Crud. Is it OK for me to let him paint my vanity, or am I going to have to get involved in some sort of monitary way?

YBabe - any thoughts?

6

alice: That’s fine. It was a barter agreement and the artist suggested the payment. Also, he may be willing to do a favor for you because you’re a regular customer.

I don’t think yosemitebabe has any objection to bartering for artwork, as long as it is a fair barter. Asking for free artwork in exchange for some vague promise of future payment is not a fair barter agreement.

7

Not only that, but people don’t realize what musicians need to do those freebie gigs. Two examples, both from the same entity that expected free work – the dot com I used to work for.

  1. I was expected to play my electric guitar at a party where we just finished a project. I was expected to jam with a guy who was a “pretty good drummer.” Of course he was not allowed to bring his kit in to work, so he had to make one from old bottles and cans. We were told to use the coffee station as a “stage.” When I asked where I could plug my amp in, they all looked me like “Electricity? You really need that? Can’t you do without?” Not a fucking clue. Not to mention that somehow our playing caused a real craving for – you guessed it – coffee. Every halfwit in the place had to crawl over us to get some, and when they did, they got upset that we stopped playing.

  2. Another party – and some fuckwad got wind that enough employees played instruments that we could form a band and play at this party. Keep in mind that only two of us played anywhere near a professional level. The rest had once owned bad instruments in their youths, hadn’t played since, and could maybe borrow one for this gig. Also keep in mind that said company had sent me off to training for the week prior to the gig, and I was getting home after 9pm every night – not real conducive to rehearsing. So – two musicians (actually, one was a singer, but that’s another rant :wink: ), no songs in common, and no rehearsal time. And yet e-mails circulated daily stating that the company band was not only going to play 3 sets, but was already sounding pretty hot. No, ass-bombs, we sounded like a whole lot of fucking silence. We were well rehearsed on the gentle strains and heart-racing crescendos of Og-damned dead fucking air. And people were pretty upset with us over that.

8

You know, I carry a lot of handmade items in my store, and I hear that cheapass attitude about artists all of the time.

Why is this so expensive? A legitimate question. I and my staff take the time to point out to the customer how much work went into the creation of the item, we draw attention to the special little details the artist included, we mention the background and reputation of the artist. Half the time the response we get is Puhleease… I could make that if I wanted to. I could buy that at Wal-Mart. I could go outside and pick artwork for free off of my backyard art trees. Well, knock youself out, sister.

In addition to local artisans’ work, I carry some beautifully crafted items from Peru, and Kenya, and Nicaragua. These are not the usual tourist schlock, but one-of-a-kind pieces of folk art. Again, customers ask, Why is this so expensive? Our staff and our signs explain how this is a special handmade item and how we always buy from Fair Trade members with references, so the artist receives a fair price for her work. The response? Well, see the above replies.

Some people just can’t be educated about the value of the product or service they receive.

9

JayElle wrote

Not to knock the OP which I completely agree with, but I think every business owner hears that question all the time. It’s not just a matter of art. Every consumer wants a cheaper price, and the first negotiating tactic is to attack the value. The second is to attack the cost.

Just the nature of some people.

10

Heh. This rant can be trebled in accuracy and vitriol by applying it to freelance writers.

The average schmoe simply cannot believe that I would actually charge someone to write a product description, or tag line, or ad, or whatever. “It’s just words. Everybody knows how to write.”

Yuh. Stephen King once said something to the effect of “Writing isn’t hard, in the same sense that brain surgery isn’t hard. All writing is, is stringing words together so they make sense. Just so. And all brain surgery is, is holding a knife and cutting. Just so.”

It’s simplicity itself, really. That’s why I’m occasionally sweating blood at two in the freakin’ ayem, searching in vain for the right word or phrase or overall concept. The one that will make the client smile and exclaim “That’s exactly what I was trying to say!” Sometimes the word or concept or whatever has handles the size of truck tires, and I grasp it easily; sometimes it’s as slippery as snot on a summer day, and for all my efforts it runs right through my fingers … so close, and yet so fershlugginer far.

But the end result always looks easy to someone who didn’t have to do it. “They paid you for that?” Incredulous. Mocking. Derisive.

It’s almost a relief to kill them.

11

When I go to get my teeth cleaned, it takes the technician five, maybe ten minutes. She never seems to be putting any effort into it, she’s usually pretty laid-back and relaxed, like it’s not any kind of work for her to do it. When she’s done, my teeth are cleaner and in better condition than if I spent all day on them.

Not in my wildest dreams would I expect this to be free.

12

I must say that it looks like you’ve mastered your craft.

13

Wow. I knew I was not alone. And I knew all creative folks got treated lke this. Some people think that what we do (creative works) are just “easy”. I want to strangle them sometimes.

There’s a not unusual phenomenon that happens when some people see me draw, or see my drawings. (Usually it’s a young man or teenaged boy who does this. Don’t ask why, but usually that’s who it is.) The look at my artwork, and in an almost dismissive tone and a shrug, say, “Oh, I can do that too.” This is almost always complete and utter bullshit. A few times I’ve handed a pencil to the little snot and have asked them to draw something. They hem and haw, sputter, and back off really quick.

Why do people do this? Good grief.

14

And I should also add, (after reading this some of the posts on this thread), that other folks with other kinds of skills probably get this kind of treatment as well. Very irritating indeed!

Oh, and alice_in_wonderland, Green Bean has it right on the money. It’s a barter situation, and the artist brought up the idea. No guilt for you!

15

Bless you for that. Made my day.

16

Wow - I’ve been pardoned by the guilt-nazi! :wink:

This makes me feel better. The artist in question is notoriously short of cash so I was wondering. Also, this way he has free reign to do what he wants (which is his preference), but if I was paying I would have the final say.

Whew. :slight_smile:

17

Not to take anything away from the OP, but this is hardly relegated only to artists. I think any sort of skilled professional has to put up with this all the time. Doctors especially. (“You’re a doctor? Hey, I’ve got this pain in my back…”) Probably lawyers, too. (You’re a lawyer? Hey, I’ve got this neighbor who sideswiped my car…") I’m a precision machinist, and even I’ve gotten this crap from people. No shit: I’ve had people ask me to manufacture parts for their drug labs. There are so very many reasons why I’m not making parts for your drug lab, but the number one reason is you aren’t offering me any goddam money to do it.

However, I suspect artists get this a hell of a lot more often, because you’re supposed to be all “free-spirited” and “non-material”. People expect lawyers to be greedy, so they don’t get as shocked when they don’t get any free legal advice.

18

I had a friend who wanted a small application written for him, I said sure (I was still in school and I thought the experience would be good) I had worked about 30 hours on it, and was about 2/3 done. I told him I would probably charge $80 for it, given that I could sell it to a few others (it was a little app for chicken farmers)

His response was, “I don’t want you getting rich off of me.”

Weirdly enough my work on it stopped immediately. What a fuckhead.

I have no problem with people not wanting to pay lots of money for something, I am like that, but I am also not so stupid as to try guilt, or try for a freebee, I will just walk away.

19

This is rampant in the cooking world. Maybe not in so much the way that people don’t want to pay, but the idea that anyone can do it. It’s obvious from the wages that employers pay and from the help they hire. There have been too many times that I have taken over responsibility for an entire station when I only worked lunch. I used to spend half my prep time making dinner because the idiot they hired for dinner couldn’t get it done.

20

I was living in Oklahoma City sometime in the early '80’s when there was a big debate on whether the salary for members of the Oklahoma City symphony should be increased. It seemed obvious to me: the average pay was about $12,000/year at the time, and if you want quality musicians, you generally have to pay a quality price.

I was amazed that the general consensus (at least as reflected by the letters to the editor in the Daily Oklahoman) was, “Hell, they’re doing what they enjoy! They should be grateful they’re paid at all!” If memory serves, Oklahoma City lost their symphony soon after that.

I’m not sure if they ever got it back.