Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Why Aren't the Arts Taken Seriously?

Cruising through online sites like Craigslist and ODesk looking for freelance work, it bothers me so much that people who earn their living creatively aren't respected. Someone looking for a photographer on my local Craigslist said, "We don't pay, but you can use the photos you take for us in your portfolio." Really? How generous. ODesk, widely touted by ABC's Good Morning America last winter as a place for people to find work, recently had someone looking for someone to write articles 500 words or so for $2.50 per article "because they are easy to write." So if they are so easy to write, why not do it yourself? And ODesk is full of similar offerings, so much that I won't check there anymore. Let's not forget all the opportunities for "interns" (read: unpaid dogsbody).

Does your lawyer offer to represent you for free because s/he's building his resume? Does your doctor take care of you for free because s/he's just starting out? No.

The bottom line here is, no-one should work for free. Ever.

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