Busman's Holiday: Creatives shouldn't be asked for free labor

[topaznebula]

If you’re an artist or your work entails creativity, and especially if you own your own small business, I can all but guarantee you’ve been asked to work for free.
Usually it’s family.

Maybe they think you just love your work so much you’d rather work for free than not at all. Maybe they think they’re entitled to your free labor because they know

Comments

[tonithegreat]

This does seem to be a major issue in a lot of creative fields! Nice use of the prompt.

[bleodswean]

Bravo! Bravo! My years as a newborn and wedding photographer created gobs of issues like this and caused strangely dramatic problems for me. Whether I said yes or no. I feel ya!

[roina_arwen]

Excellent points. Thanks for sharing!

[rayaso]

This is excellent. You make great points. I love your polite way of saying "no" to requests for free work. I once met a baker who was always being asked to bake free wedding cakes, as if they were as easy to make as cupcakes. It's a rude world.

[beeker121]

This is well argued and oh so true. Too many people think that it's not that hard, but if you can't do it yourself and want it done well, you have to be prepared to pay.