Working for Free

Our culture seems to be on the verge of an overhaul. A high school diploma doesn't get a terrific job, and even a college degree isn't a guarantee you'll get hired. Internships are unpaid and all the kids want them. The few who get the internships may get jobs later, after they have worked for free for three months? six months? one year?

This model isn't totally new to artists and writers. In the 1980s I read an article in a dance publication that has stayed with me. It was written by a professional dancer who was alarmed by how many performing artists would dance, play, or otherwise perform for free or little compensation. The argument was that it cheapens the work and promotes a suspicious attitude toward those who ask higher prices. Artists have never gotten paid much to begin with. Performing artists have had a raw deal for decades; people think they are doing them a favor by asking them to perform at street fairs, block parties and such for free, "for exposure." And sometimes it does lead to future gigs, and although that's not my area of expertise, I'm betting it doesn't.

Then we've got the culture of borrowing. Content flows freely online. People know that some of their posts will get reblogged somewhere else, so they accept ads in the hopes of eventually getting paid for their time. A few people are able to subsist this way, although I don't know anyone who does. Ultimately, will most of our work be automated? Even our creative work? This article seems to lean that way.

There are many examples of hidden creative work. If we go to the apps store we look for the free apps first. No one is thinking about the developers's time. The developer is a maker who wants his/her work seen and would like to make a living making, too.

Money is a touchy subject. We've all heard pledge drives and wished they were over so we could get on with the music, concert, play, show, whatever. Do we have to make giving attractive and desirable by tarting it up with free gifts? Perhaps we are wired to look for bargains for self-preservation; after all, we have to live, too. But I believe we can transcend our animal nature and be consciously aware of our actions. Those who understand what the work entails often tend to be more willing to pay for it. Perhaps we need to educate those outside of our fields, add a description of the process or a personal note to our pieces to call attention to what it is that we do. It takes a conscious and gracious decision to support creative work.