RE: Are you seeking an artist...?

[crowdog66]

From http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/crg/227511919.html -- an interesting rant. The circumstances don't apply to me now, but when I was just starting out I remember getting the "I can't pay you, BUT..." line a lot. :-P

I tidied up some misspelling and bad punctuation, but otherwise this article is as I found it.

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RE: Are you seeking an artist...?

Reply to: gigs-227511919@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-10-29, 8:46PM EST

I have a question for advertisers who are "seeking artists".

Let me ask you... How many artists do you know?
Have you met many people, personally, who are capable of performing the tasks you need accomplished? Do you know a dozen? Five? Two? ANY...?

Do you think it is common to find someone with a combination of natural ability, training AND working experience in the art field?
... Someone who can give you the product you need, with any degree of quality and professionalism?

We're not too common, are we? Not easy to find, huh?

Let me give you a clue, for free!: There are three times as many neuro-surgeons in the world than there are professional artists.
There are almost twice as many tenured college professors.
There are approximately 12 times as many certified auto mechanics, and up to 400 times as many people working as professionals in the IT field.

So, let me ask... if you had an aneurysm, would you ask a neuro-surgeon to operate on it with the payment of "having his work shown"?
Would you barter for a university education by telling the professor that he could display your PHD in his portfolio?
Would you try to have your fuel injection system rebuilt for $20, by promising that you'd give him a ride a couple of times afterward?

Precisely what the hell is wrong with you people?
We professional artists are just that - professionals. It's a career, if not more. (A calling, to most.) It's a finely honed skill, which, most would argue, needs to be based first upon an innate talent that the vast majority never possess to begin with.

So why do you continue to ask us to do work for little or nothing?

If our work isn't worth anything, why do you need it so badly?

A few T-Shirts is not payment.
Neither is the chance to have people see our work displayed at some auto show somewhere. Nor is it free copies of your silly magazine, full credit on your indie film, or anything else of the like.
Payment is payment.

Have some respect for our craft, and stop treating us like hobbyists. This is not something we do on Sunday afternoons to kill time before the game. This is our career. Treat it as such, for christ's sake.

You want to pay in T-Shirts? Try cruising the local high-school's art class.

Just remember... you get what you pay for.

(I apologize to everyone for this rant. It had to be done. Soul-cleansing vents, and all that.)

Copyright © 2006 craigslist, inc

Comments

[7-league-boots.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. For "artist" also insert "writer".

The sad thing is that a) many people who fancy themselves artists WILL do it for the "exposure", to feel flattered, and to send a copy to Mom, and b) many people who commission art, or writing, can't tell the difference.

Sigh.

[metisbutterfly.livejournal.com]

I agree...artists' work is often undervalued in terms of payment. Same with actors (small time actors that is, not hollywood LOL). My sister is in the performing arts and has been offered to be paid in very bizarre manners, if paid at all.
Needs to be more appreciation for the arts.
BB
Morgaine

[cockatiel-art.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, I agreeeee! I'm still in the 'searching for a job mode' which I admit I'm horrendous at. But I know the tune! I have the same feeling about art in general. People just don't give a shit. They have no idea what it takes to produce that 30 second animation or that 20 page graphic novel. How many people know that artists will work 30 hour shifts for something that they get paid $30 for? Christ... BABY SITTERS get paid more >.< . We're like garbage. Cool at the momment but easily forgotten. Or.. that's how I'm made to feel. Compare this to 1000 years ago where we were the ones people went to for portraits of family and religious icons. We were the writers of centuries back. Now we're made to feel like the ass wipe thrown in the sewers. I bet people would notice if all artists went on strike >:)

[lenora-rose.livejournal.com]

WORD!

Before World Fantasy Con in Minneapolis, I added up my hours and supply costs for my pottery.... and they invariably came to well over twice what I got paid at Keycon, even on those rare occasions I got an up-bid. WFC, of course, being a more professional convention, I raised the prices to 2/3 or 3/4 their actual worth (Or about what I'd get if paid minimum wage for time and nothing for supplies) and still made good sales. (In spite of some totally unprofessional art show muck-ups... but that's another rant and old history.)

I don't even want to think about adding up the hours over the years I've taken with writing. Almost no reasonable first-timer advance would be nearly up to it, yet.... although there at least I understand the business side well enough to know if they could afford more, they'd pay more.

Still, the worst problem is that some artists devalue *themselves* enough to think that exposure sounds sufficient. If no artist anywhere, ever, accepted work for credit or exposure, people might start to pay.