Member-only story
Creativity and Money Are Not Mutually Exclusive
The narrative around this, however, is complicated.
I think everyone is familiar with the concept of the starving artist. There is this pervasive idea in the collective consciousness that artists — no matter your art — are noble in their struggle. This is part of why hobbyists are frequently hit with the idea of “exposure” over getting paid for their art.
I’ve jumped at opportunities to write for exposure. There was a tiny magazine, largely just a vehicle for advertising, that I got to write a couple of articles for. Then, one became the actual cover story. When they asked for more, I let them know that I appreciated the exposure, but now I needed to be paid for my time and work.
Guess how many more articles they asked of me?
I have multiple friends who are fiber artists. They can knit, crochet, or sew incredible things with relative ease. When someone commissions a work from them, they often balk at the cost. “But, don’t you do it for the love?” Perhaps, but even factoring in material costs, every other job pays for time, effort, and expertise. Why are artists expected to work for little or for free so often?
This is why I’m sharing this. Because the reality is that creativity and money are not mutually exclusive.
