It is amazing to me how many people expect artisans and writers to work for free. It stuns me to the core at times. Because of the flooding market for artwork and writing, thanks to various online avenues, some folks just assume that if they query an artist or a writer they will work for free because it will help with their “exposure.”

Telling a writer or an artist to work for free because they will get “exposure” is no different than blackmail. Yes, I did just say that out loud. I would say it again.

I am a writer and I publish my articles on my blog because I do love writing and I gladly write for free, for myself on my blog. That last part does not often sit well with people.

My wife is a truly amazing and gifted artist. She paints with an eye like I have never seen. She would be approached by people wanting to buy her art. My wife would tell them the price, but the person would insist that she lower the price. At first, my wife would because she wanted her artwork to be known, but she discovered, that the more she did it, the more people would ask for it cheap. One time, a person took a painting promising to pay, but she never did. Recently, she told me she would never lower the price of her art again. I applaud her desire to see her art sell for the price that she sets.

Likewise, as a freelance writer, I often search for opportunities to write for a publication, whether online or otherwise. However, I came across one website that proclaimed it would not pay you for the first three months, but if it liked your articles enough, it would start paying you. At first, I sucked in my gut and prepared to send them something, but then, I thought, “Wait, how do I know they’ll hire me? How do I know if my articles are well received?”

I realized they could potentially get three months of free labor out of me and then cut ties with me whether my articles were well received or not.

Would a marketer go to work for a company that said they expected him or her to work for free? What about a chef at a restaurant? Of course not. Every writer and artisan deserves to get paid for their work, especially if it is read or viewed in a way that moves the purchaser.

No longer can a writer or artist be forced to work for free under the guise of “exposure.” We must recognize who is a good writer or artisan and give them their due.

What are you passionate about? Are you passionate about your hobbies? Your career? Or is it something else? Whatever it is, passion should be a part of the equation, something that makes you feel alive.

I have worked for and followed leaders who were not passionate about their work. When an employer lacks passion in a department, it pulls everyone down. How do you expect your employees to be passionate about their jobs when you are not?

Some people mistake satisfaction with passion. They go to the same job and do the same routine. It is comfortable and familiar. The truth is, when you are passionate about something, you will go after it even when it is uncomfortable.

I am not suggesting you risk your life’s stability. Far from it, but I am suggesting you pursue something in your life that makes you feel alive.

I have told this to others who have stated that I have unrealistic expectations of my life. Life is tough and all you can do is work. I have been told that wanting to live passionately is naive and that no one can do what makes you feel alive. You should jump on the bandwagon like everyone else and hope that you make it. Put your gear in neutral and coast, that is all you can expect to do.

I do agree that life is tough and that you have to work toward your goals. I will even concede that you do have to work hard. Hard work builds character and there is nothing wrong with that. I am a big believer in working hard. I know that no one owes me anything, nor am I entitled to anything.

With all that being said, I want my hard work to pay off. I want it to take me to a place where I can do what I am passionate about. I want to be a leader, hero, and author, that everyone can say, “He lived for his passion.”

I have been in a job (one I was good at) and never felt passionate about it. I would come home and just sit. My lovely wife would ask what was wrong and would I say, “Work is fine, but that’s it. It’s just fine.” I worked hard at that job, earning revenue, and got a pink slip for my efforts.

After that, I determined that even if my job did not satisfy that passionate part of me, I would find a way to fulfill it. I find it in writing. It might be something different for you.
I encourage you, to find a job, a hobby, an activity, or anything that can make you feel passionate about your life. Do not just coast, do not be fine, live with some risk, and be passionate.

There are two types of pride.

One is described as, “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority.” This is the type of pride that the wise King Solomon warned us about when he wrote, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall.” Yes, this sort of arrogant pride is what drives people away from you. Be very wary of that.

However, there is another type of pride. This one is defined as, “pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself.” This is being proud of what you have accomplished. This kind of pride is lacking a great deal in our society today where conformity is often valued higher than imagination.

It may seem harsh to say, but it is true. Unless the imaginative is really just being weird in disguise, the value of it is marginalized so much it is often considered to be a rarity. This is not true. Every person has a unique reason to be proud of what they have accomplished in life. 

Many try to say that an individual accomplishment is not truly won by the individual. I have heard it said that if someone may have helped an individual with their project, what it may be, therefore it is a sort of false pride that they have in their work. That individual should not take credit for their accomplishment. A few have fallen prey to this and when they do something big or important, they take false humility in claiming that they could not have done it without support. False humility is even worse than pride, but that is a whole other topic.

It may be true that help was given to you, but if you did it, with your sleeves rolled up as part of team or by yourself, take pride in your work and hold your head high. You still did it and you should be proud of the quality of the work that you did.

What if things had gone differently in the Industrial Age? What if Henry Ford had given up after his first failure in creating cheaper automobiles? Instead, he kept on innovating. He famously said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Here is a man who did not conform, but instead took pride in his work. Not only did he invent a better automobile, but he changed the way businesses run to this day.

Do not be afraid of taking credit for your accomplishments. If you were successful, you have a right to celebrate. Do not become arrogant, but acknowledge the hard work and the effort you put into whatever you have succeeded in. It does not matter whether you are a doctor who found a cure, an athlete who won the gold, an engineer who built a better engine, or a self-starter who founded your own successful business, be proud and take pleasure in your work. It is your success after all.