We know how detrimental the work-for-free culture can be to the vitality of the arts sector and we know we can’t afford to give away our skills. But for many of us, it is still awkward to ask for payment when offered ‘opportunities’ that don’t come with a price tag.
Behind the discomfort is a difficulty in articulating our worth. ‘Being comfortable asking for cash means valuing yourself, understanding your value and understanding what the market is willing to pay for it,’ said Rachel Service, founder of Happiness Concierge where she delivers workshops on knowing your boundaries at work.
Exactly what we are worth is also unclear in the arts industry. ‘Most creative industries are self-regulated which means there’s not always an award for what any of us do,’ said Viv Fantin of Next Act Coaching.
‘We generally do it for the love and because we don’t want to think about the alternative workplace scenario. So it is often left to us as individuals to make the decision as to our self-worth in relation to money. And that can be a fraught process due to entrenched mindsets around money and issues with self-esteem, people pleasing and over delivering,’ added Fantin.
While it’s next to impossible to put an exact dollar sign on creative output, it is possible to adopt tactics and strategies to deal with the awkward requests to work for free. Here is a list to help you know what questions to ask yourself to determine your worth, and build frameworks to help you form a response.
