Tired Of Being Asked To Work For Free, This Artist Started Drawing These Client Requests

I love the idea that he's linked the words to faces, great job Ryan! The amount of people who still ask artists to work for free is insane. Artists love their work, sure, but there are many cases where we just have to make money. And this costs time, focus and energy. Whether people want to accept it or not: Being an artist / designer is also a job and it's not always fun.

There's a website dedicated to these situations. It's called Clients from Hell. This kind of stuff gets posted there all the time. I can only attribute these client notions to two attitudes in the general population. 1) Doing almost anything creative (art, writing, etc.) is not "real" work... you know, the kind of work that drenches you in sweat when you do it. 2) If you enjoy it, it's not "real" work. If either of these two conditions are present (and Heaven help you if both are), you should be embarrassed to be paid for what you do.

If you make crochet items or knitted ones for sale it is not uncommon for people to object to the price of the item because it is more than the cost of the yarn. They expect to get your time and skill for free. I have told several people that if they just want to pay for the yarn then go buy some and make it yourself. This is not generally well accepted and has led to hatemail.

OOT: As IT Programmer: People think I can teach & edit data in offices program, photoshop, hacking, stalking online profile, fix computer, handphone, laptop, fridge, dishwasher, etc... *and for free of course, coz they use "help, please.."

Like anyone in business it is up the them to ensure both parties understand what is expected. In the day of computers everything can be documented so I would just send off a little agreement and work out everything. A deposit should be asked for and if they don't give one then I wouldn't do any work, little time wasted. There is no shame in asking or expecting to be paid for any work someone does, no matter who is doing the asking. My dad was a painter and a drummer and always worked out the details beforehand and always got some upfront money, he had 6 kids to feed.

We get at least one request a month to play bagpipes for "exposure". If I want exposure I'll lift my kilt....

the issue is that (whether print art or musician) people will continue to have no esteem and show up with free art. when we put our feet down and tell them to pay us, we will be paid. i went to the juilliard school of music and it was demanded of me often (still is) to play for free. i was offered a "job" about 10 years ago with the Loveland (CO) "opera company". there were over 30 services (1.5-3 hours each - rehearsals and performances) and the pay for 70+ hours was about $250.00. i told the director that i would not be able to make 4 services and was summarily told that my pay would be docked. now, in LA or NY (where i had been a union member, a service is compensated about $250/service. when i told her that i would not be able to play for less than $3.00 an hour - i was afterall a juilliard grad, she told me - screaming - "you'll never work in this town again" a week later i booked jobs for $150/hour. so... have some esteem folks. don't work for nothing.

Can we please put what others say about how much they loved PAYING for ur work That would be so uplifting!!!!

This makes me so furious! Everyone wants freebies! Gah!

Fun and gut wrenching all at once. Nice work Emmie, cool brush and ink work.

Good grief, what a bunch of entitled pricks.

If I had $100 for each time I did something for the "profile"...I'd be getting paid.

"I won't share it unless we work together. Otherwise it's your property". Thanks Roland you sure know how to make me feel special and work for free.

I am still laughing. So right on.

The ones above that I have personally experienced: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (Bali, not Jordan though), 7, 9, 10, 12

NO !!! no-59214682c46c8.jpg

this is the same attitude that insists that teachers don't need to get paid. I'm sorry if you hate your job, but just because someone loves their job doesn't mean that they do it for free.

so did the ryan get paid for his visualizations?

All contractors (in construction esp) submit proposals, then, if approved, submit a contract with 30%/30%/30% payment schedule. This seems reasonable to me for artwork. Either way, written contract is mandatory. Emails count.

Hey, mr. Gas man, how about you fill my tank for free, and I will tell everyone what great service you give? Or you, mr. Grocer. Hook me up with some free meat out of the goodness of your heart? Or you, mrs. Landlady. Let me live here rent free out of support for the artistic community? No? Then..DON'T ASK FOR ANY FREE ART!