30 Infuriating ‘Choosing Beggars’ Who Think They Deserve Special Treatment From Artists

We wanted to find out why artists are such common targets for people demanding free work. Here's what a representative of The Freelancer Club team had to say: "Artists throughout history have always been supported by the aristocracy. Patrons such as the Medici family would commission the masters to create works of art in the Renaissance era. Perhaps it stems from childhood. The idea of kids doodling with finger paints is seen as an infantile pursuit and this leaves an association in the adult mind."

They continued: "We have found amongst our members that freelancers who turn their passion into their profession often struggle with the business side of things. Knowing how much to charge, asking for money, writing a business plan, or setting business goals is not why they chose to get into freelancing. They also tend to work in sectors that leverage their cache to undervalue and exploit young talent such as the fashion, music and film industry. It's a vicious cycle based on fear. Say 'no' to an unpaid 'opportunity' and someone else might take it. When the talent is willing to work for free, businesses take advantage."

Unfortunately, artists appear to be very undervalued. "Creative thinking is one of the most sought after characteristics amongst business leaders and yet undervalued when not positioned within an economic context. Artistic skills, when reframed in certain professions, seem to be valued a lot more. A UI Designer or Graphic Designer who uses digital creative tools is able to command a far higher wage than a fine artist."

The Freelancer Club has been running a campaign called #NoFreeWork for the past 6 years. It speaks out against the exploitation of unpaid work in the creative industry. "We visit universities and creative institutions speaking about the importance of this issue and how the next generation of creative minds must value themselves by saying 'no' to unpaid work," the representative said.

"We also contact companies who repeatedly post unpaid roles online and we have been in talks with the [UK] Government to change legislation to provide creative freelancers with more legal protection. It requires all sides of the industry to become educated on this matter and a collective effort to put an end to the exploitation."

You can sign The Freelancer Club's #NoFreeWork petition right here.

In an earlier interview with Bored Panda, The Freelancer Club team told us more about the culture of working for exposure. 

“Many see freelancers, particularly in the creative sector, as hobbyists and believe they can get away with 'paying' in exposure. They leverage their audience size, their brand name, or the allure of gaining recognition. This is why services in exchange for exposure is commonplace in glamorous sectors such as fashion, music, and film,” a representative of The Freelancer Club went into detail about the culture of work-for-exposure.

“From a freelancer point of view, they are often told that working for exposure is a rite of passage or an essential part of building a portfolio by their teachers, college professors, and peers. This has created a culture of exploitation that we must address at both ends.”

According to them, working for exposure or for free damages not only freelance artists’ career prospects but also affects the industry as a whole—in a negative way.

“In the UK, unpaid work costs every freelancer £5,394 per year and the figure is very similar in the States. If you give up your work for exposure thinking you will get paid work from it in the future, the statistics show this is rarely the case, besides, shouldn't additional work be a consequence of a paid job anyway? If someone is willing to promote your work, they must value it so why not pay them! It's easy to get into a cycle of working for exposure and never get paid.”

The main reasons why people work for exposure are because they hope that they’ll get paid work in the future, that they’ll add to their portfolio, or that they’ll use the name of the company that promotes their work. Not only that, it feels good to know that your creative work gets to be seen by a lot of people.   

“Many creative people are told to 'get a real job' when they express their desire to do something artistic. Seeing their work in print, online, or gaining recognition somehow validates their decision and, in a twisted way, proves the doubters wrong. The irony is that they have given up their value to do so,” The Freelancer Club’s rep said.

“Work out your day rate. Once you know your value, get comfortable talking about money, and stick to your guns. We've proven that working for exposure rarely results in paid work, collaborate with other creatives or set a self-project to build your portfolio and keep in mind that the culture of working for exposure is very damaging to you and to your industry. You are talented—value yourself and others will value you too.”