It’s Not OK to Be a Starving Artist

A breakdown of where I earn my income.

Image by: Marteen van den Heuvel

I was so excited to read this story. Four German artists nominated for the top artistic prize in their country denounced the recognition. In a joint statement, here’s a bit of what they had to say:

“We would like to stress that commitments to diversity in gender, race, and experience need to be built into the everyday operations of institutions and organizations rather than celebrated occasionally at high-profile events,” their statement reads in part. “The fact that the Preis der Nationalgalerie does not have a monetary value, and that the exhibitions and public talks of its nominees do not include fees, means that artists are rewarded only by the promise of exposure.”

Amen! I’d like to salute each of these artists. Sole Calero, Iman Issa, Jumana Manna, and Agnieszka Polska, the creative world thanks you. In fact, we need more of you in our community. Those who are not satisfied with the allure of exposure as compensation. As if exposure on it’s own represents the value of our creations.

It doesn’t. I don’t care what client or curator tells you. Your art is worth more than views, more than the promise of future, possible, monetary compensation. Your art is worth the dollar value you place on it.

But we as creatives need to demand this. Just like we pay for cell phones and other gadgets, let’s make sure the world understands that our art comes with a price tag. This is something I’ve preached over and over, to some opposition from my own peers no less. But preaching without action doesn’t work, so I’ll show you guys that it’s possible to make good money as a writer and artist.

Income Breakdown Extended contracts: Right now, I am on a six month contract for RBC. Before that, I was on a year-to-year contract with a publishing company. These contracts are usually where I make most of my money. Personal Clients: This number fluctuates month to month as I gain new clients, and other contracts expire. What I do for these clients is tell their stories. Most of the time it’s through articles on a website or blog site, but it can also be through a series of posts directly on social media. Ghost Writing : I’m part of an amazing team of writers who ghost write for some pretty cool clients. We’re sworn to NDA’s, but some of our work is on publications such as Forbes, Time, Inc, Elle Magazine, Global Citizen, and more. These gigs pay well. Creative Writing Projects: This year, I’ve co-written a book and wrote a screenplay for this first time. Both of these were done for clients and combined added up to over $10,000. Influencer Campaigns : My most recent Influencer campaign was with CCFC. They pay me monthly to write on subjects that are tid to their causes. I do this through my HuffPost blog. Guest Blogging: I’ve been paid and continue to get paid for guest blogging gigs. Book Sales: This isn’t lucrative yet, but I make money every quarter from the sales of my first two books. Random : Sometimes people find me on sites like Monster, Indeed, or sometimes even Linkedin and ask me to do random, one time projects. This includes writing the copy for a website they are building, or something much more niche.

My point is that no one writing project is going to make you enough income to where you can sustain yourself. You need to hone you skills so you are versatile enough as a writer to capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves.

I also don’t even entertain these “pay you later” deals. If you want to work with me, then come with an offer and get ready to negotiate. Do I have passion projects? Of course. But I choose which of those projects are worth putting in huge amounts of time without any guarantee of financial gain.

Listen, no one is going to value our work unless we demand it. So let’s collectively take a stand and start demanding we get paid and paid well. Clients will get the message soon enough, especially if we are united in our efforts as artists.

Really hope I at least let you know that creativity can be rewarded. It takes a lot of work, a little patience, and an unyielding will to stick to your guns.

It’s Not OK to Be a Starving Artist was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.