xoxo, nico

if we describe ourselves as “freelance” then why do any prospective employers think we want to work for free? its as if they take the literal meaning of the first part of this overly used compound word and use it to take advantage of any self-employed individual and demote them to “intern” with experience. ahha, craigslist.org, an invaluable resource to find people seeking valuable services free of charge; the revolution that caused the cost of creativity and diminishing day rates to drop along with the rest of an economy who’s rich get richer and poor get food stamps but starving-artists-looking-for-reputable-work get trade for print. its not their fault, the employer didn’t do it either but he could the accessory to blame for contracting the hobbyist who got a digital SLR for a retirement gift. obviously that guy knows how to set the dial at the little green square better than the intern fresh out of pratt buried under student loan debt but hungry enough to work for the stipend they’d get if the employer didn’t keep it in his pocket in exchange for yet another self-taught “talent” credit. its difficult not to let the big apple rot while you slave away for a corporate salary until the day your pension allows you to pay for the electronics you’ve always wanted. making it is not about the benefits, its about creating something out of nothing. if we are brave enough to live off our art then we should be proud to swallow our pride when we truly believe in any gig commissioned for free.