Knowing when to work for free and when to adjust your rates as a creative?
Rates as a creative is a difficult subject for many and this was also 100% me in the past. Why? I think the main reason is because we love what we do. We have been socialised to believe that most of the creative jobs are not 'real jobs' and it's just a hobby. Similarly, we have been taught to believe that it's not quite 'going to work' in the long run. If you are a millennial or older you probably grew up in a household where we were taught that we need to learn a skill that gives us an education to then be able to get a 'good secure job'. These factors have for some has socialised us to believe that creative services do not hold high value and therefore we shouldn't 'get ahead of ourselves' when setting our rates.
The good thing is that we live in an evolving society where we now have access to many platforms that have helped countless creatives nurture, showcase and develop their passions. On top of that, brands are more and more recognising the power of talented individuals and the value in their social media audiences. This creates a great opportunity for creatives to find exciting job opportunities and work in the area they are passionate about.
However, this also creates an energy imbalance that as a women business mentor I witness quite often on these platforms. Let me give you an example.
What happens when you accept free work in exchange for experience
When you start out and someone recognises your talents and books you, you are likely going to feel so overwhelmed and grateful, that the energy exchange is consumed by happiness for this opportunity- “doing what you love everyday”. You feel compelled to accept the job, despite the fact that there is no budget offered and the only remuneration you receive is in the form of exposure from the brand and experience to add to your resume.
After a few months of working for this brand, your experience is bound to improve and your talents will start getting more refined. Now you have bigger brands asking to work with you on a 'collaboration' basis. This still makes you feel grateful for the opportunity, the energy is filled and served by the 'validation' that the ‘blue tick’ on their profile gives you and by the potential ‘exposure’ from working with them. Being noticed by these brands can definitely turn anyone’s head around and make you feel like you are progressing and evolving in your 'passion' career.
However, if you keep working on a 'collaboration' basis, after some time you will have to start working a full-time job that doesn't excite you just to compensate for your 'passion job' that sometimes pays you. The energy exchange will lessen because it’s not new anymore and it’s becoming ‘work’. You become overworked, ‘burnt out’ and now challenging your passions?
You see how undervaluing yourself and lacking the ability to understand your true worth turns into eventually feeling discouraged to follow your passions. Working with big brands and gaining experience will make you feel the validation that you are indeed good in what you do, but not enough to hold your worth and be paid for your creative services. You will start to see your passion as more of a hobby that brings in money every now and then, and thinking of it as a real business starts feeling outrageous and overwhelming.
The importance of setting boundaries and standing your ground
What normally never grows from this type of 'working for experience or exposure' is the ability to understand the worth in our gifts and set our boundaries as time passes. This most commonly occurs from fear of standing in our power or losing an opportunity if we don't agree to work for no budget or if you change your rates you will lose clients. But if you don't step up and stand your ground, you will eventually hate it or achieve burn out.
The problem is not just about taking free experience or starting with a lower rate. The real important factor is fully understanding your needs and acknowledging when they change.This will look different for everyone but if you’re feeling it and this resonates, THEN DON’T IGNORE IT. More importantly, actually believing that you can have what you want and that you deserve it all comes with this internal mindset change and so this is what I’d challenge you to start with.
If this resonates with you, listen to my free masterclass session on overcoming Imposter Syndrome which gives you all the tips for dealing with this. It’s definitely going to change your perspective and help you see the true value in your gifts and in your passions.
Feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss this topic further!
