Art scraped online to build datasets for AI image generators is this year's hot topic. But art is never free. Art is always being stolen or bartered for as "exposure" etc. Fighting art theft has been a longtime theme here on the blog. Securing your creative rights is the first step. Register those copyrights and trademarks! The laws that protect your work from unauthorized commercial use can't be enforced if you aren't securing your registration certificates. Educate your fan base. Build your brand. When your unique vision and products generate a following you will always be the only one providing your original skills and artWORK.
Charge what your work is really worth. Your expertise. Your time. Your supplies. What you deliver is more than the final product.. it's what it goes into it too. Share process posts to get your fans invested in your art life efforts. Artist Lily Williams ( https://lilywilliamsart.com/ ) shared these templates..
This Jan 2017 post on the blog has been getting a lot of views this month. http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2017/01/freedom-from-free-art-calculate-your.html
(graphic below by Michelle Leivan on cafe press)
http://www.cafepress.com/leivan/8172417
Some recent news segments on my You Tube feed prompted me to revisit this topic of freedom from "free art." Why does the public feel entitled to "like and share" without credit and compensation for the art? Why do artists feel their creations have diminished value compared to other skilled labor?
"How much money do Americans need to feel comfortable?" This August 2023 CNBC report looks at some hard numbers. And how most of us are falling short.
Can you make a living as a free-lance artist? Yes. But it takes more than talent. It takes business skills and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Start with knowing your numbers. Never work for free. You have expenses to meet. Plus you need savings to set aside. You can do pro-bono work on your terms on your schedule. Don't let anyone feel entitled to your experience, time and supplies for their benefit but at your expense.
Keep records. Balance sheets. Budgets. Staying on top of these helps at tax time. Make goals for each year and review them quarterly. Having your finances in order takes a lot of stress out of the art life equation. You can't do your best art if you're own physical, mental, and emotional resources aren't meeting your needs. Or are challenged by bills and debt. You need health insurance, car insurance etc. too! Maybe a side job brings benefits you need. All these factors must be managed.
It's not just artists feeling squeezed. This July "Meet the Press" segment, "The disconnect between cost of living and workers' paychecks" shows how average working Americans feel stretched thin.
No matter your job -- if you do it well, you should be compensated accordingly. We value good work done well by professionals. Trades people are an excellent example of this. Finding a good plumber, electrician, auto repair technician is like finding a unicorn! We don't ask them to work for free. We pay what they charge because we value their work. Why are art skills dismissed as something different? The right artist is the unicorn for the right client. No one else can deliver their unique skills -- and often it's part of a package of professional practices and good customer service. Economic forces like inflation., and increased cost of goods.. add to the challenges we all face. Art has value. Know your worth.
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