Joan Westenberg is an award winning Australian contemporary writer, designer and creative director.
We met up at a cafe and shared some coffee to discuss his project.
He gave a long pitch about his startup and how it was bothsynergisticanddisruptive.
He spoke about changing the world and using social responsibility to have a broader impact outside his product area.
Hebegan outlining his financial approach.
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All was no longer well.
And then he came out with it.
He said that he didnt have the budget to pay for any work.
Thankfully, the meeting wasnt a total waste of time.
He did pay for my cappuccino.
We parted amicably, but he left a terrible lasting impression.
This kind of behaviour is a bad look.
It shows a total disregard for anyone but yourself.
When youre a creative, you will be faced with this all the time.
Its a constant, demoralising expectation.
It comes from a wide range of people.
You are expected to be prepared and more than happy to work for free.
It doesnt matter if you are a writer, an artist, a musician, or a scrapbooking consultant.
You will come across so many people who dont value your work.
They appreciate what they see as the results of your work.
If youre a designer, they value your works effect to make their business look professional and attract clients.
But they dont appreciate the creative work itself.
As a creative professional, the most incredible opportunity that anyone can give you is paid work.
Thats all youre asking for.
Because your work deserves that much respect.
If youre creative, understand that you gotta be bold.
Stand up for yourself and say that you deserve payment.
It doesnt have to be much.
It doesnt have to be a hefty fee.
But it does need to be something.
It shows that you only care about one person: You.
This article was originally published onJoan Westenbergs Medium page.
you’ve got the option to read ithere.
Story byJoan Westenberg
Joan Westenberg is an award winning Australian contemporary writer, designer and creative director.
She is the founder of branding and advertising firm Studio Self.
