I have a bit of a pet peeve that many of you creative people will likely understood –

For those of you not in a creative field or have never experienced this in your line of work, take heed to what I say –

My work and talent is not free. Just because your child/friend-of-a-friend/distant cousin can draw does not mean that it’s a) easy and b) not a job. This is my career. I work my ass off for it. I went to school, put myself into debt to obtain a degree in it. Just like that doctor/lawyer/dentist whose paychecks you don’t seem to question the validity of. Unless you’re living in a very delusional bubble of complete and utter ignorance on how the world works, you will not ask your doctor to operate on your brain for 1/32 of the actual cost. You would not hear the lawyer say, “These are my rates” and then brush it off and think to yourself, “Those are just numbers. I know what you’re really worth.” You wouldn’t ask your dentist to do the work for free on the promise that you’ll pay him a fraction of any future earnings your teeth may bring you.

Also, you cannot volunteer someone to work on a “donation” basis when you contacted them about hiring them to do work for you. Keyword being hiring. Also, you cannot ask that person to copy someone else’s artwork that you found on the internet – but that’s another rant for another time.It is insulting to invalidate everything creative people have worked for and continue to work for,  just because you don’t understand it and think that you should get it for free.

The only way you’re getting free work from me is if you’re my friend and I like you and I volunteer to do it for free, as a gift.