Nothing comes for free present, not fifty-fifty your friend'due south art!

Have you e'er had a friend enquire you to create art for them and have them? If you accept, you probably likewise accept been struck with the awful "Ay, may bayad?" phrase. Worry non, this isn't new. And doesn't it just grind your gears how friends or relatives ask yous to work for free because information technology's "just art"?

I in one case had an old friend who asked me to write a song for his girlfriend and demanded that he has it by the finish of the mean solar day since he needs to sing it to him the next day. Immediately, I thought that this guy must be out of his listen. Offset of all, it doesn't accept simply a day to write a vocal. I explained to him that it'south gonna take time to accommodate chords and write lyrics simply so he tin exist all sweet with his girlfriend. Likewise, wouldn't it be better if he wrote the words himself (considering what do I know about their relationship, right)? Apart from arranging the music and writing the lyrics, I'll and then accept to teach it to him and then that he can play the song himself. What a hassle!

This is a hard pill to consume. A friend's art is not free art. And if y'all're 1 of the people who are under the impression that your friend owes you their art or that creating fine art is an easy affair to do, lend me your ears. You're gonna demand to hear me out! There are enough of reasons why you should never enquire your friend for gratuitous art, and we laid information technology out for you.

They did not principal their craft for free.

Showtime up, mastering their craft did not come for free. Most of your artist friends take been creating for years. And virtually of them study full courses on the craft they need to master. Whether your friend is a graphic artist, a painter, a lensman, or a author, these people took time– years– in lodge to be good at what they practice. Then comes the occasional workshops they need to nourish in order to abound better in their corresponding areas.

Just like we pay a doctor high fees for their expertise, artists too took too much fourth dimension to learn these things to be doing information technology for free. Yep, even if y'all're friends. The arts shouldn't always be viewed every bit an easier road than the sciences and thus given less importance when information technology comes to work value.

It costs them their fourth dimension and endeavor.

Creating a piece of artwork takes time. I can't stress this enough. Imagine that your friend is going to exist spending their time prioritizing your request for free when they could exist earning cash instead. Time is coin, as people say. Asking your friend for costless art means that yous have less value for their fourth dimension and come across that information technology's non worth spending money on.

Also, depending on what blazon of art you're request from them, it can include a lot of attention to item, thus costing them their effort. And for what, zero!

Equipment isn't inexpensive!

If you want quality work, then you should be prepared to spend on it. In a like manner, these artists spend thousands and thousands on tools and equipment they need to produce top quality art. For example, your photographer friend didn't spend lots of money buying expert cameras high-quality lighting and efficient editing software so you tin have your Instagram pictures for gratuitous!

Like yous, they have to make a living.

Consider that these people, like you, are working to make a living. It may not be the regular 9 to 5, but information technology however works. And sometimes when you're asleep and rested, these people are the ones who stay up to finish their work and grab up on deadlines. As nosotros have before established. Art takes time to make. What would you lot practise if you lot're asked to work a day at your job only to larn that it's unpaid for?

At the end of the day, it all boils down to respect. Pulling strings and asking your friends to work for free ways that yous don't value their skills and talent. And if you'd be willing to pay a stranger for practiced output, information technology should be much so if that person is your friend. Plenty with the guilt-trip and the debts of gratitude. Conduct in listen that this is your friend's job and his source of income and the merely reason they'd concord to do it for gratuitous is that they wouldn't want to lose a friendship even if it would hateful a big compromise on their part. Don't put your artist friends in the uncomfortable position of choosing between your friendship or a living.

If you're the artist friend…

Now, if yous're the artist friend who keeps accepting workloads to get paid nothing. I take one communication for you: don't. Beingness an artist, while enjoyable, is still a business. When getting yourself to concur to anything, ask yourself offset, "What's in information technology for me?" Because you e'er know what y'all're going to have to give, so you should observe out if the render is worth the effort.

We understand that in cases like this, it can be a lilliputian awkward to ask for a payment, especially if information technology's a really close friend or relative. However, by not asking for a payment, yous're making them call back that what they are doing is okay. Side by side matter you know, it's not just going to exist a old thing. They'll exist running to yous every time they need help with art, and they're going to be expecting y'all to do information technology for free.

Negotiate!

The key is to always engage in a negotiation when it comes to these things. When a friend asks you to create art for them, may it be a sketch, a pattern, or a photo shoot, don't be afraid to inquire, "What's our budget?" This style, they'll know it's not for free, and they'll either negotiate the price with you or back out of the deal overall. And that's okay, don't recollect that you'll lose a great friendship just because you asked them for payment. Information technology'due south piece of work, it should be paid. They're notwithstanding going to be paying even if it's with another creative person anyway. And for me, I'd rather pay a skillful friend who I know would do his best task in making sure the fine art is something special than a stranger who I have no connectedness with.

The bottom line is that we should never ask an artist to do stuff for us for free. And even if nosotros know that the artist would willingly piece of work to create our art without a charge, we should always have the decency to at least offering to pay. We hope this helped open some optics! How do you experience about paying people for art? Practice you besides think information technology'due south inappropriate to ask for a friend's art for free? Share the states your thoughts on the comments downwardly below! Or hit us up on our Facebook or Twitter @UDoUPh.