How do the Creative survive in this economy?

So it seems that we are in high demand. Who are we? The creative. Meaning all of us who can create new and exciting assets… professional assets for companies and other individuals looking to enhance a product etc. I am talking about the Artists, the Singer, the Writer, the Actors, the Make-up Artists, the Poet, the Cameraman/woman, the Director, Producer, Videographer, and the Dancer etc. How do we survive in an economy like this? Is it fair for us to take on gigs that pay us beneath what we are worth or better yet that don’t pay us a dime? Or should we just succumb to the battlefield of this economy and give in to the crisis? Do we just put our gifts and talents on the back burner and just take whatever jobs are out there? What about those of us with college degrees who go out day after day to look for jobs only to get no call-backs and sometimes a call but one that is profitable. Some don’t seem to be getting any calls at all… and some are being deemed “Overqualified.”

This is the dilemma that I have been contemplating for a while now. I have worked very hard at what I do and to get to this place in my life and I am finding it hard to just accept what others want for my life over what I want. I have always been in the creative world and have always known that it would not be easy but I also know that I must set my limits of what I will accept and what I will not accept. Now that I do have a degree in my field I feel that it is right to charge a pretty penny for what I do and not think twice about it. When in school I was making money with what I do as well. Right now I am looking around at what is happening to the world and wondering where do I draw the line in the sand? When do you say NO to giving favors to people instead of looking out for your own best interest? When? When? When? I still don’t have the answer to that question but I am definitely at a crossroads and need to come up with a solution very soon.

There is a term called “Paying your dues” however there is also a difference between paying your dues and being just plain stupid. I call it bad business. When someone has a degree they have already shown that they have what it takes to stick with something and actually finish what they started. In the entertainment business no matter what field you are in there can be bad business. In the Television and Film business for instance it is a well-known fact that you must start from the bottom and work your way up unless some other circumstances help you to make your big break that is just how it is. However the point here is when you take your work outside of the actual arena of the “business” and start freelancing it is always important that you always charge what you are worth. A student would get paid less than someone who has a degree in let’s say video editing for instance. In my current dilemma I must choose whether I want to keep doing favors or go accept another type of job while I work on some of my other passions for a while.

Some of us are fortunate to have jobs that we love and are actually being paid for what we do. Then they’re some of us who are being forced to do what we loathe in order to pay the bills. The fine line comes when one starts thinking about what is best for themselves. It probably seems that something just isn’t right or it feels like you’re not going anywhere or making any progress. Creative people with gifts and talents have been forced to put those gifts and talents on the back burner in order to do what’s best for them or their family. Then there are those who have a choice to make. They have options and one of their options benefits other parties but they want to venture out and make a life of their own. The choice at the end of the day comes down to what is best for you. In my current situation I will probably have to disappoint some people and give some people ultimatums but it will be better for me to do that than to go around feeling like my work is worthless. I refuse to let someone else’s vision wilt or define my own vision for my life. THAT I have never been able to cope with. It is one thing to help someone but it is another to let them overshadow your own well-being, state-of-mind, and overall vision for your career and your life. So it is not only this economy that has coaxed my change of heart but a multitude of things. Purple Reels will be on the MOVE again. A special shout out to the Creative people out there…I definitely feel your pain… peace out til next time… this has been a *PR-Thought*






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