Not to get all “think good thoughts and the world is your oyster” or anything, but have you ever noticed how people who give are often the very same people who are very successful, especially in the creative industries?
Sure, there are total jerks who make great money out there, but I think they aren’t half as successful (read: happy, liked, peaceful) as those people who also give of themselves, just to help.
I’ve been pretty lucky on a recent project–I’ve asked some people for permission to use parts of their work and not one has been even the slightest bit difficult about it. And all of them are successful (yes, on various levels) and all of them certainly had the right to make demands, but none exercised that right. They were each gracious.
We talk all the time about not “giving it away” when it comes to your work, but I think that sometimes we accidentally lose the compassion and humanity that giving can engender because we lump together not commercially giving away work with not giving at all.
Something to think about…