This article has got to be one of the most important things written for creative professionals in, well, forever.
Not to ruin it for you, but the author worked in advertising for a very long time and doesn’t any more. During his tenure, he saw some of the huge shifts in how the business works and how those shifts have been at the behest of the accountants, not for the betterment of the creative work or the lives of the creative workers.
This all holds true for photographers, writers, illustrators, designers, as well as those directly in the advertising game.
Mostly, what I want you to get out of the piece is how willing you are to take it. Each of you will have to answer that question for yourself, but take some time to do so honestly. Have you thrown in “all rights” when you knew it was wrong for you, because you felt you had to? Has your professional organization knuckled under to the pressure rather than stand up for you? Have you worked for free or for much less than you know the work is worth?
Why?
Are you making your work? Work you are honestly proud of? Work that will outlive you?
Are you protecting your rights in your work–especially your personal work that you are proud of–so that your children can possibly reap the rewards when you are gone?
Or are you just a cog? The money-guys’ bitch? The one whose fragile ego won’t permit being told “no” because you feed off praise like Renfield on a bug?
You pick.
This part of the article bopped me over the head:
“Alright, it’s not bomb disposal. But in it’s own way it’s dangerous and demanding work. And as I’ve said, the rewards tend to be vanishingly small. Plastic gold statuette anyone? I’ve seen quite a few creative drones fall by the wayside over the years. Booze mostly. Drugs occasionally. Anxiety. Stress. Broken marriages. Lots of those. Even a couple of suicides. But mostly just people temperamentally and emotionally ill-equipped for such a hostile and toxic environment.”
The references to plastic gold statuettes and booze reminded me of the Addy Awards ceremony I attended last month. I think I was one of the few sober people there. Matter of fact, I even saw a lady fall on her face right in front of me. She was carrying a glass of wine and I’ll bet you money it wasn’t her first.
Then there was the lady who spilled red wine all over me as she was walking into the theater where the ceremony was about to begin. A perfunctory “So sorry!” and off she went, leaving me to deal with red wine stains all over a very nice white sweater.
I was so disgusted that I left right after my award was announced. Still haven’t picked up the trophy.
My favorite
“Find something you like. Share it. Have a half-baked thought. Tweet it. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Seize the moment. Keep up. There will be plenty of time to repent later. Oh, and just to cover your ass, don’t forget to stick a smiley on the end just in case you’ve overstepped the mark.”
And I’ll add my own:
“Make sure it’s stupid enough to go viral.”
Thx for the link – much appreciated