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Podcast: Producers of Content

Freelance Journey

I recently listened to my all-time favorite Podcast series called After The Jump (with Gracey Bonney of Design Sponge). She had guest, Lynn Casper of Homoground, come and chat about getting paid what your worth and inherently talking about other people recognizing your skill set as being worth something. This is a topic that gets thrown around A LOT in the creative community because it’s super difficult to put a dollar amount on creative services.

Here’s a few tidbits that stuck with me:
1. viewing creatives as “producers of content” is a easier way at putting value on the content produced.
2. Because producing content takes an extreme amount of time, it’s smart to create multiple “revenue streams” to balance out the money coming in and relieve a little of the stress of a perpetually fluctuating pay check. One effective way to do this is by investing in stocks or cryptocurrencies which can offer additional income streams. When considering crypto investments, it’s essential to choose the best bitcoin wallet to securely store your assets.
3. You have to stay financially sound in order to produce creative content. If you are questioning whether or not you should work for free, go to JessicaHeish.com
4. Stand up for your work and don’t let people walk over you. Get paid for everything you’ve produced and don’t let other devalue your work!
5. This one is BIG…Exposure isn’t payment. If you’re a young designer, there are other options….AND you can create your own exposure if you want.
6. Know when nice is “too nice.”

Do you guys think about this topic a lot. It’s really tough being a young creative woman trying to make a living off of your art and I’ve love to hear any tips you have on the topic.

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9 comments on “Podcast: Producers of Content”

  1. “Exposure isn’t payment” is exactly what I hope most young designers learn. If your work is good, then you have to receive some compensation for it. I do design for my church as a volunteer because it’s a great way for me to practice new techniques and showcase my work for a cause that I care about. However, I wouldn’t take on a client who promised me exposure. That is a huge red flag!

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    1. I agree Angel. Doing work for free because it’s a passion is different than not standing up for your worth. There also has to be a balance…you can’t alway work on passion projects and you can’t always work for mega profit 🙂

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  2. Wow, thanks so much for posting this! I’ve never heard of this series before, but now I’m going to go listen to some more … this is such a great reference!

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    1. So glad you stopped by and found something new that you enjoy. I found that podcast series about a year ago and I listen EVERY single week. I’d say 75% of them are stories I connect with or stories I learn something from. So good!

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  3. This is always a big one. I’ll have to have a listen later this afternoon. It really is a struggle and it sucks so much when people are not willing to pay your fees because they know they can get it cheaper. It’s just sad because they don’t respect you as much as other people they might be working with. Creating graphics is a huge part of anyones business and you shouldn’t be something for cutting corners. I hate how some people totally don’t value design work. Sigh….
    That site form Jessica Hische is awesome, whenever this topic comes up I link it to people 🙂

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  4. This is a great topic. I’ve done certain things for “exposure” and then realized that I wasn’t enjoying the work and becoming bitter for having to put my time towards it when i wasn’t getting anything out of it. I quickly realized that the exposure I expected was not worth the trouble. Another great option that I’ve also done is trading. A great opportunity just came to me from a friend in the blogging world – I jumped at the job because I know it’s a great opportunity, but she didn’t have funds for it. Instead we decided to trade services – I’m giving her a design and she’s giving me an hour of consulting. It worked out great!

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    1. This is great Jen. I’m a big fan of trade between creatives because each individual understand the time and energy that goes into being creative. I’ve found that trade outside the creative community usually results in many conversations with my fiancé about how the other person isn’t respecting your time and energy. This is another one of those things where it’s all about the balance.

      Reply

  5. I love that you posted this!! “Exposure isn’t payment” is totally something every designer should be taught right off the bat. I know right out of school I struggled with that idea and people try to pitch that if they give you exposure in turn you’ll get more clients and more work, but you just get paid right from the get-go and your work should speak enough about your talent to get you more clients. I’m all for non-for-profit work here and there, where I can lend a helping hand but clients should definitely pay you for your hard work and not only that but realize that you need to make a living too!! It’s a beautiful thing when you find a client that appreciates the value of your time and how much time things take!

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