Creativity Hello

:: Reasons Bloggers (And Other Creatives) Sometimes Need To Make Money

July 23, 2014

I recently read a post over on Decor8 and I loved it. In the post, Holly talked about being critiqued by one of her readers about her work being ‘too much’ – basically lamenting that she was working on a number of different ventures which made money whilst doing creative things. Hm.

I liked what Holly had to say. I liked what her husband had to say. But most of all I loved it that Holly just told it her way and explained what it’s like to be a blogger and the time/financial challenges involved. Good for her. Go Holly!

All bloggers approach the job of blogging differently. There are not really any rules and readers are learning about this stuff just as much as bloggers are. I think both sides can be forgiven as they try to fathom how it all should work as things speedily evolve.

It got me thinking about the whole issue of creative people making money. And the fact that some people think that there’s a disconnect between being creative and earning. Not YOU, I am sure, but SOME people. I understand where they are coming from, because I sometimes feel like that too. I wish artists and writers and excellent bloggers could just do their thing and that there was some special universal magical trick that would ensure their wellbeing and safety.

Alas, the trick has not shown itself yet, so creative types still balance the good work/good money/good value/good person juggle every day.

If you are not quite following, I thought it could be helpful to list some reasons why creatives sometimes need to make money.

Creatives sometimes need to make actual money because:

Their landlord wouldn’t let them pay the rent in beaded necklaces (so selfish!)
The motor car companies are yet to develop a vehicle that runs on affirmations.
Their web hosting company lacks hospitality when the bill is not paid.
The school books are not free.
That day they spent making that thing for you or appearing at your event was the very day the washing machine broke down/car broke down/fridge broke down.
The 30 minute ‘quick’ advice Skype you requested from them to fast track your new startuppreneurship is informed/fueled by 10 years of their hard work/hard knocks.
The law of attraction does not pay the registration.
They can’t always convince the man with the special tool NOT to turn off the gas/electricity. Dang.
They can’t ALWAYS cut their own hair/plumb their own sink/install their own solar panels.
It took them 5/20/15 years to learn to write/photograph/work in such a way that you desire their cleverness in your day.
Sometimes they need to sleep without worrying.
Sometimes they need to eat things other than cup noodles.
Creative skills are important, as other technical skills are (and take many years to learn too!)
We need creative people to take care of the important, inspiring parts of our society’s cultural identity.

 

That said, most creatives do heaps of jobs/helpful things just for the love of it/to help organisations they care about/to help up and comers and just generally be nice. They love doing that. But if they need to charge for work/events/etc, just know that they are almost definitely doing it for the foods/rent/sleep (and not for the dolla-dolla-tub-full-o-money-pay-me-sucker kind of reasons.)

Don’t get poopy like Holly’s reader did, about Holly making money and creating all kinds of good stuff  to share with her readers (and grow her blog/business/dreams/future.) Making money is important! And growth is a really GREAT thing. And creatives deserve rosy, fulfilled futures too!

I don’t think it’s too much at all. I think it’s ace when a creative person is driving themselves steadily and beautifully towards the things that excite and satisfy them. Go them! Better than starving in a garret (whatever that is) writing hunger fuelled poems,wishing the rogue washing machine hadn’t shuddered its way out the back door and thrown itself off the verandah.

The end.

x Pip

3 Comments

  • Reply {leah} August 25, 2014 at 12:48 AM

    Yes, and yes! Thanks for linking up! I haven’t been around the internet as much the past couple of weeks, and I always want to voice support for creatives making a living.

  • Reply Anne August 16, 2014 at 4:06 PM

    Love this. So true. I don’t think people get the whole thing… or maybe they do, and they’re just jealous and wanna be bratty.

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