The Creative Economy

Here’s the question: In this economy and society, what do you think it takes for career survival, especially in the creative realm? Example: How do we get customers/clients/prospects to appreciate the VALUE of fair pricing when there is a saturation of FREE content out there? Free music, free art, free webinars, free this, free that. Hey, as my Pop-Pop used to say, “Get me right”; I certainly appreciate “free”, but it has a downside, namely companies wanting writers to work (blog) for free, music that is freely and legally accessible, but takes advantage of musicians, (more on that in a future article), art that is “shared” more than paid for, and on and on. Call it the recession, but it seems to be a result of a situation where workers are put in a position of “being lucky to have any work at all”, so they’re expected to do more for less pay. “You get what you pay for” still applies, but it’s got a much more competitive side to it now. On the positive side, there is more of a level playing field, where anyone can get noticed if they’re lucky. So what can YOU do? Help the creative people in your community get noticed. If you “share” something of theirs via social media, add their contact info, and/or a link to their website. Connect them to a company you know of that pays well. Let’s raise the bar. Sometimes that’s all it takes, and believe me, they will appreciate it.