Dying From Exposure

<p>At the end of my second year of full-time music, I had a revelation. I was exhausted and broke and I couldn't figure out why. Looking at the calendar for that year showed me something I couldn't believe. I had played 80 percent of my gigs that year for free.</p> <p>It seems like creative people are asked frequently to donate what they do for both good causes and cheap party hosts. After that moment I had to make some decisions about how I would decide when to play for free, and when to decline. This Coffee Break is the rest of the story.</p> <p>Having a creative career means being paid fairly for the talents you provide. Anything less than that qualifies as a generous hobby. There is still room for generosity, but there is a line that is crossed when that generosity is taken for granted and then expected. That's exploitation and it doesn't feel good.</p> <p>If you're asking creative people to share their talents, they need to be compensated.&nbsp;</p> <p>#creativecareers #beansandhotdogs #exposureleadstopayinggigs</p>