Tim Kreider on Free of Charge Work
on Saturday, January 11, 2014Tim Kreider Money Quotation saying in a New York Times editorial that starving artists accept work without pay for ‘exposure’ and stop anyone from being paid what they are worth. Tim Kreider said:
“There is a bottomless supply of ambitious young artists … so thrilled at the prospect of publication … happy to do it free” — Tim Kreider
In this quote, the author is referring to the fact that publications and websites can continue to exploit young and ambitious artists by asking them to work for free, because there will always be a large pool of such artists willing to do so.
The author notes that many early-career creators are so eager for exposure and publication credits that they are happy to accept no pay or compensation in exchange.
This willingness allows editors to rely on unpaid labor from new artists, perpetuating the cycle of treating creative work as something that need not be paid.
The quote suggests this is an unfortunate reality that enables the practice of unpaid work to persist in the industry.