A few years ago, I was supplementing my income in several ways, one of which was crafting leather goods for sale and by taking commissions for costuming and prop projects. I was well known in my local LARP community. I was approached by a fellow you may be familiar with if you go to any cons on the west coast, so I won’t name him here. He said he wanted to talk to me about a wrist bracer with sheaths for throwing knives. Now LARP safe throwing knives are kind of silly but far be for me to say no to a possible commission. He described what he wanted, and it was very feasible. I told him I could do it and I laid out my pricing for him. X amount for materials, paid up front, $15 an hour with a two-hour minimum. I did not expect the project to take more than two hours anyway. He smiled and told me that he generally didn’t pay for stuff like that. He just told everyone he knew where he got the work done and that I should be happy for the referral. I counted to ten, took a breath and told him politely that we could not work together on that basis. It never once occurred to him that his offer was inappropriate and unprofessional.
Since that time, I have tried other avenues to create additional income. I created a lot of print on demand items and merch sold through a major online retailer, working with services that let me upload my art and designs and have it put on pretty much everything from tee shirts to bathmats. A few days ago, I put up a link to my journals and low content books on a Discord channel. Within minutes a local retailer mentioned that I could bring my books down to her shop and put them in the shop on consignment. For store credit.
I was annoyed. I was also surprised. I have sold art and goods through consignment before, and frankly it’s a rotten way to try to earn extra cash unless your consignment goods are big ticket high price items. But it was the store credit thing that really got me steamed and I have been obsessed about it for a few days now. I realized that perhaps people just don’t understand how wrong this sort of behavior is.
In most professional fields, there are established norms and standards for how services are compensated. These standards ensure that professionals are treated fairly, and their work is appropriately valued. Offering cash for services rendered is a fundamental aspect of these norms, and deviating from this can be seen as unprofessional and disrespectful. Here’s why this is particularly important for artists and other creatives:
1: Recognition of skill and training: Just like any other professional, artists have typically invested significant time and resources into developing their skills. Offering cash acknowledges this investment and treats their work as a serious profession rather than a hobby.
2: Consistency with other professions: In most professional transactions, be it legal, medical, or consultancy services, cash is the standard form of payment. Paying artists with cash aligns with these professional norms, reinforcing the legitimacy and seriousness of their work.
3. Market Valuation: Cash payments reflect the market value of an artist's work. It ties the transaction to the broader economic system, ensuring that the artist is compensated according to the value their work holds in the market.
4. Credibility and Reputation: For businesses and patrons, paying artists in cash enhances their credibility and reputation. It shows that they respect and value the artist’s contribution enough to compensate them appropriately, which can foster better professional relationships and attract more high-quality work.
5. Clear Accounting Practices: Cash payments simplify accounting and financial management for both the artist and the payer. It ensures transparency in transactions and aligns with standard accounting practices, making it easier to manage taxes, business expenses, and financial records.
6. Industry Standards Compliance: Many art organizations and professional bodies set standards for fair compensation. Paying artists in cash is often a requirement to comply with these standards, ensuring that artists are not exploited and are fairly compensated for their work.
7. Professionalism in Business Transactions: Cash transactions are seen as a mark of professionalism. They signal that the transaction is being taken seriously and that the work provided has real, tangible value.
8. Economic Autonomy: By compensating with cash, artists have the autonomy to manage their finances as they see fit. It respects their ability to budget, save, invest, or spend according to their individual needs and preferences.
9. Legal and Contractual Clarity: Cash payments are straightforward and leave little room for misunderstanding or disputes. They provide clear, enforceable terms in legal and contractual agreements, ensuring both parties understand and agree to the value being exchanged.
10. Long-term Viability: For the art industry to be sustainable and for artists to continue producing high-quality work, fair compensation is crucial. Cash payments contribute to the long-term viability of artists’ careers, allowing them to continue their work without financial strain.
So what, you may ask, is wrong with offering store credit in lieu of legal tender?
Artists provide a professional service or product and compensating them with store credit undermines the value of their work. Store credit restricts the artist's purchasing options to a specific store, which may not meet their needs or preferences. Offering store credit can imply that the artist's work isn't worth real money, which can be seen as demeaning. Artists often need cash to cover living expenses and other financial obligations, which store credit cannot help with. Consignment is even more difficult because the work is created, sent to the store and then sits there until it is sold. Some retailers only pay out on consignment when a certain dollar amount is reached.
It can be viewed as unethical to offer anything other than fair market compensation for professional services, reducing trust and good faith. Store credit can reflect a power imbalance where the offering party prioritizes their convenience over the artist's needs and rights. Artists invest time, skill, and materials into their work. Offering store credit undervalues this investment. Cash gives artists the freedom to negotiate and manage their finances; store credit does not offer the same leverage. The artist might not get full value out of the store credit, especially if prices are inflated or if they don't need anything from that store.
In summary, offering store credit or community referrals instead of cash fails to meet the professional standards expected in business transactions. It can undermine the perceived value of the artist’s work, complicate financial management, and negatively impact the professional relationship between the artist and the client.