Arts Intranet

THEM: “We can’t pay you, but you’ll get lots of exposure!”

ME: “I can’t eat or pay my bills with exposure!”

If I had a nickel for every time the sentiment of exposure as compensation was offered to me as an artist, I probably would not need to be writing this blog post about the importance of compensation for creatives.

Too often artists are asked to provide their services in exchange for nothing or for compensation that is not comparable to the time and effort that is required to create and efficiently develop their artistry. Soul Artistry LLC’s goal is to push a new culture and narrative forward that begins to normalize the practice of artists being compensated for their work. Soul Artistry LLC is the company I started in 2012 when I began to understand the importance of artistry professional development and adopting business practices as an artistic entrepreneur. At the beginning of 2019, Soul Artistry LLC launched the pay artists. campaign. The idea for the campaign was birthed from many conversations and experiences that fellow creatives and I had been having very frequently.

I started singing in church at the age of five. I participated in choir my senior year of high school, and in 2005 I joined an independent label, Truth Tone Records, started by a few close friends and family members. I have now been working and creating as a professional performing artist, singer and songwriter, curator, composer/arranger, and cultural producer for more than a decade.

When you’re first starting out as an artist, you do find yourself taking on projects and gigs for the exposure or little to no pay. I used to call it “paying my dues.” As I gained more experience as a creative, I understood more and more the importance of being confident about the value of my craft and being able to clearly communicate that to others. I began to consider the process and amount of time it required to make my art, develop a project, or move from ideation to realization. All these elements are parts of my artistry and needed to be examined when determining the value of my artistic endeavors and the rates for my services.

A lot of the dialogue I’ve been having as of late within artistic spaces about compensation for creatives has much to do with a standard being set among artists. An agreement of sorts not to settle for less than what you’re worth, to ensure that all artistic entrepreneurs are offered a fair and livable wage. Example: if one guitar player consistently says yes to an unfair pay rate, it makes it difficult for other guitar players to receive the fair compensation that all guitar players deserve. I agree with this idea and I’m convinced that unity among creatives is necessary to make change.

Through my work as an artist, as an arts advocate with Soul Artistry LLC, and through my work as the Executive Director of the Black Arts & Cultural Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I’ve had the honor to work with so many amazing artists and creatives. I have witnessed the unfair pay—and most times no pay—that artists are subjected to. I have experienced the artist’s lack of confidence when it comes to knowing their worth as a creative and adding value to their work. I understand that many artists are not necessarily interested in the business side of artistry but would rather focus on creating. Because of this, artists often lack business and professional skills. I am committed to changing this narrative. My goal is to help artists understand the importance of retaining basic business and entrepreneurial skills, seeking professional development, and grasping the value of their creativity. The pay artists. movement is one with the objective of helping the artistic world to reimagine compensation for creatives and to unify artists around this cause. A wise person once said that “every great cause begins as a movement.”

pay artists.