Taking Pride in Your Work


Freelancers know all about unpaid wages. We’ve even got the stories to prove it.

It’s frustrating to deal with what boils down to a simple business transaction. Time + services + goods rendered should = payment. Right? We all need to make a living and these days that usually means dealing in dollars.*

But being paid for your work is not just about compensation. It’s also about taking pride in your craft and believing in your work, whatever it may be.

Back in 2011, Steve Kodis was upping his hours as a freelancer. After seeing some clients take advantage of his design services, he realized that money and payment are afterthoughts for many green freelancers. He created the above image that speaks volumes.

As Kodis says, “This was just a little reminder to myself that a designer should always be paid for their work.” A great reminder indeed. It takes a fair amount of self-esteem to set off on the freelance path and asking to be paid for your talents may seem scary at first. Remember that your work is worthy. Respect what you are doing yesterday, today, and in the future. Get paid.

*Shout out to all freelancers successfully bartering their services and/or getting paid in diamonds.

Image via flickr.