Some of the most fulfilling work I do is the work I do for free.
I don't mean making websites for food banks, I mean work that would otherwise be real paying work that I choose, for various reasons, to do without charge.
I used to think I was a "sucker" for doing this sort of thing.
But I've come to relish the freedom that comes from doing real work without the hassle of being paid for it.
When I get paid I'm essentially selling off my right to be a creative dictator to my client. Except the very rare situations, with very attuned clients, this almost always means producing work that's compromised in some way.
When I work for free, I retain almost complete creative freedom -- what are they gonna do, fire me? -- and so, ironically, I find myself working better, faster, and more productively without the artificial incentive of remuneration.
Of course a guy's gotta eat.
But somehow things have a way of working out. To begin with, if I do good work, and I can avoid the problems involved with "getting work" -- "bidding on contracts" and "responding to RFPs" and all that -- I inevitably end up getting paid without even trying.
The Seven Laws of Money by Michael Phillips was a great inspiration to me in this regard, especially Rule #1:
Do it! Money will come when you are doing the right thing. The first law is the hardest for most people to accept and is the source of the most distress. The clearest translation of this in terms of personal advice is "go ahead and do what you want to do." Worry about your ability to do it and competence to do it, but certainly do not worry about the money.
In this session at reboot I'll touch (very) briefly on some of the pillars of my personal practise of this approach, spend the bulk of my time on practical examples, and leave plenty of time for "thoughts." Examples I'll use:
Why I developed a "lunch specials" mailing list for my local coffee shop for free.
The Google Maps mashup I created that became the "official" public transit website for my town.
Getting my local university and my local newspaper to talk to each other, and then stepping out of the way. For free.
There will also be music.
5 comments
Im really onto this as well
it would be great exploring - especially since I feel the same way, all the most interesting passionate projects are projects with substance or projects I take on without getting paid =)
Not far from religion...
...in the West, at least places, we do have that freedom, but that is because the community will not, unless you don't want it to, let you die from hunger, so "not eating" is not really a concern to anyone, and it has not really been to me (I realise that that is just a term you used to put it into context).
The religion reference comes from the fact, that doing the right thing requires "faith", faith in yourself, your abilities, and that "the lord" (e.g. you) is your sheperd/provider/whatever.
@ Kim: religion 2.0?
Are the ideas that are fostered here and on the conference in general really shaping a new kind of religion? Freedom, happiness and giving are concepts that seem to pop up at the talks that I attend. Do we need a God then to help us reach a state in which these concepts can be brought into practice?
A thought worth exploring....
Staying close to your passions, finding value that is non-monetary, keeping at it, even though others say you should just accept a job as it is, etc. etc. Both Elmine and me have our share of experiences in this. I believe doing comes before earning. I try to give what I can without going broke (and I don't mean giving away money). I think working for free and entering into a relationship are similar things. Relations start with giving.