As the web slowly breaks down accepted transactional structures, it is also redefining our means of financial compensation. Particularly for people in the creative fields, payment is increasingly generated indirectly. A music artist whose album is illegally downloaded eventually gets noticed by a music supervisor who pays them to write the theme song to a TV program; a marketing strategist publishes his analysis on a regularly update blog, develops a readership that follows his thoughts, and is later hired by an agency. 

The new system that’s arising looks something like this: free work filters out on the web, garners favorable exposure, which in turn leads to some form of (delayed) financial reward. This is both frustrating and exciting. It means that there is not a defined path to success, but also allows for the possibility that one can more easily carve out a unique path.

Businesses, as much as individuals, are prey to this new system, and it requires us to reconsider the parameters for assessing what projects and clients are and are not worth taking on. Money might now be one consideration among many, weighed alongside of questions such as “Will we learn something?” and “Is the project likely to garner exposure?” 

More often than not, the projects that offer significant (and direct) financial reward are the least likely to teach us anything or to get noticed. Conversely, the projects where we are able to learn something or invent something that’s truly original – that allow a company to take it to the next level – frequently offer little or no immediate financial return. 

Working for free can be a risky business, but it’s worth considering (in moderation). Like it or not, the Internet is breeding a new creative ecosystem, one that rewards us for thinking less commercially, and more creatively.


 ***This article is adapted from the research and writing of Jocelyn K. Glei, a creative strategist with expertise in editorial, design and publishing. She regularly collaborates with Scott Belsky and the Behance Team, who run the Behance Creative Network, the Action Method project management application, the Creative Jobs List, and develop knowledge, products, and services that help creative professionals make ideas happen.