Tanya Hennessy: The phrases I’m sick of hearing

BECAUSE Tanya Hennessy works in a creative industry, people often think they can take advantage of her. These are the phrases she’s sick of hearing.

I’M A radio announcer and content creator and prior to this I was an actor. I’m a creative. I’ve only ever really worked in the creative industries (I was a waitress once but I got fired for breaking too many plates and singing loudly when asked not too).

I’m not sure if this happens in your industry, but in the creative industries we are constantly asked to work for free, despite our training and experience in our respective fields.

I’m talking everyone from actors, artists, designers, makeup artists, writers, cake makers, filmmakers, television personalities, photographers and everything and anything in-between.

I assume it’s because we are passionate and genuinely love what we do, and so people assume we will do it for free.

Working as a creative is deemed a “fun” job (and it is), but we need the cash money to survive peoples!

Tanya Hennessy on the job (her paid job as a radio announcer).

(Yes, you have to start somewhere, and all of us — no matter what industry — will volunteer and work for experience and to get our foot in the door at some point. That’s not what this is about.)

THE PHRASES PEOPLE NEED TO STOP SAYING TO CREATIVES

“Can you do this for me? It’s great experience!”

We can’t pay our rent, phone bills and groceries with “experience”, there comes a point where we have done enough gigs for experience and need to charge so we can make a living.

“If you do this one free, we may pay you next time”

You wouldn’t say that to an accountant for their services.

“It’s not paid, but brilliant exposure for you”

Is stilt walking and doing face painting for free at your friend’s kids party three hours away for five hours good exposure? Really!?

“I’ll pay you in beer” OR “It’s not paid, but we will give you free drinks!”

Unless you both agree, it’s not OK to offer beer or free drinks as payment.

There was uproar last month when Coles employees were asked to work four hours for free pizza. This is a daily reality in the arts/creative fields.

“It’s good for your CV/folio”

Is it?

“It’s unpaid. But, we’ll feed you though”

Oh, so six hours of me MCing your event will be fine cause I get a steak?

“I’ll write you a great reference”

We cannot pay our car insurance with a reference.

“You cost how much?! That’s out of our budget. Can you recommend someone cheaper?”

Ughhhhh. This happens a lot. It’s the worst.

“I haven’t spoken to you in months/years but now I recognise your talent — remember how were best friends? Can you do me a favour?”

Ouch. This one is rough.

Us creatives are sensitive, we love to help where and when we can, but we need to be remunerated. Most of the time we would love to help you out, we just can’t survive on exposure or experience. We need cash moneys to live.

So show the creatives of this world some love and pay them for their talent.

Tanya Hennessy is the host of Hit 104.7 Breakfast in Canberra. Follow her on Facebook.

Originally published as Tanya Hennessy: The phrases I’m sick of hearing