A while back I did a job for a musician friend of mine. Rapidly I learned that unless an artist is backed by a major studio or label they are usually short on cash. Before starting the work I sent three rounds of proposals for the same project, each one reduced by a fraction of the original, until the cost of the project was within my friend’s budget. Sadly for me, with all the adjustments, the financial compensation for my work wasn’t motivating me at all. But in the name of advancing culture I decided to help nonetheless, and soon I found myself thinking “what did I get myself into?” In the end I made very little money and throughout the whole process I was constantly pestered by my friend, who is a compulsive artist and wanted creative control as most artists do. Now I look back and extract three important lessons from this experience. (more…)