Sifting Through the Noise
There’s no shortage of opportunities out there for creatives, and that’s kind of the problem. Most of what floods our inboxes these days sounds great on paper but doesn’t actually hold much value once you dig in.
You get hit with “collaborations” that are just people asking you to do free work. “Prestigious” exhibits that exist mainly to collect artist fees. Grants that take 20 hours of admin work to maybe land a couple hundred bucks. A lot of it is dressed up in language meant to pull at your creative dreams while hiding the actual trade-off.
Over time, learning how to read between the lines becomes its own professional skill. You start to see through the pitch. A “career-building opportunity” that offers no pay, vague exposure, and a long list of requirements? Call it what it is. A “strategic partnership” where one side wants your community and credibility without offering real resources or decision-making power? Same deal.
That doesn’t mean every unpaid or low-paying opportunity is a scam. Some really do offer value. Whether it’s mentorship, experience, connection, or long-term alignment, there are things to gain from unpaid work. But the difference is transparency. Be honest with yourself about what’s being offered and what’s being asked in return.
Sometimes, saying no is what creates space for the real stuff. The projects that start small but grow into something meaningful. The random conversations that turn into long-term collaborations. These usually don’t come wrapped in polished decks or urgent deadlines. They grow organically through trust, shared values, and mutual respect.
If you’re clear on what you actually want and need, it gets easier to spot what’s worth your time and what’s just noise. And when your time’s not being eaten up chasing things that don’t fit, you’ll have more of it to pour into the ones that do.