Working for free: no thank you

Mood right now.

This is me working for free. I’m not too happy about it, which I’m sure you’ve already worked out if you’re one of the three close relatives of mine who subscribes. I resent working for free. I write blogs for other people, who pay me. I like that. The only reason I actually agreed to do this is because Jasmine asked me to and it’s very little effort. I don’t try very hard to produce a good blog, because I save all my good ideas for someone who will actually pay me for them. (Hopefully you’re not getting intellectual whiplash from alternating between my blogs and Jasmine’s blogs, which are both heartfelt and carefully considered.)

I’ve been asked more than once why I don’t run a blog website. People have assured me that bloggers make LOADS of money. I am highly dubious about this. I have a feeling it’s more like acting and YouTube: a few particularly good-looking and/or lucky individuals at the top of the barrel, skimming off all the fat, while everybody else struggles along doing other jobs, trying to make it big.

When it comes to social media, posting pictures of your holidays and parties isn’t work. It’s keeping in touch with friends. But building a personal brand is work – unpaid work, for most people. Who knows how many people are trying to become Instagram stars and professional bloggers? Bloody thousands of people, working their little butts off for free. I’m too old to do that now. I was perfectly happy to work for free when I volunteered at the university student magazine; I was 18, I lived at home and my parents were paying for all my food. Now? Just… No.

Having written this far, I’ve now talked myself out of doing any more.