I was surprised that another artist was surprised when I insisted upon a certain level of professional conduct.
It is, for me, another aspect to the Paying Artists campaign. If I behave as a professional, I will be paid as a professional. Fair’s fair.
I try to behave in a professional manner. I like to get things clear, I like things written down, signed. I like receipts. I like everyone to know what is expected, what will be paid and when, and for how much time the payment covers.
These are the things that worry me greatly. I became self-employed about two years ago, and it terrifies me. I am worried about tax, national insurance, allowances, or not-allowances. So therefore, to cover all the bases, I keep every piece of paper. I write things down. I do this in the hope of keeping things straight, but also, should something go wrong, someone else will be able to make sense of it all.
Numbers don’t come easily to me. I have to triple check and get someone else to check, because even when using a calculator I have been known to transpose 7s and 4s particularly. I know I am not so good at this, which is why I am like I am. My husband can spot my mistakes as if they are written in red and have a neon arrow pointing at them. I am like that with spelling mistakes. Everyone has their “thing”.
But I think we artists have to start with each other. I have learned many things from the Master (Dan W). When we first worked together we didn’t really know each other. We had this conversation about the work and how it would be done. He insisted that everything we wanted was written down and signed and paid for. He insisted that we would be open and honest because when you’re paying by the hour there’s no time for pissing about and being polite. We had professional respect, we were organised, and we said what we thought. Actually it was liberating. This man wasn’t a friend (yet), so it didn’t really matter if I disagreed with him, or vice versa. It was my work, so I had the right to speak up. It was his professional standards we were working to, so if what I was doing wasn’t good enough, he said so. The friendship has followed on from this.
When we embarked upon Nine Women, we did the same. Talk about it, make notes, write it up, agree it, sign it. Then get on with it. I believe whole heartedly that our working relationship is excellent because of this.
So now, this is my working model for projects I embark upon. Who wouldn’t want things clear, up front, and open and honest? I would think twice about working with anyone who didn’t want clarity and professionalism.
Well, as I said, I have been surprised… shocked even. But then, as I have written before, I am really quite naive and idealistic. But if it carries on like this, my cynical and paranoid self might have to come to the fore, for self-preservation purposes.
