In writing my book, Don't Do What I Did, I connected with Jim Shields. Jim is the founder of Twist and Shout, a production company based in Dallas, TX and Leicester, UK. He's also a producer and writer with decades of experience.

I will shamelessly admit that It was from reading Jim's book, Three Guys Walk Into A Bar, that I learned — most successful creatives sell their art and creativity, not their services. They stand out, rather than offering the same thing that everyone else offers.

To be honest, without reading Three Guys, it may have otherwise never occurred to me.

I really liked Jim's book, but I'm not here to sell it to you. I will explain one of it's core concepts though, as it may elucidate my(really Jim's) point.

The Three Guys

In the book, Jim posits that, as a freelancer, you can be one of three types:

"A Guy"

The client says, "I need a video editor/graphic designer/copywriter". The client needs a guy/gal/person to do a job. The job doesn't necessarily require any skills. If a monkey could do the job and was cheaper, the client would likely hire them.

But actually a well-tempered monkey that can do Photoshop is kind of a find, so what I'm really saying is that, as "a guy", you are supremely expendable. There are hundreds of thousands of web designers working in the world today(may be off by a zero but you get my drift), and most do the job the best they can and try to accumulate as many clients as possible.

Seems ok, but this is actually the least desirable position to be in for a freelancer. You are at the mercy of the client, especially if you don't have many other clients and are just starting out.

There's no shame in being A Guy. We all start here and everyone has bills to pay.

But it's desirable to escape this designation as soon as possible.

"That Guy"

This is a rung up the ladder. Once attaining "That Guy" status, you will have clients that see you as more than a sentient bag of meat.

This is the client saying, "Get me that guy. The one who does x". This is the middle ground. As "that guy", you've got experience and you're known for doing one thing really well. This gives you much-needed leverage as a freelancer. You're still expendable but much less so.

"The Guy"

"The Guy", is the freelancer who sells their creativity.

Paraphrasing from Jim's book:

Congrats – you're the go-to-man/woman/person! You get called before the project begins. They involve you in development(ooh, ahh). You are asked what your schedule is in advance of the project, instead of at the last possible minute, like "A Guy" perpetually has to deal with.

Here you are, "the [BLANK] guy": the 'VR-documentary-guy', the 'NYC-contemporary-art-criticism-woman', the 'person-who-makes-exquisite-3D-printed-sculptures'.

At this point, you can pretty much name your price, and work when you want. It's where all freelancers aspire to be, I'd reckon.

How to Sell Your Creativity

So, how to get from "A Guy" to "The Guy"? Admittedly, I'm still working on this. I had a really nice position back in Dallas being a land developer's "The Guy". They treated me well, paid my rate, were flexible with deadlines, and accepted my ideas.

And then I moved back to New York City. Once again, I am just, "A Guy". I don't intend to be in this position for long.

Here's my strategy for going from "A Guy" to "The Guy":

Write about what you do. If a large component of creativity is problem-solving, show the internet-faring populace what you're interested in and how you confronted and designed for challenges you faced in making something. By putting your writing online via a blog and social media, you are being your own best advocate. In Jim's book, he states that blogging can attract clients and answer their questions before they even speak to you. Which gives you credibility that you can leverage in negotiating contract terms. Do great work. Find situations that allow you to produce unique and inspired work. Yes, sometimes we have to take work that simply pays the bills, but I'd consider avoiding any long-term situation that eats up all of your time and energy just for financial security. Find work arrangements that grant you the space to create. Every creative should have time to devote to a side project or two. Network and find collaborators. Be a decent human, let people know what you do, and you will find like-minds.

Creativity for Sale – Final Thoughts

As creative humans, the reality is that yes, we are selling our creativity to be able to afford the necessities of modern life. It's not an ideal situation, to be sure.

As a creative, you'll have to decide what you will and won't put up with ethically, morally, and, well, creatively. As an aside, design ethics is a topic that I really look forward to writing about.

For freelancers, the good news is that, while you can put a price on event videography, content writing, and so on, the price of creativity is highly subjective. If "art is whatever you can get away with", creativity is worth whatever you can get people to pay for it.

Obviously, the cornerstone of being able to sell your creativity is a good reputation. Quite possibly, it all rests on word of mouth and the reputaiton that you create — one gig at a time, one blog post at a time, even one conversation at a time.

I just moved back to New York. Currently, I am A Guy that makes video. My goal is to be, "The Guy Who Writes Critically About VR and New Media and Makes Art As Well". A bit long-winded maybe, but that's where I'm aiming. I'll narrow it down along the way.

For the first time in a few years, I am actually, truly enjoying the work I'm doing. It's all in the arts and tech scene, and a lot of it is assisting artists with different aspects of their work. It doesn't pay well(yet) but it's exciting and provides enough to live on. I've decided that the only way to work is with, and for, other creative people.

So maybe the question is, "how do you sell your creativity to creative people?"

I'll end with a quote I've alway liked:

“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.”

- Rumi

*As an aside, apparently they've had their own English dictionary since 2009, I had not noticed until now — I'd always assumed they sourced from Webster's or Merriam, but why would they, they're Google)