"Artists shouldn’t be paid minimum wage because they enjoy doing their job"

Today while talking to a fellow student we had a conversation on art and commissions. Her position was that artists, because they enjoy their work, should not be paid prices that would be equal to or higher than the minimum wage. People who don’t enjoy their work should get more money in her opinion.

In response to that I asked: “So, the cleaner who hates his job cleaning buildings should get paid more, and a businessman who loves his job and does it well should get less money?”

Her reply then was, “No, because cleaners aren’t educated at a university, but businessmen are. The same with artists. Most of them didn’t study at university, so they should get less money. You didn’t go to uni to study art, so you can’t charge money for your art!”

Regardless to say that this statement has infuriated me.

So artists who work tirelessly to improve on their art, study anatomy, environments, life, physics of lighting and shading, and all those techniques required to do it well, are exempt from the educated society and should be paid less?

Sure, I am a self-taught artist. So are many others out there. That does not diminish the years and years and years of training and skill and dedication that went into it. The hours spent working on paintings, models, sculptures and all the other media in which we express ourselves are the result of studying, studying, practice, practice, and practice. 

You could say the same about every degree. You can learn everything without going to university if you spend time on it. Yet, if you study art at a university, it suddenly doesn't have the same validity as a different degree? We are not educated enough to demand a higher pay than bare minimum wage? But just because we “enjoy” our work, we can’t charge money for it? We should just throw it at people who ask for something to be drawn for them? 

The debate on underpricing has always been of keen interest to me. But I’ve kept out so far.

But this statement illustrates just how distorted and thwarted the perception on art is. Being a conceptual designer, painter, modeller, animator, sculptor is a job. And just because we enjoy it, it does not mean that we can live off the air. It is hard work, it is a luxury good that is demanded from us.

It is in each and every person's right to be able to make a living off something that they truly enjoy.

/end rant

PS: "What, someone actually paid you for your pictures? That's insane." No they don't - all the commissions in my commissions folder are the fruit of me living off air. </severe sarcasm>