One thing you should know from this “How Old Navy Made Mythbusters” video? Being a freelancer in a world where budgets are tight and clients are shady is like being a magician without a magic wand. Or in this case, being Adam Savage. It’s a tough game where you have to constantly juggle between producing high-quality work and getting paid what you’re actually worth. Listen to his video about what that experience taught him and then let’s discuss:

I mean, yeah: freelancers, we often face the dilemma of balancing our desired quality of work with our clients’ budget limitations. It’s a constant struggle to maintain our standards while also making a living.
Clients will always try to get away with getting top-notch work for a fraction of the cost. It’s like expecting a SpaceX engineer to build a spaceship for half their usual salary – good luck with that one! You think I’m joking? Look at how Elon Musk treats his engineers.

Anyway. The thing that gets me about this is the whole notion of “representing yourself” through your work. Unless your face is plastered all over the product or there are DNA samples from your entire body, no one will associate its quality with YOU personally. So please, get off your high horse.

But hey, let’s take advice from our dear friend Adam Savage who apparently knows all about hustling and charging clients triple the amount for tight deadlines. Because who needs to pay the bills when you can have a little extra cash, am I right?

And let’s not forget about those sneaky clients who “forget” to pay their final check. Seriously, do they think we’re stupid enough to believe that excuse? Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Oh, and make sure to never trust family members when money is involved. Blood may be thicker than water, but it sure as hell can’t pay the bills.

But wait, there’s more! Adam also suggests having a cancellation fee because apparently some people just don’t understand that our time and effort are valuable. I mean, who needs to make money when you can just work for free, right?

And as for using maker spaces and artist collectives to save money, good luck trying to make serious profit out of that. Because clearly, working on someone else’s dime isn’t enough payment already, right?

In conclusion, my fellow freelancers, let’s remember these sage words: “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” Don’t settle for less than what you’re worth and don’t let shady clients take advantage of you. And if anyone offers you a job with a lowball budget, just remember to channel your inner magician and make that budget disappear.