Nobody's arguing that roofers should agree to roof for a pittance and come up with some "hustle" like t-shirts or other roofing merchandise in order to enjoy the privilege of roofing.
People do ALL these things with artists.
Labor should be paid, that's true. Trade work is valuable, sure. Craft is a matter worthy of respect, certainly.
But the idea that most artists (outside of a small fraction) are somehow privileged is so far from the truth that it isn't even wrong.
I don't know any roofers, but I know many people from others crafts, including my own; and sorry, but no, people trying to pay with exposure or something cheap like a beer or cookies are everywhere, in most trades.
Labor is undervalued all the time, especially if someone has no experience with it and does not understand the amount of time necessary for getting something done. And if you are young and starting your business, they try to exploit you even more. This is not limited to art. And Internet just intensified this, as now you have not only the cheapskates from your neighborhood, but of the whole world. Though, with art there is also the part that some people are not seeing it as a real job, but only as a hobby or something you do for our own enjoyment. So they are even more willing to undervalue it.
Nobody asks roofers to work for "exposure."
Nobody's telling roofers that a penny per shingle / tile would be "entitled" of them (https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2021/06/29/spotify-executiv... ).
Nobody's arguing that roofers should agree to roof for a pittance and come up with some "hustle" like t-shirts or other roofing merchandise in order to enjoy the privilege of roofing.
People do ALL these things with artists.
Labor should be paid, that's true. Trade work is valuable, sure. Craft is a matter worthy of respect, certainly.
But the idea that most artists (outside of a small fraction) are somehow privileged is so far from the truth that it isn't even wrong.