Do You Work For Free?

My friend, Sharon, wrote a note on Facebook (shared below) called: "Why Being An Artist or a Psychic (an art) should NOT be Free." I wanted to share it (with her permission), as well as a video I made years ago about being psychic. Basically, it's what I've learned; what's involved in being a good psychic and why a reasonable fee is necessary.

Psychics - Meanings and More
https://youtu.be/MA1PShhvkwU

As far as charging fees, I told her that I agree but I only had one exception. I charge but not for psychic attacks. I have scruples when it comes to that only because I feel if I have a need to charge like a doctor than patients will always be created. I wouldn't want someone to go under psychic attack due to my needs. I may also add, another exception is any direction I may receive from guidance. Meaning, there could be a karmic thing involved. It doesn't happen often, because they know my time has value just as anyone's ... regardless of their talent/gift.

---------- Sharon's Note

Sometimes, you just want to give someone a piece of you, and that's a gift. A gift that should not be expected, but should be graciously accepted and acknowledged.

What people are “willing” to pay for art, or one of the arts, like doing readings (a psychic medium) is always surprising.

From the Urban Dictionary: Cheap ass people who refuse to pay for quality and/or experience always end up buying super cheap goods or services below the 'it's too good to be true' mark. Then when said goods break, fall apart, stop working, or they are not happy with the service they were promised, they are genuinely surprised and will bitch to anyone within hearing distance of them that they got 'ripped off'.

Literal meaning: if you buy a cheap product or service, 9 times out of 10 you will be disappointed as it will not live up to your (unrealistic) expectations. 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=you+get+what+you+pay+for

Any training, in any service, takes a long time and is costly in more ways than mere money. Time, effort, patience, and a continuing study is what has to be done to stay relevant and to try to do the best that you can. As an artist, I am expected to work for below minimum wage. As a psychic - those who do this are expected to do this for free, because you know... “it's spiritual work."

Psychics and healers can be susceptible to psychic burnout if they give too much to too many people too often. Psychics and healers are usually givers who care deeply about others, so they want to be of service and assist as many people as possible. The most important thing for psychics and healers to do is to protect their energetic space and maintain proper boundaries to avoid psychic burnout.

The symptoms of spiritual burnout or psychic burnout can include exhaustion, depression, dread before or after working, feelings of unbearable responsibility, feeling overwhelmed, crying for no reason, crying often, being overtired, insomnia, difficulty getting out of bed, restlessness, procrastination, avoidance, constant illness, problems with the heart, difficulty breathing, anxiety and panic attacks, extreme weight loss or weight gain, hair loss, irritability, and a desire to avoid people.

*** Some healers, counselors and psychics can have a tendency to undervalue their work, or give it away for free, especially to friends. This can be very exhausting and can contribute to burnout. In our world of duality, there always has to be an exchange of energy, which is what money is - it is the energy of worth and value given in exchange for the service received. If you don't receive adequate payment for your work, you will ultimately end up paying for it.

http://www.askgrace.com/psychic-advice/0833-symptoms-spiritual-burnout.htm

Psychic mediums who charge very little and are not supported by a breadwinner or trust fund must work a full-time job to pay their bills. There are not a lot of full-time jobs for psychic mediums, so most have to work at jobs that have nothing to do with helping people using their gifted ability. Therefore, they are not able to help many people with their gift because they are so busy working their full-time job in addition to taking care of their families.

On the other side, the psychic mediums who do offer their gift to the world on a full-time basis must earn enough giving readings to pay all their bills. They too need to pay for rent or a mortgage, health insurance, automobile expenses and insurance, food, clothing, utilities, and so on, just like the rest of us. If they rent office space so that they can have privacy in their home from their work (which they certainly deserve), they have those rent and utility expenses, as well.

Full-time psychic mediums help a lot more people in the course of a week, a month and a year than those who only give readings part-time. Unfortunately for them, even if their reading fee is $200 for a one-hour reading, it's not like they earn $200 per hour for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Most psychic mediums only give two or three readings a day on average, and often not five days per week. While some psychic mediums are able to give more readings, this is the average. And here is why…

For one, it takes a lot of energy to give a reading, so psychic mediums have to balance and protect their energy (their life force). If they expend all their energy serving the public, they both risk getting ill and having no energy left for their children, spouses, parents and friends, which affects their entire life including the quality of their work.

http://www.bestpsychicdirectory.com/news/Why-Do-Some-Psychic-Mediums-Charge-So-Much-n12.html

Would I ask you to clean my house for free? Would I ask you to do my legal work for free? Would I ask you to do a painting or any form of art for free? Or even low cost? I - we - are not WalMart. We have bills to pay and a life to support. Just keep that in mind the next time you want a free reading or cheap ass piece of art.