I always believed that if you worked hard, people would respect your craft. I never expected to be strong-armed by an “influencer” who thought exposure was a valid currency. But here we are.

It started with a message from Jen, my mom’s goddaughter. We weren’t particularly close, but we ran in the same circles growing up. She saw a painting I had done for a mutual friend and wanted something similar for her father, a retired photographer.

I was excited at first. Jen’s father was well-respected, and I thought it would be a meaningful project. But excitement quickly turned into disbelief when Jen made her request.

“So, I want a painting of my dad holding his first camera. Can you do that?” she asked.

“Absolutely. What size are you thinking?” I replied.

“Well, like the one you did for our friend. But I was thinking, since I have such a big following, you could do it for free, and I’ll promote your work.”

I stared at my screen for a long minute, trying to process what I had just read.

“I appreciate the offer, Jen, but I charge for my work. This is how I make a living.”

She immediately shot back with: “Oh, come on. You already have the materials, and it’s just a painting. If I post about you, you’ll get tons of commissions. My exposure is worth more than one sale.”

I sighed. I had heard this argument before, but never from someone who could literally afford to pay.

“Art materials aren’t cheap, and I spend hours on each painting. I appreciate your support, but I can’t do this for free.”

That’s when the conversation took a turn. Jen started accusing me of being short-sighted and greedy. According to her, I had “no business sense” and didn’t understand how creatives gained success. She even tried to guilt-trip me by saying, “Even my dad did free work when he started! Do you think you’re better than him?”

I ignored the message for a bit, needing space from the sheer audacity of it all. That silence only fueled her anger. When I finally checked my phone hours later, I saw multiple messages, each one more hostile than the last.

“You’re a nobody! I’m giving you a chance to be something, and you’re throwing it away!”

“I’m actually embarrassed for your parents. They must be so disappointed that you don’t know how to seize an opportunity.”

Then came the kicker: she called my mom.

My phone buzzed, and I saw her name flash across the screen. I hesitated but picked up.

“Why are you being difficult with Jen?” Mom asked, frustration already in her tone.

“She’s demanding a free painting, Mom. And she wants me to pay her $200 on top of that.”

“She’s just trying to help you,” my mom insisted. “You’re being stubborn. If her post gets you business, isn’t it worth it?”

“No, because I’d be out time and money with no guarantee of anything.”

Mom didn’t understand. Jen had spun the story to make herself the generous one, the savior, and me the ungrateful brat. I ended the call, my hands shaking in anger.

That’s when I got an idea.

I grabbed a scrap of paper and sketched a crude stick figure holding a rectangle. I took a photo and sent it to Jen with the message: “Here’s your free painting. Enjoy.”

Her response was immediate.

“Are you joking?”

“That’s what free gets you.”

She lost it. The threats started rolling in. She claimed she’d use her platform to ruin my art career. That she’d tell her followers not to buy from me. I blocked her and thought that was the end of it.

I was wrong.

The next morning, my inbox was flooded with hate messages. People calling me ungrateful, unprofessional, a scammer. Some even left bad reviews on my art page, despite never commissioning me.

That was the moment I decided to fight back.

I took screenshots of our entire conversation, including the hate messages from her followers, and posted them with the caption:

“This is what happens when you say no to an ‘influencer’ who demands free art. Not only did she want a free painting, but she also wanted me to PAY HER $200 for the privilege of being ‘promoted’ to her followers. When I refused, she tried to ruin my reputation. Support real artists. Exposure doesn’t pay the bills.”

The post went viral.

Turns out, I wasn’t the only one she had tried this on. Other small artists and businesses started sharing their own horror stories. People rallied behind me, defending my work and dragging Jen for her entitlement. Some of her own followers turned against her, calling her out for taking advantage of creatives.

She ended up making a half-hearted apology post about “miscommunication” and “misunderstandings,” but the damage was done. Her credibility took a massive hit.

The best part? Because of all the attention, I got a flood of commissions. People who actually wanted to pay for my work.

So, in the end, Jen did give me exposure—just not in the way she intended.

Want to support real artists? Share this and tag an artist who deserves to be paid for their work!