As a creative, I am all too familiar with the phrase 'pay your dues'. Ideally, it means having to go through the rough patches in order to attain success. And I do not dispute that. The road to success is a rocky and tough one, and in order to achieve our goals, we'd have to ply it. No short cuts.
My problem with the phrase however, is when it's being used as a tool to exploit others. This is a major problem in the creative industry. Paying one's dues, shouldn't be an avenue to be cheated and exploited. 'Pay your dues' has become the anthem for individuals who willingly take advantage of workers or the upcoming. Those who overload workers with responsibility, but underpay them. Or not pay them at all. Some even take it a notch higher, and subject those under them to a toxic work environment.
I once interned at a film production company - in their defense, they told me I wasn't getting paid. However, I saw it as an opportunity to learn and make connections in the film industry. During my stay there, I regularly had to go get and return filming equipment, went on company assignments and errands - all expenses on me. That is, I had to use my money to transport myself on company errands, and I was not getting paid. Not even an incentive. I was overstretching my purse.
Eventually I left, and of course I got the sermon of 'you have to pay your dues'. The decision not to pay your staff, even when you can clearly afford to, does not count as paying dues! It's downright exploitation. And once you refuse to be exploited, or ask for what you're due; you're made to look unruly and labelled difficult to work with.
Companies do this a lot. And aspiring creatives give in, because of the promise of exposure, connection and knowledge. But the truth is, once you give the leeway for exploitation, you'd constantly be exploited. Some people might get lucky and catch a break in the industry, but many others don't. They are rather fed breadcrumbs occasionally, to keep their hopes up. Constantly having one foot in and one foot out the door.
This equally applies to other industries, not just to creatives. While it is noble to pay one's dues on the road to success, we should keep our eyes open and be wary of those whose intentions are to take advantage of our hunger.