School aquaintance rang up to offer to employ me as a cleaner....

[Yougottalaffdarlin888]

This person - shall we call her Miranda? She's from a rich family and I knew her at school. I work in Ceramics and she's moving in posh dynamic circles, with a large house, no kids, single - etc. We're struggling artists, but we make do.

She rang me up and said, "I need a cleaner" in a brisk tone.
I said, "I can't help you. We do our own cleaning, so I don't know of anyone who employs a cleaner... and... nope sorry"
She got irritated and said "I want YOU to be my cleaner. Tenner an hour"
I thought, "huh?????" I explained that I didn't have time, but thanks alot, etc.
Put the phone down.
And thought - did that just happen???

If she knows you're a poor and struggling artist she probably thought she'd help you out. Respectfully, it's not like she called a brain surgeon and offered her a cleaning job. You sell / sold Body Shop isn't that like Avon lady? It's not exactly a career or a well off job. £10 may be the rate in small towns, I don't know. Were you complaining about costs or having no money in her presence? Perhaps she heard and wanted to help.
I don't think offering a cleaning job which is an honest living is the equivalent of suggesting someone is an escort.
What's with the racist and foreign comments?

i work, have kids, and a husband who works away from home a lot. A friend once contacted me out of the blue to ask if I would be her secretary to book her flights as she was travelling a lot and too busy to book her own and I would be just the right person also she would pay me cash in hand. I didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended and told her as much. I don’t thinks she got why I was upset but sadly we don’t speak much now although we were very good friends up to that point.

Does she always talk to you like that? Making demands? If anyone spoke to me like that they wouldn't be my friend for very long. Doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, single, married, kids, no kids - no excuse for bad manners.

The Body Shop (and other retail work) gives "set" hours and a regular income, so can be combined with freelance/creative work well. It isn't like being an Arvon lady, because it takes place in a shop. There ARE people who sell Body Shop products like Arvon however. That fits in wtih their lifestyle.

No, I wasn't complaining in her presence, because a)I'm happy with my choices and have no complaints to make b)We don't socialize with the same people. But we do know each other from school - hence the phone contact.

I do appreciate that in your world a "brain surgeon" has greater status, than a freelance creative - and - possibly you come from the same world as Miranda, and think about job status in the way that she does. That's fine. We need people like you to buy "art.". But it has to be said that your way of thinking, and mine... when it comes to status... won't ever be the same. Nothing wrong with that, and why worry about it? People are different.

Miranda holds attitudes towards "foreigners" that I find to be unacceptable. I was taking the p* out of her for that. Was that not obvious?

She's not a friend. She's a person that I know as an acquaintance. You know how everyone has these people in their life who are part of a friend of a friend of a friend's world? Deffo not your world. But at certain points, the two world's collide? And their attitudes are so different from yours, that you really feel like a "tourist" when they express themselves in conversation? You stand there and think "do people really talk like this and think like this?"
Have you ever encountered that sort of person?
I'd say Miranda comes from a very different world to me.
Not a friend. An acquaintance.

Yeah.. it is the same sort of thing isn't it? Playing status games. Maybe people don't know that they are doing it?

This reminds me of the time I use to attend a weekly Mum and toddler group. I was working part-time then, another Mum who didn't work offered me a job doing her ironing, I don't like ironing although I do my own, and I wasn't looking for another job.

She sounds awful, it's like a terrible storyline for a crap book to be honest

I absolutely understand the patronizing way people view arts and artists. I used to be an opera singer.
The number of people who have generously offered to “let me” sing at their weddings/parties - even funerals and been stunned that I charge money for it…. They genuinely seem to think that they’re doing me a favour by offering “exposure” or performance practice. Uh, no thanks Hun, I didn’t study hard, put in hours of practice alone and with the accompanist (who I pay too) and travel, make the effort to look after my appearance, but new clothes and makeup, etc, for EXPOSURE. Exposure doesn’t feed my family or pay our bills.
(rant over… I know you get it.) There is a vast difference between patronage and patronizing.

Ha ha ha... it is a very strange sort of a "put down" isn't it?
Like when evangelicals say "I'll pray for you" and assume that you are ok with that. It's a sort of "Me and God will sort you out"... and I want to say "Um.. I'd rather you didn't...."... but am usually speechless at their arrogance. I have no need to be "sorted out", since I was just making conversation about Boris! (for example)
When you say "the Mum who didn't work" - it is a Mum who has the time to do the ironing, but.... would rather pay a peasant to do it. You ARE that Peasant clearly CheeseCakeSunflowers... so (joke) I will pray for you..

Oh the phrase "let you"
Oh dear - I'm laughing but it isn't funny.

I always think your cleaner knows all your secrets - I wouldn't want anyone I actually know to do it!
Even if she thought you might appreciate some extra income she went about it in a totally rude way.

Naughty greenrecycling - you know that cheating the tax man is bad karma! But you made me laugh.

I agree with you easyday - and I wouldn't want a cleaner even if we could afford one - something about it doesn't sit well with me.
But hey - everyone's different!
I think the humour of it all - is - the fact that it is a status game, but did Miranda know she was playing it? If so - she was sad enough to ring up and attempt to do a "put down." Which is both funny and sad.

Fraaamces quote "They genuinely seem to think that they’re doing me a favour by offering “exposure” or performance practice. Uh, no thanks Hun,"

that's the funny thing-alot of these people who make these remarks, ARE genuine...
They really do think that they are "being kind" ...

Not sure if that is true with good old Miranda however..

The arrogance!

Yes, I think that in Miranda's world ... arrogance... is seen as a good thing.
It isn't a world that I could ever really feel safe in...
It must be a soul destroying world, with no sense of the humane, no warmth, no open-society- just - a scramble to the top of the rung !!! A desperation of sorts.

But then again, these are the rich people who buy art.

Thank you for the laughs... Good fun debate. The day has begun.

Cleaners are charging £20-25 an hour here (north) she's proper taking the piss.

Before I go - just to make things clear.
Miranda is not a friend. I am polite to her, when our paths cross. That's it.

Miranda holds attitudes that I don't like. One of them is a "suspicious" mindset towards foreigners... It seems as if me mocking her for that, came over as me supporting that. I don't support that at all.

I think I might start advertising myself as a cleaner:For £25 an hour;I wouldn't mind bringing my own equipment and getting public liability insurance.

:)

”I do appreciate that in your world a "brain surgeon" has greater status, than a freelance creative - and - possibly you come from the same world as Miranda, and think about job status in the way that she does. That's fine. We need people like you to buy "art.".

I know it's daft, but how do I become a £15-20 he cleaner?! I'm guessing I get cards printed, maybe a website..do I need special skills, or do I clean as I would at home? It would actually contribute to my painting!

I can (sometimes) afford art and have got several original pieces which I treasure....none of them were very expensive, none of the artists can afford to live on what they make from their art. I love the pieces that I own and certainly don't despise the people who make them.