Dear Amigos,
It’s 2026. And creatives are still being disqualified based on race and location.
Creative work is already difficult. Because of AI advancements, the market sentiment these days is “Your work isn’t worth much.” The more evil version, “Your work isn’t worth much because of your location,” can be devastating.
One would assume that India, Africa, and Pakistan are the typical objects of exclusion from global opportunities. But I was recently surprised to learn that some creatives in Europe (Romania, Scotland, or Latvia) are discriminated against, likely because of smaller populations and a native language that’s not English.
However, Exclusion is Not Always Malice
There are many (valid) reasons for business owners not to hire overseas talent. The sometimes staggering time difference can make it difficult to coordinate projects and complete them on time. This is especially true in situations where business impact depends on real-time collaboration, in-person availability, or local travel.
Case in point, I stumbled on a ghostwriting gig the other day. The founder was offering a premium publishing experience for high-value entrepreneurs. The writer had to be located in Texas, meet their clients in prestigious locations, and interview them. No way Hernandez from Mallorca, 5,277 miles away, could fit that role.
The legalities of taxation and compliance can be troubling, too. Juggling different contracts, managing taxes, and payment methods for multiple freelancers in various jurisdictions can be a headache.
The nail in the coffin is the language barrier. Let’s face it, if a business owner only speaks English, and the majority of their team collaborates in English, working with someone who doesn’t can be a headache.
Creative, Know Thy Worth
Still, there are several benefits of working with overseas talent. The biggest one, IMO, is the advantage of economies of scale. It describes the business acts of making the dollar go further. If a business owner can hire skilled overseas talent for cheaper, wouldn’t that make the most business sense?
The other benefit (often overlooked) is cultural perspective. Cultures are distinct and unique; food, colors, language, and art vary from location to location. These influences shape creative work in ways that cannot be measured, only felt. For business owners who want fresh, creative work, working with BIPOC creatives or creatives with a different background may be a good idea.
Beware Troublesome Clients
Some weeks ago, a user posted something unsettling on ‘X’. A prospect had offered them $200 for their time, and when they refused, the client went on a tirade, degrading the user, implying that $200 could sustain a Nigerian for six months to one year. One year?
Look, living a decent quality of life in any big Nigerian city can cost between $1,000- $2,000 per month. For a single person. That number goes up in multiples with family in the equation.
Some business owners come to the job market to exploit others, pay as little as possible, and get the world in return. The narrative that BIPOC and marginalized creatives are not worth premium rates because of location is not only false but also demoralizing. Fortunately, not all clients think this way. Some value creative work and compensate accordingly.
Real interaction between a client and a graphic designer based in Nigeria.
What You Can Do
The first line of defense for the creative is self-awareness. Creatives must realize that their work is good, useful, and necessary. Without this mindset, they will struggle with self-doubt and overexplaining. The value of creative work is in the outcomes it can produce. So what does it matter whether one’s skin is black, white, or green? What does it matter if they live on a small island or in the countryside?
The next line of defense against exploitation is being undeniable. If your work is undeniably good, and you have lots of social proof, then it won’t matter where you’re from or what color your skin is.
In the Nigerian writing community, there’s an OG writer who has been featured on some of the biggest blogs and websites; Hubspot, HuffPost, etc. Once, I heard him speak in a video, and he spoke with a heavy Yoruba accent. I was impressed that someone with such a thick accent, living in such a country as Nigeria, could shatter the ceiling.
And he’s not the only one. There are many creatives from Nigeria and other minority countries whose work is so good that clients are willing to scale fences to work with them.
However, it’s not enough to be skilled. If only your grandma knows about your talent, it won’t do you much good. To make money, you have to get in front of people who make hiring decisions. There are two ways to do this: inbound and outbound. With inbound, you make the client come to you. Outbound is simply the reverse.
Some ways to generate inbound leads include organic content (SEO or social media), referral systems, and advertising. Outbound involves cold pitching (DMs or emails), applying to job postings, etc.
Of course, a mix of both strategies won’t hurt your chances. Just remember that the secret to outbound is volume, and the secret to inbound is quality inputs over time.
A Hard Pill You Must Swallow
Humans are a tangled mess of cognitive biases. It may seem unfair or even cruel. But like every other hard truth, once you accept it, all that remains is adaptation.
Think about it: regardless of how unfair stereotypes and biases are, people will keep having them. It is much better to figure out your advantages and leverage cognitive biases in favor of your financial freedom.
Get good, get proof, get paid.
Yours truly,
David Agbona
David Agbona is a freelance writer and designer. For the past 7 years, he has helped coaches, OBMs, bloggers, founders, and b2b companies create content assets that build authority. These days, he’s more involved with design, shaping both verbal and visual matter to create massive brand trust for businesses. Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
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