It’s true that if people start to ask you for your time and skill then charging money for your services is necessary in order to live. As much as you enjoy something you need money to survive. At the same time there are probably occasions where people or organizations can’t afford your services and need some volunteers. So if you believe in the cause then it can be great to donate your time. It was surprising to hear the point of view from another person though.
Basically they were saying that they would never do things for free. If you are a professional then you need to be paid for your time. I asked if the person had any exceptions and they said no as no real professional would ever work for free. While I get the notion of having to charge for your work that feels like a very high ego of sort to say anyone who doesn’t charge for their work in all circumstances is not a professional.
Look at how many billionaires or celebrities donate their time to charity as an example. Does that mean they are poor or just an amateur? I think donating and giving back also plays an important role for life in general if you are fortunate enough to be able to provide things to others with relative ease that may impact them in a big way. I don’t think life would be very fulfilling if everyone and everything becomes just about the numbers to you.