Only speaking for myself here, and not speaking as an artist, but I think a lot of companies foist a lowest-common-denominator incentive structure on everyone a

Only speaking for myself here, and not speaking as an artist, but I think a lot of companies foist a lowest-common-denominator incentive structure on everyone and then act surprised when they have difficulty with recruiting/retention. Not everyone wants the same thing out of work. For example, I have a fundamental disconnect with the idea of corporate ladder climbing, and it makes me feel like a bit of an alien sometimes. It's not interesting to me, though I realize you need a certain amount of status to maintain some notion of autonomy. I'm not even talking about office politics per se; I just think the notion of "work X years and get Y title" feels empty to me. As I mentioned, I'm motivated more by autonomy than external perceptions of status. I'm happy with work, but I've had to realize and accept this in myself, and learn ways of navigating a world where many concern themselves primarily with their own status.