Times being what they are, creative professionals are considering any and all outlets for finding client work. But if you're tempted to join the "crowdsourcing" market (where so-called clients post projects and all comers can bid on them) or to take a spec project, think about the consequences.

FOH Jeff Fisher sent over a link this morning to a very smart article about spec work and crowdsourcing. As writer Pamela Pfiffner observes, "Working on spec or posting work to a site like CrowdSpring has appeal, to be sure. Designers feeling the current financial pinch might see these two strategies as a way to get work, any work. Aspiring designers may view spec/crowdsourcing as means to attract attention and build a client base."

But she quickly points out the pitfalls of the two approaches. Among them:

• Crowdsourcing is a total crapshoot: "A recent call for a company logo on CrowdSpring received 1,749 entries -- only one of which gets paid, while 1,748 won’t."

Even better, Pfiffner suggests alternatives for finding work, including:

• Taking on a pro bono project to build your portfolio. She quotes Jeff: "Pro bono work for a cause in which one is passionate is much more satisfying than executing spec work for the chance of possibly being paid by a for-profit business often trying to get little more than something for nothing."

Read the full article on Creative Pro.