A very talented Carpenter always wished to build his own dream house. But he didn’t have the money and the means to get it done. One day, a Man in a suit came to him and said, “I’ll give you everything you need to build your dream house. Just the way you imagined it. You can live in it for as long as you want and I’ll even pay you for the upkeep and all the upgrades you’d ever want. The only thing I’d ask in return is that I own this house, not you." The Carpenter thought it was a dream come true and that he was the luckiest person in the world, so he quickly agreed.
After many months and a lot of hard work, the Carpenter’s house went up with all its glory. It was the most beautiful house that can be seen from miles away. It quickly caught the attention of many home buyers. They rushed to build houses of their own nearby and began to move in droves, so each of them can enjoy the full view of the Carpenter’s achievement. Of these new neighbors, many have asked the Carpenter to design and build their homes as well. In return, the Carpenter was paid handsomely and always in full. So in a span of a very short time, the Carpenter became the most popular and wealthiest person in town.
From all his successes, the Carpenter started to think about his own fortune and the fact that he still didn’t own his dream house. So one day, he went to see the Man in the suit and requested a price in order to buy it. The Man refused and said, “The house’s value has since surpassed your net worth. I would sell it to you, but you simply cannot afford it. I’m sorry it’s nothing personal." Hearing this angered the Carpenter. He went home that night, packed up all his belongings and left the house he dreamed of all his life.
The very next day, the Carpenter rallied his neighbors and led an open campaign that questioned the integrity and character of the Man in the suit. Due of his celebrity status, the rally didn’t need much to garner traction. Many friends and family members of the Man in the suit, became influenced by this campaign and distanced themselves from him. Business dealings started to fall apart as well for the Man and most people flat out refused to work and meet with him. Not long after, people started to yell and call the Man foul names. Some even spit in his face simply at the sight of him. Over time this became too much to bear by the Man in the suit, so he went to see the Carpenter.
“Why did you do this to me?" The Man said desperately. “I helped you when you needed it. I gave you everything you dreamed of! Why?"
With a smirk on his face, full of satisfaction, the Carpenter replied, “Because an artist should own his or her work."