People often ask me why I spend time working on open source software projects. It's true that I could probably get paid for much of what I give away for free, but I'm confident that this would be selling myself short. Generosity accrues value that can't be purchased – respect.
By sharing how I make things and by contributing to other people's projects, it's easy to understand what I'm capable of doing. That in and of itself opens doors.
People think of me when they want help with projects that are similar to ones I have worked on. Sometimes it works out for me to help, other times it doesn't. Either way, I feel lucky that people feel comfortable sharing opportunities that I would have no way of knowing about otherwise. I hope to return the favor by continuing to share.