When things are tough and the work just isn't there, sometimes you have to get innovative. Such is the case with Seattle-based architect John Morefield, who has been hired and laid off by two firms recently, decided to take his services to the streets and has set up a booth at a local farmers market reading "Architecture: 5 Cents." People who wander by can ask the unemployed architect questions about building, renovating, or anything else they can think of, providing the pay the required fee. Here's a bit:

On Sunday he made 35 cents. But for Morefield, it's not about the nickels in his tin can. It's about meeting potential clients and contracts in a time when work is hard to come by.

"One nickel turns into one conversation, turns into one design job, turns into a local contractor who hires a local painter who buys from a local supplier," he says, summing it all up.

We're expecting the This American Life story or short-form documentary to be released about him any day.