I don't write about money these days.
I used to write about money, but that was when I had none--when I was scrounging under the seat cushions looking for loose change or rifling through raincoats in search of forgotten quarters. Back then, I was newly divorced and raising my ten year old daughter on my own and basically, a little desperate.
Okay, maybe I do like I writing about money, especially now that those days are in the rear view mirror. Sometimes I miss that scrappy version of myself—the one who could come up with highly creative ways of bringing in the bread, the gravy, the loot, the dough, the cabbage. (Thank you, Mister Thesaurus.)
Flash forward some thirty years. I have plenty of money. Of course, plenty is relative. Some people might say I don’t have enough money. And other people might say I’m rich and therefore, I should send them some money tout de suite. I honestly don’t have a clear sense of where I am on the money spectrum. As a writer, I've always had a "lumpy income". (My husband's word for it). He's right though, because it's always been feast or famine with me.
This is pretty typical for writers and artists. Truly, this life is not for the faint of heart.
Creative Friends, if you're committed to the artistic life, reconcile yourself with the fact that there will be times when you're broke. Therefore, be as creative with your money as you are with your art. When the income stream dries up to a mere trickle, find a way to infuse some quick cash--this could mean selling art or used books or busking in the town square or teaching a workshop--that kind of thing. True, there might not be much money in it, but by letting people know you're out there----you'll make friends, you'll raise your visibility and best of all you'll move your chi, baby.
You just need enough to get you through the rough patch, and perhaps the next one. In the meantime—be thrifty, always put something away. Have faith and keep going. Eventually the money will begin flow again.
Oh, and when the tide turns, invest that loot--in a sensible balanced portfolio!
Love,
Jamie
