Dealing with 'The Money Thing'

When it comes to living my dream, the biggest single stumbling block for me has been the 'Money Thing'. For eighteen years, while I dabbled in the arts, I made my living as a freelance copywriter, and almost the entire time I hated it. I can remember railing against my job, refusing to see it as what it was, my patron of the arts who afforded me flexibility, and financed my beloved music and writing.

Instead, I decided my 'bread gig' was the enemy -- that which kept me from doing what I truly loved. Furthermore, since thinking about money wasn't as much fun as creating, I decided it was irrelevant, even though money was the key to living my dream every day and sharing it with lots of people.

This is a fundamentally immature view that ignores an obvious fact of science: your dream is actually a business. I wanted to do mine full-time, and earn a living from it. Therefore my dream was something that needed building, nurturing, and quarterly reviews just like a new business.

Obviously, this takes time.

The first few years are rocky. You have to do things you don't want to do. You often have to keep an alternative income source going for a while to ease the transition. And if you want to make a living from your dream, you must organize your actions towards one, single-minded end -- running your new business so it turns a profit and stays viable.

Yet, I never quite did that. I wrote books, and hired agents, and submitted things here and there. But I never really looked at the bottom line in any practical way. Rather, my writing career was always this thing "I just had to do ... no matter what!" And I figured some day, magically, my ship would come in (and, of course, I'd be rich beyond my wildest dreams.) I figured it would all just "work out" one way or another.

I have since learned that dreams are slow-growing organisms that need a lot of care and feeding. And we need to nurture them just so, to help them thrive. I need to keep a business account, a spending plan, and maintain spreadsheets on my income and expenses. I need to develop 'new products' that diversify my income sources, and put energy into marketing. I need to let go of the need for fast, spectacular results, or huge clamoring crowds. And above all, I need to be patient and build the foundation.

Our dreams will show us exactly where to go, who to speak to and how to make them happen. What we bring to the table is not only faith, but the willingness to do what must be done ... and that includes handling the Money Thing.

Tags: Artist's life, financial management, money, making money at your dream

Comments

[Jay Hepner]

As usual, Suzanne, you are right on the money.

Right, on and about the money.

And best of all, you're such a good role model.

I said it myself 20+ years ago: "The deal is making a living. The real deal is enjoying making a living."

Thanks again for leading the way, Suzanne. Glad I can teach!

Yours truly, Jay

[Marie]

You are so right... it is the 'money thing' and this is what's been getting me down lately. Before coming across your wonderful blog today I was depressed about my current situation as a struggling writer and I wrote about the money issue on my blog. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration and tips, it's really helped me. I'll be visiting again soon.

Marie

[Shel Horowitz]

Suzanne, I've felt for years that having work you love is absolutely essential to a happy and fulfilling life. I'm very fortunate; I love what I do (copywriting, ironically enough).

Now, if I could just find a way to double the hours in a day, cut the eye-fatigue in half, and *not* add any more volume to my inbox, I could concentrate on that wonderful pastime of writing, that people actually pay me to do for them.