May 21 2008
Money Flow-ing into Business
For the largest part of my adult life I thought that money ( which meant responsibility to me) and creativity ( which meant free spiritedness) were separate and lived in two totally different planets. I saw my dad trudge off to work into the business world, to the same job for 40 years, in his white shirts and ties and it seemed uninspiring. He did travel some and that part seemed fun, but the other part loomed much bigger.
My childlike mind decided I wanted none of that. I wanted to be creative and to feel inspired so I did that really well. I was self-employed and thought that gave me freedom which was a huge value for me. Thirty years later I discovered I knew nothing about money and barely had two nickels to rub together. For the next ten years I decided to learn everything I could about money and how to turn my self-employment into a business.
And what do you know, I realized that my whole belief system was flawed and incorrect! Money, responsibility, creativity and free-spiritedness actually can co-exist in the same planet. It was a shock to discover that my whole life had been based on an incorrect idea. Instead of being angry or upset with myself, I am rejoicing in the immense freedom it has brought to me. My business allows me to be creative in ways I could not comprehend twenty years ago.
Kaya,
Your path sounds very similar to mine… mine is a combination of your dad’s and your paths. I ended up choosing the ‘easy money’ business job since I didn’t know what my creative side wanted.
Now that I know what my creative side wants, and I’m living it, I have also had to face a lot of my beliefs about money… the same as yours.
I remember a conversation with my father where we talked about money and dreams. He said, “It doesn’t matter how much you love your job if your family is starving.”
I wasn’t told, “You can love what you do, AND be abundant while doing it.” I’m having to learn that on my own, and reversing a lifetime of ingraned beliefs and conditioning has been challenging.
Hi Chris
It is good to know that I am not alone! Sounds like we got to the same place eventually. I have discovered that doing my business is the most creative thing I have ever done and I never would have believed it! Thank goodness we do have the free will to reverse that lifetime of ingrained beliefs. Thanks so much for sharing. Kaya
Kaya,
Thanks for this blog.
Money certainly can have a lot to do with creativity! Andy Warhol and many other artists have painted it. If you look at paper money or coins they are full of images — artistic images. Depending on the currency, some are quite good.
The images ALWAYS plug whatever the government wants to advertise about itself. That is not necessarily bad, but since the time of Alexander the great, money has been used to advertise for the government that issues it.
Money is not wealth. I live in a very affluent area, especially during the summer. The merchants here know that the wealthy do not have much money, ever. They do have these rare black AMEX cards, and they run up bills that are paid by check, usually by someone on their staff. So they have the power to purchase — and pay but not the coins a whole lot of the coins and bills above. What they have is financial power.
I have noticed that when I have what I used to call money problems, I was having problems with my feelings about my own power.
Judy
I love your sharing about money and art. As you say, the issue is really non-existent except in ones mind and it has more to do with empowerment. Like you, have have seen very unhappy wealthy people and I wonder if they had developed the same belief that money and happiness cannot co-exist. I have worked with very financially successful but totally stressed out business owners who developed one part of themselves ( financial power) and not the other ( free spirit). The real goal is to see that they co-exist.
I appreciate your points.