Oh Yes You Can!.  We will look at many myths about money, including the one that says that being creative means you are automatically incompetent when it comes to financial matters.

RESPECT.  When you have a healthy respect for money, money will respect you too. You will learn how to earn it, then come to accept that you do deserve to be paid well so you don’t piss it away and that this money has come into your life for a reason. We have to rewrite unproductive stories and form healthy new ones of financial freedom. We may be our own worst enemy when it comes to money.

Who, What, Why, When, Where and How to Invest.  Investing doesn’t have to mean just stocks and bonds. Many creative professionals make money but end up broke. Others invest wisely. The fact is creative people do make good investors once we combine our general curiosity, intuitive powers, and ability to color outside the lines with some general knowledge about investing.

Make Money While You Sleep?  Yes. ONe of the beauties of being a creative person isthat we can create something and then sell it. But wait. If we do it right it can continue to generate income (royalties) each time it sells, while we work on something else.

Who Can You Trust?  The sad truth is that creative people often have their money mismanaged because of a lack of interest, a general open mindedness, and a burning desire to get rich quick. We are on autopilot and are about to crash into a mountain. We need to pay attention to take control, even if it’s just as a co-pilot.

That is the Plan, Man.  Financial planning is a fundamental part of financial management, and contrary to what you might think, it can be flexible and fun. Planning can provide peace of mind an put an end to the feeling that you will wind up broke. Planning just means you are prepared for the future. It’s deciding where you want to go and mapping out the best way to get there. You can still enjoy the journey, but you also have an eye on the road ahead, looking for any potential potholes.

When it Rains, it Pours. When we finally make some money after such a long drought, we will likely pay off our bills and sadly incur some new ones. If only we would set some aside. It is human nature to want to enjoy our good fortune. Instead, take a chunk and save it or invest it wisely and then with what is left, go crazy if you must.

The lean years. This guide is loaded with examples of people we see as successful and how they struggled to make it during their salad days. In these stories we find comfort and hope that we can survive and then thrive.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? You don’t have to subject yourself to a gameshow to become a millionaire. You can become a millionaire if you want. This guide will show you how you can have a net worth of one million. It is not easy, and it does mean some sacrificies but it is doable.  For some creative people making a million may not be the goal. We want people to see what we can do and have to say (and love it an praise us for our efforts). We want to be free to express ourselves. This kind of thinking can be dangerous. If you want to get your work out there at any cost, you are setting yourself up to potentially be taken advantage of. If you don’t want to take care of your money, you may also be in danger of getting taken.

Dreams. Do you feel like your life is controlled by forces out of your control? You have more control over your financial circumstances than you think. It’s your choices, actions and beliefs that got you where you are now. Don’t put your dreams on hold, because you don’t have as much time as you may think.

Do what you love and the money will follow.  If the money doesn’t follow right away, don’t quit. Success is loving your life, and a lot of your life is spent trying to make money. So if you can enjoy the process of earning a living, you are a success. The secret of happy high achievers is that they had a talent of some sort, and they embraced, nurtured and concentrated on it until it paid off. Yes, money was a motivator, but not the only thing that kept them going.  Being an artist doesn’t make you broke. Giving up your dreams makes you broke.

Make Yourself More Marketable.  The truth of the matter is that the more you sell (and the more it sells for) the more you make. This is not new in the arts, but being bottom line oriented is now how the business side of the arts work. It is no big deal if your work sells and you don’t mind actively marketing it. But if you don’t have the temperament, then there may be a problem. You can continue to create what you want and hope that it hits, or you can steer some of your creative energies into what sells.

Run your life like a business.  I just want to point out that as an artist it doesn’t have to be a not for profit life.  You can run your life like a business with an eye on the bottom line, and you can run your business like your life, have fun, and get things done. So what are we really talking about here? We are talking about living your life like an entrepreneur, really, where your product is your art and your asset is your talent. Start looking at where your money comes from and where it goes. Then look for ways to increase your income and cut costs, just like a business. You are the CEO of your own creative business.

Multiple Revenue Streams.  If you can act, sing, and dance, you are called a triple threat. This is a good thing. The more things you do to bring in money, the better. Do you have untapped talent that could sustain you while you wait for other opportunities to open up? Can you teach what you know to others? Could you write freelance articles for money while your agent shops your manuscript around. Could you start a new, extra business based on your skills? How can you turn your talents into money making ventures?  Could you redirect your talent into another field? Maybe you could repackage your creations (or talents) and sell them to a new market.

Always Carry Protection.  Being risk takers and in the moment people, we may not see value in being properly insured. We will explore some worst case scenario’s that may change your mind about protecting your assets from a variety of destructive elements that can affect the creative person and his ability to create.

Money isn’t Everything.  Making money is not all it’s cracked up to be.  You can still strive to be wealthy but also be happy along the way. Once you get all the money you want and deserve, it will not make your entire life better. All that improves is one aspect: your finances. You can be rich at any income if you feel rich.