January 3, 2008
being poor sucks
[More thoughts on “How To Be Creative”:]
33. Being Poor Sucks.
The biggest mistake young people make is, underestimating how competitive the world is out there.
Everyone will have had a group of friends who went hitchhiking around Europe when they were nineteen, living off ten dollars a day. And they were so happy! And they had so much fun! And money wasn’t an issue!
Ha. That was youth, that was not reality. Reality is much bigger than youth. And not as nice.
That’s not to say cash is the be-all-and-end-all. But to deny the importance of the material world around you [and its currencies] is to detach yourself from reality. And the world WILL eventually PUNISH you HARD for that.
I’ve often been asked by young people, which do I think is a better career choice: “Creativity” or “Money”? I say both are the wrong answer. The best thing to be in this world is an effective human being. Sometimes that requires money, sometimes not. Sometimes that requires creativity, sometimes not. Be ready for it when it happens.
Poverty is fine if you are young and fuckable, and if that poverty is by choice. Otherwise it sucks.
I cannot fathom why people persist in believing in the nobility of poverty, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Being a slave to your stuff sucks too, of course. Plenty of materially successful people are miserable twats. I suppose that is where the nobility/poverty myth comes from in the first place.
I’m a fan of an alternative – contribute massive value and don’t be afraid to ask to get paid.
I was working in Milan a few weeks back and met a man who by all accounts was doing pretty well for himself, he owned a farm just outside the city, made his own wine, made his own olive oil, owned around 15 horses etc. He showed me around, I was impressed.
We got to talking about money and he told me that I shouldn’t make money just for the sake of it. He said money was nothing more than a tool and like any other tool you had to learn how to sharpen it and also how to be skillfull in its use. Then you could get things done effectively.
Very interesting guy.
Poverty builds character.
I’ve done that and I now have sufficient character.
But, seriously, “The best thing to be in this world is an effective human being” — yes, I agree. Must work that into my next lecture to my kids
You can increase room for creativity by living somewhere that isn’t terrifyingly expensive. I’m amazed more Brits don’t notice that they’re paying twice as much for absolutely everything, compared to people in a bunch of other countries. (Small point that can change lives– worked for me).
>The best thing to be in this world is an effective human being.
yup. efficiency helps, too. heinlein writes: “Minimize your therbligs until it becomes automatic; this doubles your effective lifetime.”
(“therbligs” def’n: http://gilbrethnetwork.tripod.com/therbligs.html )
Having little money teaches you a lot of discipline. Having discipline will force you into the right channels of life. Being creative and hard working will enable you think outside the box. Yes you must have money, but is money worth living a rich life. When people say that money can’t buy you happiness, I tend to think that they are shopping at the wrong places. Money creates money. When thinking of business I like to refer to a little trick call SMALL. Small Market And Later Large. By disciplining yourself from a small age will grow into multiple various business weapons.
I have a bud who is a “struggling artist.”
The man has cable tv.
He gets his coffee at Starbucks.
That is NOT struggling.
LOL
My thinking is that if you add value,
then someone will pay you for that value.
If you have to give away your art,
it isn’t valued.
All good thoughts, hm. I had a ten day meditation course in December — vegetarian food, talking prohibited, getting up at 4am daily, no chance to leave the area or getting distracted from yourself or the technique in any kind of way.
As Buddhism teaches you, craving or aversion to any outside objects (aka materialism) is the root of all misery. To live humble and calm in mind can create much more peace and happiness than collecting gems all the way.
Money is to pay your monthly bills, afford some travel and fun and that´s it. It should never rule our actions.
Amen, uh, Oooohm, whatever…
I absolutely disagree with the notion that prosperity is not accessible to artists. Why? We live in a world that wants to “support” anxiety, strife, lack … instead of manifesting abundance, joy and love.
I think that it is a wonderful gift to know one’s own source of human effectiveness — this one (or even more) outstanding talent(s), the purpose for our being here for a while
Sharing became a value for me, combined with what I identified as my source, talent and purpose it adds something valuable. There is a good energy coming along with it and that is beyond monetary amounts. It is just flow as I see it. When big money f(ol)lows, too, it is in harmony with the vision. 