Marci playing the slots in Reno

On Monday I got back from Reno, after a great time at the Biggest Little FurCon furry convention. So many people, so many fun things to do (okay, so most of what I did involved sitting at a table and drawing for about 11 hours a day, but I was with my friends, so it was fun). A lot of the people I talked to had a great time too, so if you’re planning on a furry convention next year, I do recommend BLFC. There’s not a lot to do around Reno, but there’s lots to do at the resort hotel and convention itself. I even tried the slot machines for the first time in my life. I decided I was going to spend $10, and quit when I lost it all, which is exactly what I did (it probably took all of 7 minutes, including the $5 that a friend put in the Game of Thrones machine for me). Entertaining enough, especially the Jurassic Park machine with the surround sound and rumbling seat, but not fun enough to spend tons of hard-earned money on.

So money. Let’s talk. Being a freelance artist, my financial situation is usually feast or famine. This month, with three conventions and a commercial project to work on, I’m feeling kind of flush (at least temporarily). But being the right-brained person that I am, I’ve never felt that I’m particularly great with managing money. I’ve spent lots of dough on courses and books dealing with money and business (still paying for some of them at the moment, actually), and I’ve learned lots. I’m obsessed with learning; it’s one of my chief pleasures in life. But I feel like I still have a ways to go where money is concerned.

I indulged in a bit of self-care today after a trip to the post office to mail off the take-home badges from the convention, and I stopped at Starbucks for a coffee. Just a regular coffee, but I’m enough of a coffee snob that I like a really dark roast (some people would call it burnt; I like it that way), with cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. And my regular Starbucks is connected to the Chapters bookstore (a fabulous combination that my younger self would whine with envy over). And even though I was here just last week, I can’t resist browsing through the new releases.

I came across Jen Sincero’s new book “You Are a Badass At Making Money.” Who can resist a title like that? Not this girl. So I picked it up to look through. Turns out Jen Sincero is the author of another book I have, “The Straight Girl’s Guide to Sleeping with Chicks”, a book I picked up early in my self-exploration as a wide-eyed baby dyke. Anyway, I read through the introduction, and I was instantly hooked. (Then I looked at the cover price and thought, “Surely I can get a better price on Amazon.” And then I thought, “Maybe I can get it at the library.” And then I thought, “But I need to own this book, and I need to own it now.” And I bought the Kindle version, because I’m trying to cut down on the space my books take up anyway.)

Here’s a sample from Chapter 1:
“All of nature is forever moving, growing, changing, reproducing, evolving—it’s all the rage, even the damn Universe itself is expanding. Likewise, you are not meant to just survive, to stay stagnant, to settle; you are meant to keep growing and thrive. Just like the tree that sucks up nutrients, water, and sun, grows to its tallest, mightiest height, and drops shit all over our yards that will then spawn the next generation of trees, and the frog that miraculously grows from egg to tadpole to adult, you too are meant to reach your fullest expression of the you that is you, to inspire and birth awesomeness in others, and to use whatever resources you need along the way.
“The difference being, of course, that, unlike the tree and the frog, you are human. So unless your truth involves living in a cave on rent-free land, carving images of caribou on the wall with a pebble while dining on nuts and berries not owned by Monsanto, pretending that you can reach great heights without the proper funds is cray. In fact: If you are here to become the grandest, most generous version of yourself, which you are, and if that costs money, which it does, it is your duty, as a hallowed child of Mother Nature, to get rich.”

Right? So unless you are a trust-fund baby or are otherwise independently wealthy (in which case I invite you to be my artistic patron), you too probably have a love-hate relationship with money similar to mine, even if you have a regular job with a salary. And you probably want to change that. So if you’re interested in Jen Sincero’s book, check out her website (or buy from your local independent bookseller if you want to be uber-supportive). I’m not getting a kick-back or anything, I just want to share my latest fabulous find with you. I’ve only read the first chapter and I’m in love with it already.

You’re welcome.

Now back to the studio, because the art isn’t going to make itself!

Posted by:Marci McAdam-Charland

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