The Starving
Artist Guide To Financial Planning
1. Introduction
2.
The Money Game
3.
Money Myth 1
4.
Money Myth 2
5.
Money Myth 3
6.
What is Money?
7.
The Money Can
Can'tThe only way to get rich is to hit it big. Or, how I learned
to "get rich quick" with little or no effort.
You've all heard this one. This is the so-called lottery mentality. "If I could
just sell one script, my life would change!", says the optimistic screenwriter.
"All I need is that one big break, and then I'll be set!", chimes in the hopeful
actor. "Yeah, and if I just get that one record deal, I won't have to worry
about money ever again!", adds the tireless musician. You know you're guilty, so
don't deny it. The, "I just wanna make a living doing my art" argument won't
wash. You want to make it, hit it big, and become a star worshipped by the
adoring masses.
Nothing to be ashamed of, we're all guilty. After all, it's the American Dream.
In fact, our entire culture thrives on this mentality. Witness the number of
game shows that promise quick riches in return for trivial knowledge, or the
recent spate of reality shows where contestants vie for the big monetary prize.
Our country has always had a fascination with "easy money" and "get rich quick"
schemes. Who hasn't dreamed of getting lucky in Vegas? Or winning the lottery?
Who hasn't stayed up late watching the "you too can be rich like me"
infomercials on television and thought, "well, maybe..."?
And artists, just like everyone else, are susceptible to this trap. Even our own
industry is infatuated with the "get rich quick" mentality. How many stories
have you read about the young neophyte screenwriter who sells his spec for a
million bucks? Or the actor that suddenly gets the muli-million dollar paycheck?
Look at the number of news stories just on the box office grosses. On the number
of albums sold. On the numbers in general. Our whole culture is saturated with
numbers! We're obsessed. And it's effecting how we think about money. Simply
put, our relationship with the almighty dollar (like most everything else) has
become dysfunctional.
Of course, suddenly coming into a large sum of money, whether earned or not, can
radically alter your life. And it does happen everyday. However, it shouldn't be
your only goal. Why? Because sudden financial gain does not guarantee financial
security. Which leads us to:
Next... Money Myth #2
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