I'm On The Clock

I'm on the clock right now.

I don't mean that I am sneaking a blog post in when working on someone else's dime.

I mean, that I am clocked in to my writing business.

How many times have you scheduled time to work on a project that is important to you only to have a gig fall in your lap, a family emergency, or a chance to earn a little more at your day job and you would feel irresponsible if you turned it down?

It's not your fault. If you went to most schools in the United States you were indoctrinated from a very young age to be a good employee, put your needs second, and prioritize work.

There is probably not enough time in one blog post to undo years of brainwashing; but I believe we can actually use this to our advantage.

It's simple.

Pay Yourself.

If you want to be fancy, you can get a separate bank account for your business and pay yourself from it, but You can also transfer money into a "Fun" account or put money in a piggy bank. Then use this money to do something nice for yourself.

The only important thing is that you actually give yourself money for your time. It doesn't have to be a lot; say $10 an hour (below the minimum wage here in Los Angeles) but it does have to be enough so that you notice it.

This will make you associate your artistic work with money and, if you do it enough; it will force you to start monetizing your work so that you can afford to pay yourself.

I have always been adamant about not working for free for other people; but if I don't even pay myself, what message am I sending myself?

If you want to be your own boss, you should probably be a good one.

An additional benefit is that this will force you to track how much you are actually working. If you only spend 230 minutes a week on your art, it is unlikely that you will make significant progress.

Welcome to the world of being self employed.

And as always,

Thank you for making Art

E