Personalized insight
When Money Became My Teacher
I was doing this exercise where I imagined having a conversation with Money – I know it sounds a little woo-woo, but stick with me.
As I sat there, listening to what Money had to say to me, it hit me like a lightning bolt: my relationship with Money was completely toxic.
I was always trying to prove I was worthy. I was compromising my values, giving myself away piece by piece.
But here’s the thing – I realized that I’m the writer of this story. I was the one who created this dynamic where I was powerless and Money held all the cards.
As artists, we’re fed this mythology that creativity and financial abundance don’t mix. But there’s nothing noble about being broke, and there’s certainly nothing noble about hating the very thing that gives us freedom to create.
Do you hate Money? A lot of people do.
So sitting there in my imaginary conversation, I asked myself a new question: How would I feel if money weren’t an issue?
Three words came to mind immediately:
Power. Grace. Freedom.
✨Power means owning your worth.
✨Grace is that magical flow state.
✨Freedom is what Money actually gives us – the ability to create and choose.
Here’s what I discovered: these feelings don’t live in your bank account. They live in you.
No amount of money can gift them to you, and no lack of money can take them away if you claim them.
I started a new practice. Every morning, I spend a few minutes connecting with each feeling – remembering times when I felt powerful, when I was in grace, when I experienced true freedom.
I let those feelings fill my entire being, then I go about my day from that place.
The results are showing up fast. More than just positive thinking, when you operate from Power, Grace, and Freedom, you make different choices. You value your work differently. You show up differently. You attract different opportunities.
When you’re vibrating at the frequency of lack and fear, you create from that place. But when you’re vibrating at abundance and possibility? That’s when the magic happens.
Your Quest:
Choose three words that describe how you’d feel if money weren’t an issue. Then, for the next week, spend five minutes each morning connecting with those feelings. Remember times when you felt each one. Let them fill your entire being, then carry that energy into your day.
This isn’t about pretending everything is fine when it’s not. It’s about recognizing that the feelings you’re seeking through money are already available to you right now. And when you access them first, money has a funny way of following.
We’re not motivated primarily by money—we’re motivated by what we think money will give us. So why not go straight to the source?
Follow this…
Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)
