June 2021 Message

June 7, 2021 • Newsletter

This Month’s Money Message: Embrace

I attended my first in-person event in a very long time last month: A year-end outdoor fashion show fundraiser for my college. I hugged a lot of people. We all did this delightfully awkward dance, disclosing our vaccination status (fully vaccinated!) and asking for consent to hug each other in greeting.

It was wonderful.

The human contact of hugging, fist-bumping, or even waving from across the park was such a welcome return to interactions from the “before times,” especially in the arts, where the vulnerability of connection is so crucial to the process of creating and thriving. But also crucial to the process of creating and thriving is embracing yourself.

My calendar over the next few months is fuller than it has been for over a year. There are travel plans to see family we haven’t seen in far too long; there are long-postponed events I can’t wait to attend; and there are re-openings for favorite spots I can’t wait to celebrate.

And all of these things are encroaching on the carefully carved out strategy time, strolling time, and unscheduled time that I came to love during the pandemic. You may have had some of this time too: It was the time to take a longer-than-planned walk with your dog because there was nothing else to do. It was the time to sit outside in the evening reading, ready to help your daughter with her math assignment. It was the two hours of unscheduled time you purposely blocked on your calendar during the day when you could contemplate, plan, and reassess.

So this month I’m embracing all of the re-openings and reunions… And I’m embracing the habits formed over the past year that I’d like to keep, protecting that time on my calendar so it doesn’t take another global pandemic to reset my schedule.

As you embrace both yourself and others this month, here are some things to know, do, and believe:

Know: How much unscheduled time to embrace each week.

Forgive yourself here if it doesn’t happen perfectly. After all, life doesn’t always make room for unscheduled time. But if you know what your goal is, and when the time works best for you, it is more likely you’ll embrace at least some of this time.

Do: Block off unscheduled time on your calendar when you can.

I am guilty of blocking off this time and still scheduling other things during it, so I know how hard this is. And still. Having it blocked off at least gives me pause before I say yes to something at the same time.

Believe: Embracing yourself and what you need is crucial.

Go easy on yourself during this time of transition. Give yourself permission to keep the good parts from the past year and celebrate the return of the good parts from years before.

What We’re Doing

We start this month with one-on-one sessions with the On-Ramp Fellows, and then we get to spend some time with the Sundance community talking about financial wellness and debt management. We’re also checking in with the YoungArts community now that it has been three (three!) months since our program together.

What We’re Talking About

Even though we’ve been talking a lot about pricing lately, more and more of those conversations have included calendars: How much time do you really need to do something? How much time do you really need to plan for the week? Embracing your time needs leads to some great conclusions around pricing…

Creative Coaching (1 hour, $110)

If you’d like to chat with me to answer your own questions, feel free to find a time that works with your schedule. Fair warning: These slots are full (ish) for the next month or so.

BOOK