Just out of reach

I asked Joan to draw an image of her current relationship with money.  The color drained out of her face. She looked at me like I was crazy- then looked at the art supplies, then glanced out the window.  I focused on making a pot of peppermint tea for us, and when I returned she was working intently on her image, purple, red and black flying across the page.

When finished she looked up and smiled at me, shaking her head.

“Oh, my god!” she said, laughing, “I had no idea I felt this way!” 

She had drawn balloons rising in the air, with an image of herself below, trying to catch hold of one of them.  I asked her to give the image a title.  “That’s easy! It’s called ‘Just out of reach”.

She flopped back in her chair and laughed—“Yup, that’s the story of my life!  I can see money, almost taste it, but just as I’m about to FINALLY have some financial stability or solid cash flow something happens and puff! It’s gone.”

Using creativity to discover and heal your relationship with money is powerful, insightful and transformative.  Ultimately it helps you step outside of your money story so that you can gain perspective, have a good laugh, and begin the process of choosing a new healthier way of being.

Here are five ways you can leverage your creativity to lighten up around money so that joy and possibility can begin to seep in:

• Draw or find an image that reflects your current relationship with money.  Write about what you notice, what surprises you, where you are in the picture.  Then draw a new image representing how you want your money relationship to feel.  Remember to make sure that you AND money are in the picture!
• Create a nest egg. Traditionally chicken farmers would put a fake egg in a hens nest to get her to lay more eggs.  Financially we’ve come to view our nest egg as representing financial stability and protection from catastrophe. Try this:  Get an egg—a real egg—and decorate it, give it a name and personality.  This represents your nest egg.  Carry this with you for a week, being careful not to drop or break it.  What if you treated your money with this same level of love and respect?
• Send money and love notes to people that inspire you—the very act of doing this generates positive energy around money.  To read more about this concept, click here
• Money-In Calendar: post a wall calendar for the sole purpose of noticing when money comes into your life—salary, bonuses, alimony, interest, gifts, refunds—all of it.  You can even get more playful and use different colored post-it notes to mark increments of money- $50, $100+, $250+, etc.
• Create a sacred space for handling your money tasks – make an altar, use a special candle, light incense, surround yourself with money positive images—and give thanks for what you have and how you show respect for the money in your life.  Create a little ritual for loving yourself up after paying your bills—a nice glass of wine, some dark, yummy chocolate or a bubble bath.

My wish for you is that you learn to see your creativity as a gift that needs training wheels for new terrain.  There is nothing wrong with you.  You aren’t missing the money gene.  It is possible to lighten up while taking your money more seriously. You are worth it.

How have you learned to leverage your creativity when it comes to managing money?  Share your thought and tips in the comment section below!

(P.S. You can Preorder my Wild Money Book & Journal at a 20% discount promotion.  Click here for further details.  I am excited about getting the books into your hands by the end of May!)

My Book Launch Party is set for July 7th in Portland.  More details to follow.