Podcast Series: Nancy-Queer Money Matters series
It’s easy to feel like we’re screwing up because other people “get money” in a way that we don’t, but remember that not all people face the same financial challenges. When I was a kid, a lot of the models of people “doing money right” were straight cis able-bodied white men with conventional jobs. They were the ones who were “succeeding.” As a queer artist with an anxiety disorder, money was never going to work the same way for me. It would be unfair to hold up my experiences to their metrics.
Take a look at your own financial situation and have patience for the ways that your experience may look different than those traditionally “successful” models that you may have been presented with as a kid. Your money challenges are valid, whoever you are, and sometimes you’re working against systemic barriers that just make it harder.
In this series, Tobin Lowe and Cathy Tu (the hosts of the podcast Nancy) dive deep into the money issues that are unique to queer folks. They talk to a wide range of people in the community and present their stories with thoughtfulness and empathy–financial planners, parents, newlyweds, trans* folk, seniors living in retirement homes. There is a really wonderful mix of diverse voices. Although they are talking about the States, it is still very relevant for those of us not in the US. This series is both engaging and affirming and makes me feel super supported and seen as a queer person.
Podcast: Dear Sugars #69 “The Price of our Dreams”
Chris and I talk a lot about being a “real artist” and about how joe jobs (or survival jobs) are sometimes a necessary tool to make art. I don’t know what makes someone a “real artist.” My anxiety says the qualifier is earning 100% of my income from making art, but when I look at that metric it erodes quickly.
Do I really want to evaluate the worth of my art by how much people pay for it? I know that what people often pay most for is work that maintains cultural status quo. So my answer to that is no. This system of measurement also doesn’t allow for marginalized artists who may have fewer opportunities to make their art. Do I believe that queer, disabled, or artists of colour make less valuable work because they often have fewer opportunities? Hell no. And then there are the scores of great artists who rely on other income avenues. Composer Philip Glass was a plumber/taxi driver. Comedian Ken Jeong was a physician to support his comedy career. Writer Roxane Gay is still a professor at Purdue University. There are tons of reasons that an artist might need a day job that do not make their art any less valid.
In this episode of Dear Sugars, they take a very real look at how to make a life as an artist. Their
radical empathy-based advice is the best. I’ve listened to it several times and still feel challenged and affirmed by it. Warning: you will likely listen and then binge all of their episodes, like I have. Don’t get your heart broken when you discover that they finished making it in 2018.
“Aminatou Sow on Making $300,000 and Sending Money to her Family” by Maggie Bullock for The Cut
I would describe Aminatou Sou as a tech boss/content creator/hustler extraordinaire. She co-hosts the podcast Call Your Girlfriend and co-founded the network Tech LadyMafia, that aims to boost women on the tech-world ladder.
This interview is such a great reminder that as long as your spending is in line with your values, you’re doing it right. Aminatou Sou gives an invigorating perspective on spending. She also offers a much-needed Black female perspective on finance.
“How Tax Brackets Actually Work”
This video blew my mind. I totally get it now! I have heard this explained at least three times before this and just filed it in the “things I don’t get” brain folder. This rocked my world. In a really, really nerdy way. As per the poster in my high school stairwell, knowledge is indeed power. Want to feel slightly better at tax time or impress your parents when you casually drop your understanding of tax brackets? Watch this video.
This post is helpful and also a great introduction to the Bitches Get Riches blog. It’s got all the good things: silly gifs, recognition of ableism in the traditional workforce, and handy handy tips. I’ve been trying to work these tips into my own life. Specifically the one about keeping normal business hours, and it’s making my time feel more boundaried in a great way. The fern has yet to happen.
What’s your favourite? Any that we need to check out this month? Please send recommendations if you’ve got any!
