so i visited an undergraduate class to talk about being a writer and writing for a living today, and something came up that i did not expect to talk about: class and financial security

specifically, my friend (the instructor) asked me about my process, and me, being the rambling, incapable of getting to a succinct point midwesterner that i am, ended up talking about having a full-time job and the importance of financial security

because this is something we don't talk about enough when we talk about writing and creativity:

what do you need to feel secure enough so that your creativity can thrive?

as someone who grew up working class in the rural midwest where no one in my family is "a creative," who now makes more than both of my parents, who cannot rely on family for support, i need to know that i'm gonna be financially okay before i can let my imagination *really* go.

do you know what it's like to try to write while you're worried about your bills? while you're not sure if you're going to make ends meet next month?

it's possible. there are entire books about it. i'm reading one right now, in fact. but it's not conducive to creativity.

everyone i know in new york city who is voluntarily a "starving artist" has a parent who either pays their rent or could bail them out if they needed it.

fact.

so i showed up at an undergrad CW class today and talked about how personally, my "process" isn't about writing with a fancy pen or having the right crate & barrel or whatever the fuck desk.

it's ensuring that my survival needs are met so that i can focus on thriving.

i am one of the lucky ones: a confluence of hard work, white privilege, and sheer fucking luck have resulted in me having steady employment, even in the midst of a pandemic.

but we cannot talk about craft without talking about the money that does or doesn't support it.