Recap:

The Good: I’ve made great strides in all of my creative pursuits!

The Bad: I’m broke.

Let’s start with the bad, which luckily wasn’t much! February was a rough month for me financially. I was able to pay all of my bills, but I reverted to the scrounging/survival lifestyle I led as an undergraduate. It has been four years since I had to restrict myself to this point; for example, I am used to being able to drive my car anytime, to anywhere. Now that I can only afford a half tank of gas per week, I’ve become much more strategic about the when/where/whys of driving. While my income tax refund should reduce most of my financial pressure in March, I still need to work on ways to supplement my income.

Other than money issues, February was great. I had two of my poems accepted to two different publications – one to a local, quarterly magazine and the other to a poetry anthology to be published this summer. This is incredibly exciting to me because this is the first time that my work will be published in print format. I may also be reading my work at a benefit event at the end of the month.

I also had some luck with my painting. I sold three old paintings and one commission. While I didn’t make much on these small pieces, the payment was enough to cover one of my utilities and a case of beer (the two greatest priorities in life, right?). My band is also doing well. We locked up a spot as the featured performers at a mic later this month!

My greatest successes in the past month were related to my non-profit work. I am giving a lot of my time, talents and energy to one group in particular and I think that it is paying off for everyone involved! This group has the opportunity to help and inspire hundreds of girls in my city, and in the next six weeks we will be taking big steps toward our goals. I also may or may not be on TV for the first time ever, to discuss our group!

Goals:

1. MAKE MORE MONEY – I don’t need a lot. I’m just seeking the stability that I had prior. I think that this is a possible feat and that my failure last month was due to a lack of persistence on my end.
2. Keep reading and writing – I’ve read 19 books so far this year. It has been a great experience and has really improved my writing and increased my motivation to write. I’ve recently started this new thing in which I read the book first and then conduct some research on the author to learn about their background and inspirations. I intend to continue reading at the same pace while also writing stuff to submit and perform.
3. Increase my presence – It is great that I now have two publications to my name. But I can’t stop now that I’ve finally begun taking my work seriously. I will keep submitting my work and I intend to perform poetry at readings and mics this month. The same also applies to my painting and my music: I need to keep promoting my painting sales and I need to keep working with my band and setting up shows.

If I could survive the loss of a friend, money struggles, and my boyfriend’s layoff in February, I hope that I can also handle whatever March throws at me.

• Current drink: Cold-brewed caramel coffee
• Current book: A Guide to Being Born by Ramona Ausubel
• Current audio book: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Current music: MF DOOM + SADE (SADEVILLAIN)