It’s convenient to be an artist when you’re strapped for cash. Not to live up to the cliché of the poor, starving artist, but because it’s a bonus to be creative when dollars don’t stretch to the end of the month. Nothing gets me in hustle mode like nearly running out of money.
Only people with money can afford to say that money doesn’t buy happiness. The peace of mind that comes with a great night’s sleep in a warm bed, in a home where there’s food in the fridge—all those things cost money and contribute to happiness.
One thing you have to do to remain on the right side of natural selection is expand your money-making skill. You have to possess a skill for which someone, somewhere will compensate you.
Wait, did I say “skill”? I meant to say “skills”! You don’t want to be a one-trick pony. Just like a species can only survive a drastic environmental change if there’s genetic diversity across the population, an individual must be able to adapt and respond to changing circumstances. Taking too long to learn a new skill is tantamount to being the weak one in the herd that a predator picks off. Having a varied range of hobbies and reading across disciplines are the best ways to make sure you’re always exploring new things because you never know when your main money-making avenue will be blocked. As we Black Baptists are fond of saying, “When life closes a door, God opens a window.”
Regardless of your religious background, you’ve got to be ready to exit out of the window in a moment’s notice. Preferably with a plan. If you don’t have a plan, then you’d better have a range of skills. If you claim, like some of my adult Korean ELS students claimed, that your part of your skill set is drinking or sleeping, you’re going extinct.
What we call “safe zones” are illusions, based on mutually agreed upon set of circumstances that we thrive to live under. Even when we find ourselves among people who have common interests, we don’t really know where those landmines and agendas are until we’ve stumbled onto them. We navigate through those interactions as part of our survival because we never know when such occasions will escalate into a “stand your ground” moment.
You have to be vigilant. If you’re not paying attention, you’re never going see shit coming. And don’t dismiss the weird vibe you get from another person. That’s your primitive instincts kicking in. I’m all for civilization and civilized ways of doing things, but people will let you know who they are even if they don’t announce it in a common tongue.
Speaking of civilization, places where you can always count on a breakdown of civility are in a parking garages, parking lots, and rush hour traffic. Fairly intelligent people walk right in front of moving cars as if they’re made of bumpers. Drivers furiously compete for parking spaces or a faster lane as if they were scarce life-or-death resources. Cars are driven around as if they are weapons-grade hummers or jet fighters. How many times have we wished we had missiles to blast the slow-moving-for-no-apparent-reason asshole out of our way? Or suddenly flip a switch and transform our vehicle into a flying machine to break out of the stagnant chain of traffic?
In general, it’s best to avoid stagnation, especially when all you have to do is learn a new trick. After all, no one wants to be that old dog who can’t be taught a new trick. A new trick worth learning, that is! Not all tricks are created equal; so, another way to stay on the winning side is to prioritize which new tricks you’re going to learn. After all, why put any effort into accelerating your own demise, providing it’s survival you’re after.
The under resourced only have but two choices: A or Not A. There is no B. Those lacking resources only have Not A. They are the Have Nots. When the thing you have in abundance is nothing, then you’re desperate for anything. For the prepared survivalist, the situation represents a chance to jump out of the window of opportunity.