[three cents is two things about money and one about love, and i'll send it to you about once a month]


1. a thing about money 
Oh miracle of miracles, I finally hired a bookkeeper to help my sort out my work finances. So, what's the damage? I'll spare you the line items, but here are the bottom lines from my P&L for Scratch during 2015, so far. (This is just Scratch related biz—the magazine and the book. It does not take into account my day job or freelance writing.) 

Total income: $22,338.97 
Total expenses: $19,972.13
Net Income: $2,366.84

However, I still have a huge chunk of $ (contributor payments) to expend by the end of this month, so I'll probably end up at least a few thou in the red. (See also: day job, have one.) 

If you are like me and you hate spreadsheets, or if you are just busy, or if you are just lazy... I so recommend hiring a qualified professional to do your books. (The person I hired is my friend Sasha Wright and she is excellent and organized and spreadsheet-friendly and has very reasonable rates for artists and activists.)

2. another thing about money 
My stepmom is a printmaker and she recently pointed me to a 2011 Economist feature about Albrecht Dürer's business model. Despite my innate aversion to capitalism, I found it absolutely fascinating. Owning the means of production! Authenticity! Flooding the market! Charcoal Death on his skeleton horse crying “Remember me!” It's all in here: Dürer as entrepreneür. 

3. a thing about love 
I realize I don't often write about romantic love in this slot; usually it's art or music or some other 'love' of my life. So this month ... will be no different! Here is a thing about music AND love AND it's also pretty darn cute: How To Make Listening to Adele Even Sadder. 

stuff i wrote
This might be my favorite thing I've published all year:  A Year in Reading. #TeamAmy

stuff to read 
I saved a ton of links for you about money/love/creative work this month, but you know what? We're all probably pretty busy! It's December! I mean I, for one, could use a nap right about now! So here, read this poem: Lullaby. Then listen to some music, lie on the floor, take a day off or something. I'll be back with plenty of great money-and-writing-related linkage in 2016. 



see you on the flipside,
M.