Sign up now and you'll immediately get the first of 30 daily emails.

Each email includes:

• Daily Poem Link
• 4 Prompts

Sign up for National Poetry Month in April or at any other time during the year because there it's always the right time for a #PoetryPause!

​Below you can read all about how #PoetryPause got started in 2020. 

Click on the button above and you'll immediately get the first of 30 daily emails of poems and prompts (as soon as you confirm your subscription if you're a new subscriber).

FYI: the email series includes the same poems as in 2020.

Sign up for this three day guided reflection email series that will help you take stock of the last year and prepare you to reflect, set intentions & chart a course for your Writing Life in the year ahead.

I know I usually chat all things books (and there are some book recs at the end of this post), but with tax time around the corner (thank you deadline extension!), I’ve got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.

​I hope you’ll indulge me as I share some of the tools that have helped the husband and me up our finances game.

​And by “upping” I mean basic adulting stuff like: getting out of consumer debt, growing our emergency fund, saving for retirement, and doing estate planning for the peace of mind that the kiddos are all set if god forbid the worst ever happened.

Ok now that I write it all out like that I’m high-fiving myself because I’m so proud of us for getting our sh*t together.

Growing up, neither of us had solid role models when it came to long term financial planning, so this all feels like a huge accomplishment for our little familia.

And because I love sharing what's helped me with anyone who'll listen, below are two resources that were total game changers for us over the last two years:

Last week I wrote about getting my personal finances (and our family’s finances) in order.

I believe having personal finances under control can really help give you the room to think more intentionally about your creative finances (both income & expenses).

So if your personal finances feel overwhelming, I encourage you to check out last week's post first.
 
This week I’d like to share some concrete ways I approach my creative endeavors from a more entrepreneurial angle rather than what the IRS (not me) would call a “hobby”.

​In particular, I'll share the way I track and manage income and expenses related to my creative endeavors. 

1. OVERVIEW: BUSINESS OF BEING AN AUTHOR
   
2. DAY-TO-DAY FINANCIALS: BOOKKEEPING, END OF YEAR REVIEW, & TAXES
   
3. BIG PICTURE: ESTATE PLANNING FOR AUTHORS

​In the spring or summer before I was off to college, I went to a free financial workshop offered by Prep for Prep, a leadership development program for New York City students of color like myself.

I still remember two pieces of advice I got that day:

1. Credit is an important part of creating your financial identity, so it is prudent to get a credit card with a small limit, and PAY IT OFF EACH MONTH in order to begin establishing a good credit history.
2. As soon as you get a job that offers a retirement benefits package, max out your contributions to take advantage of your employer match because that's FREE money.

I'm sure I learned a lot more that day, but those are the two kernels of knowledge I still remember clearly. Both helped lay the foundations of my financial future.

A THREAD 1/ A #WritingLife is not lived by #Publications alone. Here's my #writinglife #yearinreview. Prefer it all in one place? Read the full thing here: liyunalvarado.com/blog/2020review
​
2/ January Blogs: "Earthquakes in Puerto Rico" & "2019 Money Update" https://www.liyunalvarado.com/blog/archives/01-2020

3/ March: MAY I SPOTLIGHT YOUR WORK: I invited my community to submit work for spotlighting in my newsletter and in my #PoetryPause series in April: https://www.liyunalvarado.com/spotlight.html

4/ March, April, May: quarantine and no childcare. #yatusabes

5/ May: I began coaching @casslanewrites as she prepares for her book launch. Preorder her amazing memoir, WE ARE BRIDGES, today!  #affiliatelink  https://bookshop.org/a/300/9781952177927
​

In Puerto Rico La Navidades are celebrated from Thanksgiving to las Octavitas (the eight days after Reyes -- aka January 14).

I wanted to celebrate our unique approach to the season by featuring some of the picture books that best capture the spirit of our Navidades Boricuas.

Several of the picture books below need to be purchased directly from the publisher, so it's a good idea to snag these titles ASAP if you'd like to enjoy them this holiday season.

I've also  included below the Sesame Street Holiday CD that features María & Luis singing an aguinaldo (traditional Puerto Rican Christmas Carol).

¡Wepa! ¡Feliz Navidad!

For holiday celebrations beyond Puerto Rico, check 0ut this booklist:

• Picture Books for the Holidays: Thanksgiving through Tres Reyes

ABC Parranda
​by ABC Coquí

TL:DR

You'll receive daily writing prompts to help you intuitively and strategically reflect on your 2020 Writing (and/or Creative) Life.

​By gaining clarity on what worked well (and what didn't) in 2020, you'll be ready to set intentions and chart a course for a successful 2021

To receive the first email in the 3-Day series on Monday, December 14,