Does money trauma exist?

The taboo around the scrilla

A couple of weeks ago, I put up a poll asking what people most wanted to explore at our upcoming Rich Artist retreat.

The top vote was for authenticity.

Not surprising really. In a synthetic overculture built on curated images and performative shares it can feel like a radical act to just be real.

For those of us artistically inclined, the challenge runs even deeper. To create meaningful work we often have to disrupt the status quo. Speak to truths others might avoid and invite people into unfamiliar territory.

Sometimes, that comes at a cost - criticism, rejection, or being misunderstood by those still operating from Empire consciousness.

There’s a constant tug-of-war between belonging and integrity. This is a battle as old as time itself, so it's no surprise people were eager to tap in to their authenticity.

Here's what surprised me most:
How few people were remotely interested about clearing their money trauma. It didn't get a single vote!

Money is one of the most emotionally charged and culturally taboo topics. And in a capitalist system, people are often defined by their productivity and net worth, which makes financial struggles feel deeply personal and shameful.

Here's how it shows up:

• Self-sabotage when wealth starts to build
• Over giving and undercharging from a place of low self worth
• Chronic anxiety around money, even when "enough" is present
• Avoiding money management altogether (taxes/ bills)
• Feeling guilt or shame when spending or receiving

Even people who appear wealthy can carry deep-rooted scarcity, fear, or guilt - especially if their success was built as a way to compensate for early wounds.

For me, money trauma isn’t really about how much money you had growing up. It’s about the emotional ecosystem money moved through.

How was it talked about? Fought over? Avoided? Controlled?

I know people who live in vans and feel genuinely free around money.

I also know people living in multimillion-dollar homes who feel constantly tight, stressed, and afraid it will all disappear.

So, does money trauma exist?

Oath. But the bigger question is:
What becomes possible if we actually healed it?

It took me so many years to move through my personal money blocks. Growing up and spending most of my life broke but also too pig headed to address it, I was chronically avoidant but desperate for it at the same time.

The sneaky stories underneath it all were that there was nobility in the struggle, that I couldn't make money doing what I love and beneath all of that - a deep seated feeling of not being worthy.

Thankfully I've been able to move through these hardwired beliefs that became my second nature. But they were exactly that, my second nature. Not my true nature.

In 2025 everything is on the table. The world is shapeshifting every day. And the future world is built on the stories we seed in ourselves and in the culture.

We don't need to be starving artists and wounded healers any more.

You can be generous and have clear boundaries.
You can be wildly creative and financially sovereign.
You can honour your soul's calling and receive abundantly.

It just takes honesty, courage, and community to unpack the deeper layers.

And that’s part of what we’re doing at the Rich Artist Retreat this weekend.

I firmly believe that when artists, healers, and visionaries heal their relationship with money and become properly resourced…the world changes.

If you’re interested in rewriting your money story and ensuring you are no longer the world best kept secret - reach out to join. 8 spots remain!