Why I am worth £450 a day

And so are you…

January 24, 2023

We are in a Nature and Climate Emergency, the world needs to act like our house is on fire. Instead, we are mining for coal and drilling for oil.

We need a Green New Deal and for a dramatic shift to degrowth, renewables and ecological restoration. And we need to pay people (like, ahem, me) to do this.

Close-up of 5 open petalled flower on stem

I love what I do. I love gardening, wild flowers, native plants, climate activism, design, geeking out, teaching, being in beautiful places, doing the right thing and creating postivity in the world.

I do my fair share of unpaid work (primary school garden, wildlife allotments, native plant & forest garden spreadsheets etc.). I also want to get paid properly for the skill and passion I bring to my work.

If we lived in a country with a Universal Basic Income and Universal Basic Services (way to go for a more equal society and an end to bullshit jobs), I would do what I am doing now, although in a Gift Economy setting. But we don’t, and I can’t. I need to earn £450 a day.

And if you’ve ever been freelance, self-employed or run your own business, you will know that it is never £450 a day. That’s what I charge only the filthiest of the richest of my clients, and only when I’m working for them. All that reading, learning, thinking, admin, banking other stuff, none of that is chargeable.

Whilst we live in a society enthrall to money, then the best we can do is to shift our priorities and value “key workers” by paying them a decent salary and stop giving rich people tax breaks.

CAD for Gardeners

Screenshot of screencast with software and talking head

My online class to help you learn CAD for garden design is up and running. Use the code SubstackLovelies or this link to get about ⅔ off, so about £9.99 rather than £29.99 (sorry, the discounts are calculated in dollars before VAT so I find it hard to keep track of what the final cost is!!)

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