Structural changes

What can be found in the middle ground?

Somewhere between here and instagram, I have at some point written words to the effect of, “I’ll probably never paywall my writing pieces.”
Historical me is always so reliably justice oriented. This was a very strong principle of mine. I didn’t want to withhold things from people who couldn’t afford it. I didn’t think that just because people were enduring financial struggle, that they should be blocked from accessing valuable things like art, community and thought. I think this is a dangerous cycle for the world to get into. There are many bold change-makers amongst those in struggle. They should have access to inspiration and connection, just like everyone else who are privileged to afford it, because their contribution to and engagement with the world is valuable.

During the pandemic, I signed up to a handwritten letter community, where you would be assigned a pen-pal who was experiencing loneliness. It was a beautiful idea designed to connect people with a friend during this challenging time. I received a letter from a lady in northern Victoria. She shared with me how lonely she was as a mother of two young girls as they had just moved to a new town in the social isolation days. I could hear the sadness in her words as she gave me a little snapshot into her family life. I responded to her and eagerly awaited her next letter.
Shortly after this, the organisation realised they couldn’t afford to keep going without financial contribution, so they put a membership scheme in place. If you wanted to keep writing and receiving letters, you had to pay a monthly membership fee. I couldn’t afford it at the time, and I assume my pen-pal couldn’t either because the letters stopped coming (we never received each other’s addresses). I understand the predicament, but it was such an unfortunate turn of events that ended up further isolating the people in need of friendship. Some of their only connections got paywalled.

Since I subconsciously tend towards the far ends of any and every spectrum of thought, I vowed never to isolate people with payment walls.
This email is about finding my way to the elusive middle ground.

I started this platform about two and a half years ago, and I wanted to protect people in financial hardship. My heart was in the right place. But this way of organising my business model (I don’t love that phrase. Let’s instead call it - my ‘Mutually Beneficial Creative Exchange Program’…) is beginning to resemble the old picture of setting yourself on fire to keep others warm (not to sound too dramatic - just that this is my internal journey in this area).
How amazing is it to have this platform to publish independent writing and not have to make a website flooded with advertisements in order to earn a living!? To be able to bypass the middlemen and take it straight to the people.

Thus, a revision is in order so I can keep sustaining this output. Like most creatives, I’ve had to uncomfortably reassess the way I value my own work. And I’ve had to re-evaluate the open house of my heart. These stories and thoughts are sacred and often vulnerable, and I’m making sure I honour my being in this process now. When a writing piece is sent to Free Subscribers, it also becomes available for the entire internet to read. Which doesn’t always sit right. As a writer, part of the job is to share our truth, but there are ways to protect ourselves in that too.

I intend to still make these thoughts, stories and ideas accessible to anyone who wishes to read them. I also intend to use this skill to support my family, and I’m reminding myself this is my main source of income and my primary (compensated) job. I’ll be rejigging things shortly, so that we can all sit around the fire and be warmed.

The new structure will look something like this: there will still be roughly 4 pieces coming out each month, but 2-3 of those will be for paid subscribers only.

Free Subscription benefits:
1-2 writing pieces per month

Paid Subscription ($7AUD per month or $70AUD for a year) benefits:
4 writing pieces per month
Gladness associated with supporting independent writing

I think this changes the dynamic with paid subscribers, so they feel as though they’re engaged in an exchange rather than giving a donation.

If for any reason or season, a paid subscription isn’t within your budget but you would like to be a part of the community, you can send me a message or email and I can organise a gift subscription! Marshmallows for everyone. Nobody left behind.

And if you’re thinking that actually 1-2 pieces per month is actually exactly what you need … congratulations you boundary clad legend. I celebrate you. This is an excellent choice.

Take care of yourselves above all.
But if you have the capacity and are wondering how you can support my work…here are some ways:

At the bottom of each email or writing piece, there is the option to -

• LIKE the post

• SHARE - you can send it to a friend via email, share to your socials or restack it on Substack.

• COMMENT - My favourite! Tell me your stories and share your thoughts, to help open these monologues up into conversations.
  

  There are also options to:
  

  and earn access to a Mystical Rebellion paid subscription as below…

  

• RECOMMEND this publication if you have a Substack of your own

• Engage with the NOTES function on the app (like, share, comment, restack).
  

Who else feels like crawling out of their skin after all that money and self-promotion talk? Let’s get back to the comfortable topics like mental health, family dynamics, shame and mistakes! ;)

Much love,
Lysette