Freeing Up the Gifting

No more paid subscriptions

Hello Friends,

It's now been a very long time since I’ve been able to write on my Substack. It's wild to think that when I started out three years ago, I found time to post often three and sometimes four times a week! I’ve so appreciated having this artistic outlet and connection to all of you. Life has become even more full in the intervening time, and some of that I attribute to the writing I’ve done here. By writing for you, receiving your feedback, and reading my own writing after the fact, I’ve been able to enter into a rich intellectual and artistic process. I've been able to clarify many things by going through the discipline of trying to write it clearly for you. It's been a wonderful practice and a good stretch. It has also allowed me to share my writing around, which has in turn opened up new doors for me, including some new teaching I’m doing and a number of other possibilities. I feel a real flow of serendipity in my life these days, and I attribute it in large part to my decision to start writing here. I have quite a full slate right now, and that is a very nice feeling…but I do miss time for writing. In between family life plus the many social endeavors and volunteering I do, I hope to continue posting as I can. There are still many things I want to write!

As my posting has slowed, I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with continuing to accept paid subscriptions, so I’m writing to let you know that I’m shutting that feature down and ending (technically, pausing indefinitely) the paid subscriptions (If that is you, I hope you’ll stick around as a free subscriber!).

I have severals reasons for this. First, I was contacted by someone who was a paid subscriber and they let me know that there wasn’t an easy way to cancel one’s subscription. I didn’t like hearing that. It makes me worried that others of you may be in the same position, and too shy to ask me directly to stop donating.

Secondly, with my busyness, I don’t feel that I can predict when I’ll be able to regularly post here in any kind of consistent way. I’ve been trying to finish a post about composting for, like, two months now! And thirdly, I don’t like the 17% cut that Stripe takes every time someone gives me a gift.

The money I’ve received over the last several years has felt like a huge encouragement, as have the comments and interactions I’ve had with all of you. I really thrive on your feedback, and when you tell me how you receive what I write and how it affects you.

By shutting down the paid subscription function, I hope I'm not closing any doors for you to stay connected with me and my writing as you choose to. If you would like to continue sending gifts to me to encourage my writing, reach out individually and we can certainly find a way for that to happen. For now, I am so very grateful for your generosity of spirit in reading my writing. Thank you, friends.

Gratefully,

Brian