Last month, I made an announcement on my social media accounts saying that I would be launching my Patreon platform in September. Well, my path has taken a different turn, as it so often does. As we hikers know, the unexpected trail that we almost overlooked, is often the most beautiful.
I was spending most of my time working toward the Patreon launch - creating content and developing tiers (members are given different benefits depending on the membership amount). In between all that work, when I needed a break, I began to reread one of my favorite American classics, Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. It was when I was deep within the pages of Thoreau’s words that bits of wisdom I already possessed came back to me and, through that process, I realized that Patreon is not a fit for me.
In case you aren’t familiar with the book, Thoreau wrote Walden in the 1850’s; in it, he talks about how he lived simply and intentionally. He was an early minimalist, a spiritual man with progressive ideas about the evils of capitalism and conformity. As I absorbed his insights about how he found happiness by not playing into the capitalist notion that we must earn, many times in excess of our needs, I knew that, for me, using Patreon would be far too focused on the money.
I just can’t see how it makes sense for me not to share my best content on my existing author platform (my website, Facebook, and Instagram) after having spent so much time developing the site and gaining supporters in those places. It would mean that the things I have to offer the world would be inaccessible to anyone who couldn’t pay. Though I had planned a tier that would have been just one dollar per month, I understand what the reality looks like for those struggling to survive, financially. A monthly subscription of any amount can easily lead to an overdraft and mean not making rent, even if you usually have a dollar to spare, not to mention that some people don’t even have enough to make all the bills. I have been there myself, and I don't want those folks to be excluded from the community I am building. The donation model means that everyone who wants access to my content, can have it. I trust that my supporters will donate what they can when they can, even if that is never in the form of money.
Having worked hard on not only trusting the universe, but more importantly, trusting myself, I realize that I got this. In my gut, I have known for a long time that if I just continue my work as an author and a healer, my wife and I will have the security that we need. Sure, along the way I've let myself get down and I have given in to doubts. I've gotten caught up on how I was going to make this vision happen. But I am learning that we have to learn to focus on the what, not on the how.
While writing and healing have never been about the money, but the passion and the purpose, I do intend to earn a living doing these things. I know that Thoreau would agree that, if only we could live more simply, we could all make a living doing what we are passionate about. Don’t get me wrong, I know that our system sure does try to make that impossible. But we’re in an age where we, as a collective, are awakening. As we open up to differing realities and perspectives, we're seeing that the systems we have in place have harmed us more than they have helped us grow. We're putting our collective foot down and saying, “no more” to the things that threaten to take the life out of us, both literally and figuratively.
Folks, this will be the age for artists and healers to thrive. But we must break out of some of our programming about how things must be done and be brave enough to try things that make no sense, but feel right in our souls. This feels right in my soul. There is so much support and generosity, compassion and kindness in the world. I am seeing communities being built. I know that my supporters believe in what I do: healing and telling stories of healing. So please, follow me everywhere! Heal with me! Promote my platform if you are called to, so we can build community! And if you are able to contribute financially, I will accept your continued support with a grateful soul, knowing that we are working toward a collective goal. There are donation buttons on my connect page. Together, we all have so much work to do to create the world we want to live in.
~ Peace and Love, Tracey
©Tracey Love, 2022. All rights reserved.
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