What that subscription do?

processing this social media / newsletter moment

Praline Seller, New Orleans, NMAAHC, circa 1910

Hey y’all. So.

I mentioned in the Black Creative Worlds newsletters that:

Inspired by Daniel José Older who was inspired by Eve L. Ewing, I am working through what subscriptions mean and do. While I do that, any revenue this month from Substack is going to L.A. climate disaster support organized by Seeding Sovereignty. If you appreciate the work, feel free to put some money on a subscription.

I just want to acknowledge a few things that have been shifting behind the scenes.

Folks are moving to and from social and digital media spaces. Folks are looking for new homes. And folks are looking for new ways to relate to compensation for their work.

I get it. I am still figuring this out myself. And I feel strange charging for my little ramblings.

I also feel strange charging anything. Charging feels like an overkill when I get so much from just throwing these newsletters/blog posts, into the world.

And not charging smells too much like gentrifying a space where writers and creators have worked hard to create subscription scales and processes that allow them to subsist on their own newsletters in a world of big media. Just because I don’t live off these newsletters doesn’t mean that I should be offering something for free if it contributes to shifting the culture of supporting and honoring the labor of work that is going into what you read here.

So I am going to split the difference. And I’m open to discussion on this.

Folks who have paid subscriptions (and who were grandfathered in as founding members from the tiny letter days) already know they get the #landofwomen posts in addition to the usual, at least monthly, research posts. I’ll be writing more from the #landofwomen as I process through a few projects that I’m trying to get off my plate or off the ground this year. And I appreciate you all for being willing to offer a token in exchange for learning more about the joys and chaos of my adventures as a daughter, sister, and mama.

The Black Creative Worlds section is a different experiment and meant to be a community space. I am sharing discussion questions and reference materials at the free level. But Black Creative Worlds is still in a newsletter world of where we should be honoring and supporting the labor of teachers, facilitators, researchers and guides who put the work in. And I want to rise to that occasion. So I will offer plenty at the free level, but I’ll be adding a little extra on those posts for paid subscribers, including my own reflections on the material we are reading, insights gained from the classroom discussions, maybe even design some exercises and activities.

I don’t want you wasting your time. And I don’t know that tossing things out here for free is honoring my time either. It feels sticky in either direction, but maybe this will make me do my best for you, whichever way you decide to subscribe. Just being honest.

While y’all decide if you want to put a 5 on it or not (a month), let me confirm again that this month’s newsletter proceeds for the Kitchen Table are going to LA fires support. It won’t be much, lol. But it will be something.

thanks for reading,

jmj