January's Big Recap and Here's Hoping It Can Continue...
January's Big Recap and Here's Hoping It Can Continue...
A blunt look at what's going to go away from Create Me Free soon if the financial realities don't start to match up with the creative dreams
In this edition, I am sharing a recap of everything published here in January so that you 1) find things you might have missed and 2) get a really good sense of how much happens here in a month in the attempt to build a library of online resources and a community around art and mental health.
I try to give a lot to this community. But I have to be blunt: Although there are more than 1000 of you subscribing to the work that I do here, fewer than 4% of you are paying, while over 96% are subscribed for free.
And the reality is, I can’t keep writing here as is for longer than one more month at this pay rate. If you are already a paying subscriber: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Many more details below …
But, in brief, here’s what’s true: if nobody new upgrades to a paid subscription, much of this work is going to have to go away within a month or two.
The first things to go will be the Friday digests, followed by interviews. Other posts will have to be slowed down and/or paywalled. I hope this doesn’t happen. I hope the community supports the work. But if not, I’m working on a Plan B for those who have paid to subscribe.
What’s also true: if every single one of you that is a free subscriber upgraded to paid subscriptions right now, it would support this work for another year.
Choose a Sliding Scale Subscription that Works for You Today:
Choose a discount that works for you:
24% off in ‘24 - The 2024 discount rate on an annual subscription
Grateful for the Gift - 75% off one year
Gotta Pay the Rent Soon Discount - 50% off one year
Barely Getting By Discount - $10 flat rate for one year
Lucky 13 Discount - 13% off forever
Flexible Discount - 10% off either monthly or annual subscriptions
Want less email from Create Me Free without missing anything? Monthly digests are coming.
What I Love About Writing Here
I do believe in a subscription based model where people support the work that they want to see more of in the world.
And I do believe that I’m offering something unique that needs to be in this world, that is the work I’m meant to be doing. I am aiming to build an online library of resources exploring the complex relationship between art and mental health in a really nuanced way that hasn’t been researched in depth. I also aim to provide resources for creatives, support artists and creatives here on this site and elsewhere, promote the work of other artists, and build community around this topic.
I love that I can do this in a way that feels right for me, that I can offer an easy way for people who value it to pay for this work, that I can add and subtract things easily based on the expressed needs of our community, and that there’s a really thriving community of artists here to work with.
What’s a Little Frustrating
We are in a bit of an echo chamber here. Most people here are writing and trying to get people to subscribe to their writing and can only themselves subscribe to a handful of people and that means most of us aren’t getting paid much.
I’m a full-time writer supporting myself without assistance and have been since 2006. I have been working full time here on Substack since last summer, an activity I’ve funded mostly myself, because I do believe in this work. But I’m not in a position to keep that up.
On January 1st, I sent out what I hoped would be a fun way to stimulate paid subscriptions: A Choose Your Own Adventure set of polls. It was fun to make and I got a little information but it flopped more than it succeeded. Almost 900 people received it, only about 30% opened it, but ultimately it got over 600 views. And yet, only 51 people started the survey. 44 people answered the question about whether or not they’re subscribers and 73% said they’re free subscribers. I asked those people what would inspire them to switch to a paid subscription. 22 answered. Nearly 20% said they never will no matter what and over 60% said “other” but then didn’t take the opportunity to tell me what the “other” might be. A few said, “an immediate discount” but then I offered an immediate discount and very few people took me up on the offer.
More recently, I sent an email directly to the 168 free subscribers that Substack says are my “most active” readers. I reminded them of the Choose Your Own Adventure article but also just asked for a brief response to two poll questions. 89% of people opened it but only 8 bothered with the polls. Of those 8, more than half said that there’s nothing I could do for them to pay to subscribe. 29% said they would pay if they got an immediate discount, but I offered one and no one took it.
It’s all a little bit deflating because the reality is that I want to keep working at this full time but if people can’t support it financially for whatever the reason then that’s not going to be able to happen.
I’m hopeful, though ….
I’m hopeful because there are 30-something of you who do pay for a subscription. THANK YOU!
I’m hopeful because this is an amazing community and I believe it could come through for me if I keep doing what I’m good at doing.
Recap Of Efforts Here, giving you an idea of what I actually do:
I put my heart and soul into this work, including into connecting and supporting the community here. Let’s recap what I published here in January 2024 alone (these are also available as direct article links in the recap at the end of this article) …
7 interviews -in words, images and sound! … (with
, , , , , and5 Mini bios of and recommended things to read by: Allegra Chapman,Amy Nemirow, Angie,Cams Campbelland david roberts
An overview of my old Mandalas for Marinke project as well as recapping ten of the original blog posts, showing you those mandalas in more detail and sharing information/resources related to raising awareness about depression, suicide and crafting to heal.
My own word of the year and what my goals are.
A look back at my participation in the I Live Here: SF project and what is and isn’t still true for me about loving San Francisco.
An essay about my experience of depression as being a regular rider on the bus I drive through life.
A post inviting collaboration and sharing some of the things I’m most interested in researching/discussing in the world of art and mental health.
Weekly roundups of “what is true for me” which recap what I’ve shared throughout the week in my personal life and thoughts along with photos from the week.
PLUS my weekly Friday digests
in which I don’t just give you links but also give you excerpts and background and elaboration and hopefully connect you to others in this community who inspire you. This is the most time consuming work and will go away first without paid subscriptions, so if you’ve found that these posts are helpful in connecting you to others, exposing you to new work, generating new conversations around these themes, etc, then subscribe.
People whose work I shared in these digests in January alone:
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You can also see the roundup of everything I did here on Substack in 2023 after launching here in May right here. In brief, there were over 160 posts including 22 of the community-building Friday digests and 28 original interviews with artists/writers.
Links to all of the January articles:
Interviews in Sound Art
Interviews in Images
Interviews with Artists
Interviews with Writers
Substack Writers You Should Know:
Crochet Therapy
Mandalas for Marinke
Other Writing
Weekly
Housekeeping:
Changes to Come …
If everyone that is a current free subscriber were to upgrade to a paid subscription today, nothing would have to change.
If nobody new subscribes then a lot of the regular features are going to have to go away, starting with the Friday digests and then the interviews, as those are the most time-consuming things I share here.
Do you want to see this work keep going?
Well said. I will be upgrading later today - was planning to anyway!! Slightly frustrating that it cant be done in the app - hopefully Substack will implement that functionality at some point! I will do it on my laptop this eve (oh and I also sit at 4%) ❤️
I am once again impressed by the collection you’ve put together Kathryn. Thank you!