Today’s newsletters will be the last ones before the two tiered system goes into effect on Monday. There is a lot to talk about today so there will be another email coming after this one but before I get into that I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you. Making the decision to gradually leave IG, undoubtedly where I have built my largest community over ten years to date was a gamble, an important one but a gamble nonetheless. Over the last 5 years I have done what I could to build Black Lodges from an idea-based community to an entity that through selling t-shirts enables me to only work for myself. It is my sole income and that has always been the goal, mostly I am still amazed that this actually works but it does. It took and takes a lot of sacrifice and self-control but it’s more than worth it, I have never been healthier nor happier at 42 and that only works because of you. Every piece you buy from me helps me put a roof over my families head, puts food on our table and allows me to navigate this wild world we live in, in a way that allows me to look in the mirror and be ok with that I see.
Social Media played a massive role in making that happen. There are a lot of positive aspects to the platforms at hand, FB initially, then IG and twitter, I have met a lot of wonderful people from around the world that had those platforms not existed I never would have. I have spoken at lengths about my problems specifically with FB Inc. and I don’t need to detail those again, you all know what I mean. Leaving that platform was overdue, essential for my mental health and vision for the future. Starting this newsletter format has been a wonderful progression for me over this last month and I am thrilled at all the projects in the works.
This newsletter is now based on a two-tiered publication system. For the first month I didn’t differentiate between the two as I wanted to give everyone an idea of what I am doing. Starting on Monday the free newsletter will be sent out daily, Monday to Friday and will contain what you would have seen from me on IG. Drawings, Current Events and Talking Points as Music.
If you have decided and will decide to opt for the monthly paid subscription you will get an additional 2-3 newsletter a week who will focus more on ideas, writings, theory, practical help in the daily fight against our fucked up systems, discount codes for any and all releases as well as interviews with people I find interesting. I am working on a monthly video sessions to review the past month with varying guests and a number of short films. All of this you will have access to when you opt for the paid-newsletter. Additionally, I am working on some new product that will be very limited as I am repurposing vintage product with my artwork that will be offered to the paying subscribers first, think old jackets etc.
What is important to point is that this is hugely voluntary. Whilst these monthly subscriptions help me to free up time to critically analyze the world around us and allow me to offer help and insight based on my experience I still intend to make my living through selling t-shirts and other Black Lodges products. If subscribing/ supporting this newsletter is not within your means it’s all good. I am incredibly excited that so many of you already do and it means the world to me, but again, if you cannot, it’s all good.
All in all, thank you. Thank you for being here, for reading all this, for engaging with me, for sharing your world and ideas with and being part of this commune of Black Lodges. It’s shaping up to be a wonderful world that we are creating and yeah, I’m stoked.
Hit this button to opt into the newsletter, share it with your friends and family, let’s take on this world and make it better for us and everyone after us.
This platform has that early Highsnob feel, free and objective, cool.