At the beginning of each month, I write about contributions to the blog, another of those many things I said I would never do but which now feels as natural as getting up in the morning. I have the most wonderful readers. Not one person has complained about the contributions or challenged the idea of them, and hundreds of people from all over the world have sent contributions, those for $3 as meaningful as those for $200. The contributions go to pay for the cost of maintaining the blog and of supporting my photography, two meaningful but expensive elements of my creative life that are increasingly important to me, and which generate little or no revenue on their own.
When I began the blog on Memorial Day in 2007, I saw it as something that might supplement my books, and I knew my life was about to change and wished to record the experience. I never imagined it would be something that would grow as it has, and be seen all over the country and much of the world. The blog averages more than 25,000 visits a day now and is growing rapidly. It fees onto Facebook, where the site has more than 10,400 regular followers, many more who visit. It has also, of course, become much more expensive because of it’s growth, requiring changes in design, server space and routine maintenance. I am considering adding a podcast from Bedlam Farm to the blog, and that will cost more than $2,000 to set up.
When I began taking photos in 2006, the first photos I have ever taken in my life, I had no notion how integral a part of the blog this would be. Or how expensive photography is. When the recession arrived, of course, publishing changed radically, between the economy and the rise of inexpensive e-books, which generate drastically smaller royalties and revenues for writers. Digital photography also made the sales of print photos nearly obsolete. This is life, everyone reading this has seen life change, and change can be good. As I evolve as a new kind of writer – blog, books, e-books, photos, videos and podcasts, I am grateful for the creative challenge.
The world is changing, and I am learning to change with it. Part of my own growth is understanding that I can be successful and creative without having to be a big shot. Big shots don’t worry about money, writers do. And I am learning to be comfortable saying these are not all things I can continue to pay for by myself without getting paid more directly for all of the work that is involved. I guess the difference between the new world and the old is that the subsidized world is ending. I no longer compete with the professional writers of the world, but with a million free titles on Amazon, and the plunging economic value of books.
So on the first of each month, I remind people of the idea of contributing for the blog and the photographs, thank them for supporting my work and helping to keep bedlamfarm.com free. This is one of the things that I wish to remain free of charge to anyone who enjoys, finds it stimulating, or gets something out of it. Some things in the world ought to be free. Nothing really is, I suppose. My photos are not sold, they are free for you to use in any way you wish. If you can, contributing to the maintenance of both is meaningful, helpful too. If you can’t, there is no pressure. There is no suggested donation, whatever is comfortable for you. Many thanks. Being authentic feels good, as does learning there is never any shame is being open and honest.