The world is a mess. And it is full of people telling you what is wrong with it, and who is to blame. And if that is your jam, there is no shortage of people who will be happy to oblige you.
But what really gives me life these days is creating a compelling vision of a better world than the one we have now. A more just world. A kinder world. A world where, as Dorothy Day once put it, it is easier to be good.
We humans are a frugal species, and our brain will recycle stories it knows rather than create new ones. This is even more true when it is stressed. So, it seems self-evident to me that if we don’t like the stories we are currently acting out, we need to create new ones.
That’s what I do.
I’m working to create a vision of the sort of world in which I want to live – one I personally find more compelling than the existing one. One with stories that are more worth telling. One with stories that can help us get off the suicide machine to which our species is currently strapped.
And that work (on this blog and elsewhere) is all supported entirely by my readers. By people who want such a thing to exist, and who want to make sure I have the budget to keep it going, and the freedom to do it.
But their support is also a vote – a vote for the sort of world in which they want to live. Sort of like buying a book at an indie bookstore you could get cheaper on Amazon – you do it because the store needs to be supported or it goes away, and by golly, you want to live in a world with indie bookstores.
There are currently two ways to financially support my independent writing:
Become a Member
After more than five years on Patreon, I built my own membership plan. This is the best way to support me, as it provides recurring, predictable income I can budget around. The way it works is that you select the level at which you want to support my work, ranging from $5 a month to $25 a month. Then you will automatically be charged each month, so you don’t have to remember. It all happens automagically. Learn more bout the perks of membership here.
One time contributions
If you want to just throw a one-time contribution of cash my way, you can buy me a cup of coffee or send cash using a variety of methods from PayPal to Zelle or US Mail. You can learn how to do that on this page.
Non-monetary ways
Of the literally billions of people on the planet who did not read anything I write this year, the overwhelming reason for that is because they do not know who I am. The easiest way to support my work is to make sure more people read it. This can look like forwarding my emails to friends you think would like it, sharing my posts on social media, or linking to my blog when you get a chance.
However you decide to do it, I’m grateful for your support. Thank you for voting for a world with better stories.