I Have Regrets and I'm Ditching the Paywalls (Yes, Already)
And a few other admin-y things to note!!
This may come as a surprise to many of you. It was somewhat of a surprise to me as well. But once I made up my mind, that was that. The bottom line up front is that I’m removing paywalls from my posts and plan to share content for all my subscribers and followers to enjoy again.
I know, and feel strongly, that creatives should be paid for their work. Unfortunately, we also live in a world where creative work is often undervalued. And after 10 years of blogging, I really felt like it was the right time to crossover and start asking my readers to help support all the work and many many hours that go into creating content.
I’ve always been someone who supports the idea that hobbies should not be monetized—it’s so important to keep things just for fun. And I’ve long avoided falling too far into “influencer” culture in favor of creating more of an inspiring escape to consume content in a quieter (hopefully more beautiful) way. I’ve also remained committed to keeping my blog, and now Substack, ad- and sponsor-free. Money has never been at the root of this side passion.
Ever since deciding to turn on paid subscriptions, I’ve had an aching feeling. And when measured against my values, something didn’t feel right. I turn up my nose to exclusivity all the time. I’m often bummed when I want to be a part of something or enjoy content and get hit with a paywall. I find it a shame that money is such a barrier. And like many, I too am being very careful about how I spend mine these days.
After several weeks, I’ve already felt regret. My blog has long been something I’m incredibly grateful for. While it may seem trivial, it’s been such a huge part of my life and what keeps me sane and keeps me creating. It’s also brought me so much joy and new friends and new opportunities. I care about my content and creating. And I love that I inspire so many of you through what I share. And I want to keep doing that for as many people as I can.
I also want to honor my own time and make sure that I’m adding value and not just throwing something up because I need to get extra content out. And I really want to care less about making money on this and free myself from the anxiety I’ve felt so often in asking you to pay for content. I could also do without the continuous struggle of deciding what to keep for paid subscribers, especially when I know it means so much work for a lot less people to enjoy. Lastly, I don’t want to burden my creativity with the pressure of contributing to my income.
And moving away from the whole pay for content thing and onto a pay if you want to support me further and you find value and inspiration here thing will be a healthy decision for both me and my community!
I’d also like to add a disclaimer that I do not think paywalls are bad, they are just not for me right now. I think it’s incredibly important that those who want to get paid for their work do get paid. And people deserve to be paid for the many hours it takes to create written and visual content consumed by others. Substack has been an instrumental tool in helping this happen for so many amazing writers, artists, and creators. Perhaps I’ll feel different in some other time and space, but for now… this is where I’m at.
What does this mean for you…
I plan to continue publishing weekly with zero paywalls. And I’ve removed them from past posts as well, so my Substack is a free for all.
I realize that for those who are paid subscribers, this may be really frustrating. I feel like I’m breaking a commitment and promise I made to you. And I completely understand if you wish to no longer contribute financially. It’s tough to decide who to financially support on here, especially when so many amazing writers and creators have moved to this space, so I understand when decisions need to be made. You can manage your subscriptions and switch back to free anytime. If you choose to keep things as is, you have my endless gratitude (seriously).
I cannot express enough how thankful I am to those who continue to support me—it takes a lot of time and energy to create. And every subscription, every share, every like, every comment, and every message means so much to me. I want to also thank you for giving me grace to learn along the way! Substack is still very new for me and I’m continuing to find my way here. All that being said, I’ve really really really loved it and am excited to keep sharing all the beautiful things worth noting.
Some end matter…
I’ll be back soon with fresh content for all! Before I go, I’d really love to know when you all prefer to receive newsletters or if there is a day you dedicate to catching up on your favorite reads.
To catch up on everything I’ve posted…
Visit my Substack homepage at nataliecatalina.substack.com. As a reminder, Substack is just more fun on desktop because you get to see everyone’s fun homepage designs!
Ta ta for now (and thank you again),
Natalie
If you’d like to follow me along elsewhere, find me on Instagram and Pinterest, listen to my playlists on Spotify, and shop my apartment and finds on ShopMy.