New Adventures!
I'm so happy to FINALLY be sending this email! It's been sitting in drafts for two weeks while I've been troubleshooting paid subscriptions in Buttondown.
I didn't want to send out the announcement about the new adventure I'm beginning until I could also announce my new paid subscription, and that's now up and running!
Here's a little bit of background for some insight into the subscription struggle (feel free to skip down to the adventure announcement if you're not interested in shop talk):
Pay-what-you-want on Stripe is for one time donations or product payments. Coding magic through Buttondown makes that one time payment into a recurring subscription. When I adjusted parts of the checkout page on Stripe I discovered that this link between systems is somewhat fragile and certain changes can break the connection to Buttondown. After breaking it three times (and having support fix it each time) I saw the pattern of what was going on. It wasn't anything I was doing wrong, it was simply backend issues that I wasn't aware of and couldn't control. Support also wasn't aware of this issue so I'm glad I could bring it to their attention and potentially help them with future updates.
All of this helped me to have a better understanding of why platforms like Patreon or Substack don't offer creators the option to have a pay-what-you-want tier for their subscriptions. Offering a feature that isn't entirely plug-and-play would be prohibitive to their goal of having substantial and consistent user growth. The easier the platform is to use, the more people are likely to try it out and stick with it even if there are parts they don't love, like how much it costs or the questionable ethics of the company.
While having to repeatedly troubleshoot definitely made me anxious about using this service, I didn't want to throw in the towel just because things were a little difficult. Being able to support a company that aligns with my values while also offering payment flexibility to my subscribers was worth the inconvenience and frustration.
I can't speak highly enough about the Buttondown support team and how incredibly helpful they were. It was really nice emailing with folks who weren't working off of a customer service script and seemed genuinely invested in helping me get to a solution.
NOW ONTO THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT NEW ADVENTURES!
For around 5 years I've been enamored with projection mapping and lighting design. You may have encountered projection mapping during Halloween or Christmas, either on YouTube or possibly in your neighborhood. The applications, however, go way beyond residential use (which you can see in the video below).
Teaching myself how to projection map has been in the back of my mind for quite some time, however I always dismissed it as frivolous; a distraction from my design work. As I'm becoming increasingly concerned about how A.I. is encroaching on so many aspects of the design world, I feel like learning something new is necessary. I thought that was going to be videography, but the more I learned, the more I recognized the overwhelming amount of competition and constant pressure to be on trend. While I understand that there's always going to be competition and I don't shy away from that, the current fray is not one I feel like jumping into. Most of the work is around making ads, which I don't have a lot of interest in, and I certainly don't want to be a content creator.
That being said, videography and motion graphics are used in projection mapping (since there has to be something to project!), so what I've learned about those things so far will be put into use and I'll also need to learn A LOT more.
I'm VERY excited about this and have a small project in mind for the Spring Equinox (March 19) so I have some structure around what I learn as well as a goal to work towards.
I will continue to do graphic design and collage as I still enjoy that work and it's important to me to keep up those skills. I also have some ideas for integrating collage into projection mapping!
POSITIVELY DISINTEGRATING (Extended Version)
If you'd like to get in-depth updates about what I'm working on with this new adventure in projection mapping in addition to more personal updates about how I navigate life as an artist, subscribe to Positively Disintegrating (Extended Version)!
I offer two subscription plans: monthly recurring pay-what-you-wish (with a minimum of $1/mo) or annual at $50/yr.
This is replacing my Patreon and offers a lot more flexibility and streamlining as everything is from one platform. Similar to Substack (but without the problematic parts), subscribers will only get one email newsletter from me — either the standard (free) version or the extended version.
If you'd like to subscribe, click/tap the button!
How your subscription is put to use:
Your subscription helps me continue to do creative work and also assists with acquiring accessories for projection mapping, such as specialized software and a battery pack for outdoor projections.
As always, thank you so much for being here!
Until the next newsletter, be well.
Giesla
If a subscription isn't your thing but you'd like to show your appreciation for my work at any time, you can click/tap the button below to buy me a coffee!
