Putting yourself out there

I follow theminimalists.com.  Their experiments in living with less have impacted my life in such positive ways.  They changed my "ideology of things."  I see things differently now.

They had a post this week called Seagulls about Internet trolls and the like. I can only imagine that they received some pushback on asking for donations to support the content they create. 

You see, their blog is wildly popular because the information they share has value.  They were offered a deal to monetize it that they turned down because they didn't feel that ads selling "things" were aligned with their core purpose.  It was a move of integrity. 

After doing that, they also gave readers the opportunity to donate--to show tangible appreciation for the work that they are doing. 

If someone creates something of value, it is okay to ask for value in return. "The hired man is worthy of his wage" so it says. It takes time to create content. It is the reason that so many writers, musicians, poets and painters back in the day had patrons--people who took care of their living expenses so that they could create.

In any case, the digital world is creating new ways of exchanging value.  And one of the best things about it? It has models that allow for more of a direct exchange between people with ideas and those who benefit from them.