If you're new here, I encourage you to read about the idea behind "Unlocking the Commons," a philosophy I try to adopt for most of my projects -

The most economically powerful thing you can do is to buy something for your own enjoyment that also improves the world. This has always been the value proposition of journalism and art. It’s a nonexclusive good that’s best enjoyed nonexclusively.
- Tim Carmody, Nieman Lab

I’m not saying that I’m doing any world-improving stuff over here, but I’m also not not saying that…

Anyway, at its core, your support helps me to keep the lights on here, invest in the storytelling, and allow the majority of my work to be freely accessible for all. Most of my projects take me around to far off places that require expensive plane tickets, lodging, camera gear, and most importantly, time. You might be thinking “hey man I’m not going to pay for your vacation,” to which I say, fair play, but if you’ve seen some of the places I’ve stayed I promise you won’t be very impressed.

If I haven’t convinced you with the warm and fuzzies, not to worry, there are some actual real tangible benefits for members:

Paid Member Benefits

• A free fine art print from my shop.
• Access to my dérive/drifting app that will guide you through a city.
• Access to The Gear Lab, a members-only page that has all my gear recommendations and other goodies like discounts on gear, prints, books, and merch when they become available.
• Upcoming members-only series, including but not limited to:
  • Mundane Travel (coming soon): Boring yet marginally interesting finds from around the world.
  • Last Call (coming soon): Notes on where and what to eat/drink and places I’ve enjoyed in each city.
  • Trip Reports: Behind-the-scenes gear, budgeting, logistics, etc.

All on top of the normal series of missives that you (maybe) already enjoy. Think of it like buying me a beer once a month.

FAQ

1. Is it easy to cancel? Yes, you can cancel your memberships at any time by accessing your Substack account. Plus, I try not to look at unsubscribe data, so you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings.
2. Who handles payments? This platform runs on Substack which integrates with the payment processor Stripe. I don’t see your payment information and never will. Big fancy companies have that all tucked away in high-security digital vaults on their servers.
3. I'm not convinced you just won't take my money, where can I check out more of your work? The first thing would be to subscribe to the newsletter - everything happens there first. Then I'd poke around the website a bit and peruse some of the work. Then check some of my social media channels. If you like what you see and want more of it, consider joining.
4. Can I buy a print without subscribing? Uhm, not right now, but maybe in the future!
5. I don't have much money but would like to support in some way. The fact that you want to already means the world to me - thank you for that. If you aren't comfortable with the cost of the monthly or yearly tiers, you can buy me a cup of coffee by using this virtual "tip jar" to give a one-time contribution. Outside of that, sign up for the newsletter and say hi.
6. Just...why? Woof - that’s a loaded question and one which I continuously ask myself while I’m in bed staring at the ceiling during the depths of night. I'll let you know if I have an answer.
7. Can I ask more questions? Sure thing, email me at skylar@thedailygrog.com, and we'll sort it out.