THE UNSUBSCRIBERS

On Losing Subscribers (and Still Needing to Write)

I recently lost a few subscribers to my blog.

Part of me shrugged it off, but another part wondered how I could have been so careless as to lose them—like they were valuables I'd misplaced at the Post Office.

Perhaps because my readership is still fairly small, I notice these things more. If I had a much larger following, I’d likely barely register their absence.

Content Fatigue Is Real

In this content-saturated age, it’s totally understandable to feel fatigued by newsletters, blogs, and the general flood of digital noise. Most of us need less content, not more, in order to preserve some mental space.

And let me be clear: I’ve unsubscribed from plenty of things over the years. I’m no stranger to that button myself.

Writing Is My Oxygen

Three-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Oleksandr Usyk, recently said:

“Boxing is my oxygen.”

I’ve started to feel that way about writing—though just because I need to write in order to breathe doesn’t mean I should exhale all of it into people’s inboxes.

When I first started Digital Renegade in August 2021, I never imagined I’d keep it going this long. I suppose there was that phoney ‘Las Vegas-style’ retirement in the summer of ’23, which lasted about as long as a politician’s manifesto promise.

Why I Keep Going

And yet, to paraphrase Brokeback Mountain:

“I can’t quit” Digital Renegade.

It’s become my sanctuary from the chaos of the world—and a platform/journal to vent and express ideas, some of which I hope may evolve into more ambitious projects in the future.

I’ve never charged for my work (blame the eclectic nature of the content), and I try to be mindful not to bore anyone to death. That said, many of my friends admit they don’t read most of what I write, and so I now assume I’ve become one of those newsletter irritations that inspires the finger to hover—and twitch—over the unsubscribe button.

Still, I can’t second-guess myself. I need to write blogs to stay fit. And I need to share what I write—otherwise, it feels like a futile exercise.

Sure, I have other work and projects that requires quiet, private rewriting and development, and I’m not quite ready to share that yet. But the blog? The blog is my mood board and opportunity to experiment with themes, fragments, opinion pieces and memories.

Thankfully, I’ve also received some private messages from peers in journalism, blogging, podcasting, and video content—which has been an unexpected yet welcome boon to writing this blog.

TL;DR

So what am I saying here?

I’m saying: I’m going to keep writing blog posts for the foreseeable future. But you absolutely have my blessing to unsubscribe if my content is clogging up your inbox or no longer speaks to you.

I do have a number of posts in mind before I eventually shut this down—but that day isn’t here just yet.

For those of you still loyal to the cause: I appreciate you. And I hope that one day, your support will result in a reward more substantial than just a thank-you in a newsletter like this.

Have a great day,
Digital Renegade