Do You Feel That? It’s Time for Some Changes!

 

I’ve been threatening and shouting about changes coming to Beyond the Balcony for years. I’ll admit, I keep coming up with fantastic reasons why I’m not ready, or convincing myself I need to climb a mountain and live with monks before I can do anything big.

Well, the monks will have to wait, because I’m making changes anyway.

I’ll confess: this year hasn’t quite lived up to the ambitious vision I set back in January. It’s been a tough one for my career, my mental health, and my creative energy. More often than not, I’ve felt like I was about to pull the trigger on something exciting, only to dive behind the couch instead.

And yet, despite not becoming the pop culture mecca I’ve proclaimed a few times, I have written pieces that I’m proud of. More importantly, those pieces connected with readers.

Over the past year, I’ve been blessed with some of the kindest comments and encouragement I’ve ever received. It reaffirmed something important: this is what I’m meant to do. It’s time to step it up: to write honestly, vulnerably, and passionately. To let my voice soar and dig deep into imagination and creativity.

I’ll continue writing about movies and pop culture, but I want to use them as a launchpad into larger conversations about storytelling, mental health, parenting, and neurodivergence.

This renewed dedication means some big changes are happening at Beyond the Balcony:

1. Ads.
I’ve introduced ads to the site. You may already see them, or they may take some time while I wait for AdSense approval.

2. The Tip Jar.
You might notice a little red floating sign that says “Support Me.” That’s my tip jar. If you read something you love and feel like tossing a few coins my way, you can do so through Ko-fi.

3. Patreon (Coming Soon).
I plan to launch a Patreon in a few months. But before that, I want to prove I can be consistent and keep the site humming. If you’d like to help me build toward that future, tossing a tip now would mean the world.

4. Substack Newsletter.
This one’s big: I’ve officially launched a Substack newsletter called Life on the Balcony. For October, it will be free, curating articles from here alongside bonus thoughts and writings. In November, I’ll launch a paid tier with some really exciting goodies.

What kind of goodies? Well… go check out my first post and see for yourself.

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I am endlessly grateful for my readers and supporters. You’ve stuck with me through all the detours, experiments, and relaunches. This time, I’m committed to ending 2025 in a bold, exciting way.

I can’t wait for you to join me.