My mom had us all come by to pick up the boxes of our childhood school papers and art and photos. We also distributed a lot of my fathers art collection. Years of exhibiting at sidewalk art shows and craft fairs filled the house with traded paintings, pottery, ceramics, and glass as well as his stone sculptures and my mothers stained glass art. I’ve taken car loads of furniture, clothes, and books to Goodwill but I can’t throw out the art. I’ve got closets full of it. Not enough wall space for it all. I’m trying to put everything into storage for now and pack as little as possible for the move. We still don’t know when or really where we’re going. We’re just trying to get rid of most of our crap.
So, the banner ads are gone.
We never really liked them outside of the fact they helped pay the bills. However given current happenings, we’re super not comfortable with them anymore.
In our household we have started boycotting certain companies, and meanwhile I see these same hyper-corps living (relatively) rent-free next to our art. It just doesn’t sit right. Why pester you, our readers, to funnel more of your money into the hands of greedy oligarchs?
I tried blocking the companies from advertising on the site, and it actually worked, but there were just so many companies to block. Even if I blocked them all, ultimately some of the big tech companies would still be profiting greatly, giving them yet more money to wield against our collective interests.
So I just pulled the plug.
I was expecting to feel some great anxiety, but instead it was a great relief.
As for what’s next? We don’t know.
We might use the space to promote other things in the future, or nothing at all, but for now it’ll be a message of thanks(that some of you may already be familiar with).
Thank you for your support.
-obby