Removing My Paywall

And why this feels the right thing for me to do.

Image Ali Heath - at home.

Hello, I hope you are all really well. This is an update from me about my Substack account. I have been sharing content on interiors, lifestyle and creativity for 20 years now. I began my newsletter at the start of this year on Substack, wanting to be part of this creative community - and loving the idea of my updates being part of a bigger movement where I can access the writing of so many people I love in one place.

I opened my account with the option of either a free or paid membership option. BUT the idea of this has constantly jarred with my ethos of sharing and bringing together a creative community, and encouraging new talent in. It hasn’t felt comfortable for me adding a paywall to some posts, and rather than my work always feeling so inclusive, this just hasn’t sat well with me.

We are living in such strange times and everyone I know is pivoting in some way to change their business not only to suit their needs and desires, but also to suit the changing work world that we are all living in. I decided 20 years ago to leave an industry I was doing well in, to follow a dream, and to set up my own company. Breaking into the interiors industry was tough with no contacts, no easy route in or quick step up a ladder, and it took perseverance and dedication to keep going. I have always been determined to help others where I can and to break down barriers within an industry that can feel very closed. And over the past few months, the idea of paywalls and barriers to others being able to be part of my community (if that decision is a financial based one) has felt at total odds to who and what I stand for.

So, from today I am removing all Paywalls from all my posts and there will be none going forward. These are my reasons:

1. I want all my communication to be open, available and accessible to anyone that wants to know more or needs some help and guidance in the areas I talk about. I have always been against closed groups, cliques, and secrecy. I want it to be inclusive, regardless of whether you have the budget to subscribe and this feels the right thing to do.

2. Simplicity creates positive energy. I have spent hours deliberating about what to send to who and instead I just want to focus my energy on delivering the projects that are purposeful and need my time. The newsletter is something I love to do, but worrying about posts and audiences is distracting - and not what I am about.

3. Paywalls feel upsetting when they hit my inbox. So why would you feel any differently. This removes that and hopefully any emails received come with no angst or expectation from me - just information for you to enjoy if you want to - and no jarring feeling that you can’t actually read the email I am sending to you.

So what does that mean in reality.

1. From now on all of my posts will be available to all. No paywalls, no pushy pitches to upgrade to a paid subscription. Everyone is welcome and I hope more of you will subscribe, like, share my posts, and become part of the conversation - as there is no pressure.

2. I will continue to post newsletters now once a month. I want them to feel meaningful and looked forward to, not seen as clutter. My own inbox is becoming completely overwhelmed with too much information from too many people.

3. Substack was never intended as my primary work source. I will carry on writing books, and will share new guides, press articles, info on my 1:1 mentor sessions, design work, new shop collaborations (when I come back up for air), and ways of us working together on my main website.

4. For anyone that wants to support this newsletter, ‘For The Curious’ and my desire to make interiors and the ability to create freely as accessible as possible to everyone, then the paid option exists, but it is not something I am going to push. It’s a simple choice and there is no agenda.

It feels so good to post this - sharing and community is what I love. You are all the reason I do what I do and am so grateful for all the commitment you have shown me over so many years. Thanks for being part of this. Ali x x