Motion Moves Minds

Contribute
Motion Moves Minds
THE HOUSE OF ZAN — Zan

I’m not going to demand anything from you.

I’m not going to guilt you into supporting the creator, tell you how much I’ve sacrificed for my art, or pretend you owe me because something I’ve created left an impression.

Or helped you meet the love of your life.

Or even saved your own life.

But there’s something worth explaining about how The House of Zan exists, why I’ve chosen to keep it independent, and what it takes to continue creating it.

Because if you want to contribute, I’d like you to know what you’re contributing to.

And why you should absolutely pay my bills, fund my hobbies, cover my healthcare, and perhaps buy me a few nice things.

No, don’t go. Hear me out.

Already know how you’d like to contribute?

Ongoing Support · One-Time Gifts
Share the Art · Stay Connected
Report a Problem · Business Opportunities

Built on Purpose. Published Independently.

The House of Zan is independently created, developed, and published.

There is no publishing company directing what I should write.

No editorial board deciding which subjects are acceptable.

No sponsors paying to have their interests represented.

There are no advertisements on this website.

And no outside organization reviews or approves my creations before they’re published.

I decide what belongs here, what it says, how it’s presented, when it’s ready, and whether it needs to be changed.

Please don’t sue me. Thx.

That doesn’t mean I don’t research subjects, seek feedback, consult outside sources, or use tools to examine what I’m creating.

It means the final decisions belong to me.

I don’t create to satisfy an advertiser, please a sponsor, or meet someone else’s editorial expectations.

I create what I want to examine, question, and express.

Sometimes it’s something humorous.

Sometimes it’s a little uncomfortable.

Sometimes it’s something that might interest only a handful of people.

And sometimes an idea takes an unreasonable amount of time before I’m satisfied enough to publish it.

I want the freedom to make those decisions based on what I believe serves the art, not what someone financing it expects in return.

That’s what independence means to me.

But independence doesn’t mean creating and maintaining something costs nothing.

It’s costing me my life, man! Isn’t that worth something to you?!

What Your Support Actually Makes Possible

A website doesn’t remain online through artistic determination alone.

There are domains, hosting, software, maintenance, equipment, research, development, and all the usual expenses involved in keeping something like this running into the ground.

Then there’s the part that isn’t quite as easy to put a price on.

Time.

Time spent researching a subject, developing an idea, writing a piece, questioning its conclusions, rebuilding its structure, and making sure it says what I intended.

Time spent creating the systems that allow everything to connect.

Time spent maintaining what’s already published while developing things that may not appear for months or years.

And time spent dealing with everything else before I can get back to what I actually want to be doing.

Creating shit.

I mean, creating art.

Financial contributions can help cover the practical costs of maintaining the House, provide resources for further development, and allow me to devote more time to what I’m creating.

And yes, that includes helping support the person behind it. I have a household to maintain outside the House, and I’m not going to pretend my own financial stability has nothing to do with my ability to keep creating.

I want The House of Zan to become financially successful.

I’d like it to support its continued development, reach more people, and eventually provide a meaningful return on the extraordinary amount of time and effort I’ve invested in creating it.

Obscenely wealthy artistic genius remains a perfectly acceptable outcome.

But I don’t want that success to depend on advertisements or sponsorships, and I won’t let outside interests dictate what belongs here.

I’d rather build a relationship with readers who genuinely value what I’m creating and choose to help sustain it.

Financial Support

Yes, You Can Give Me Money.

Do it now. Please.

Seriously, I’ve never been particularly comfortable asking people for money.

Even when I was doing independent contracting, negotiating payment was one of my least favorite parts of the process.

Not because I didn’t believe my time was worth something.

It absolutely was. And it still is.

But I’d get interested in a project, start thinking about what needed to be done, how I’d approach it, and what I could accomplish. Then we’d have to stop and discuss how much I was going to be paid, when I was going to be paid, and all the details that came between me and doing the very thing I was already interested in doing.

I’ve since learned that enthusiasm doesn’t pay the bills.

Of course, I understood why those conversations were necessary.

I just never particularly enjoyed having them.

And now here I am, creating something entirely on my own terms, with nobody waiting to approve it, no client to invoice, and no guarantee that any of the time I’ve invested will ever earn me a dollar.

I assure you, I’ve really thought this through.

But I recognize the value of what I’m creating. And if other people find value in it too, there’s nothing wrong with giving them an opportunity to contribute financially.

So if you’d like to support The House of Zan, I want to make that as straightforward as possible.

No elaborate sales pitch. No manufactured obligation.

Just me, asking you to give me money. Right now.

Ongoing Support

If you’d prefer to contribute regularly, subscriptions and memberships can provide more predictable financial support.

That consistency can help me plan expenses, maintain the website, and devote more time and resources to future development.

Patreon

Patreon is a straightforward way to support The House of Zan through recurring contributions.

If you enjoy what I’m creating and want to help sustain its development, you can choose a membership that works for you.

The idea isn’t to make people pay for access to art that’s already available to everyone.

It’s to give those who want to contribute financially a way to do so.

Support The House of Zan on Patreon

Substack

Substack is also an option for supporting my writing as I develop a second publishing home there.

Free subscriptions are available, and paid support, where offered, is entirely optional.

Subscribe to The House of Zan on Substack

You don’t need to support me through both platforms.

Choose whichever makes sense for you.

One-Time Gifts

Maybe you found something that made you laugh, reconsider an opinion, or understand an experience a little differently.

Perhaps you’ve been reading for a while and simply want to say thank you.

Or maybe you’re feeling unusually generous.

An admirable quality.

If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, I’m starting with something simple.

Gift cards.

Rather than asking you to buy me a coffee, I’ve picked a couple of things I could actually use.

Buy Me a Movie

Fandango Digital Gift Cards

Help me add another movie or television series to my digital collection.

This is less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle choice at this point.

Buy Me a Little Something

Amazon Digital Gift Cards

For equipment, supplies, household necessities, or whatever else I might need.

Possibly even something practical.

How to Send a Gift

Digital gift cards (eGift cards) are preferred. No physical cards or shipping addresses needed.

You can send a Fandango or Amazon gift card directly through my contact form.

Select Gift Card / Financial Support as your contact reason and include the retailer, redemption code, and any required PIN in your message.

Keep in mind that the contact form isn’t end-to-end encrypted. If you’d rather not send a redemption code through it, you can use the same form to request an email address for delivery directly from the retailer.

There’s no obligation, no ongoing commitment, and nothing additional promised in return.

Just a gift.

And I appreciate it.

Want to Send Money Directly?

Maybe gift cards aren’t your thing.

Fair enough. I’m also quite fond of actual money.

If you’d prefer to make a direct financial contribution without signing up for a membership, you’re welcome to contact me.

I’ll let you know what payment options are available, and you can decide what works for you.

No ongoing commitment required.

Although I certainly won’t object if you decide to be generous more than once.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

I want people to know what they’re signing up for, what it costs, and what, if anything, they’re receiving in return.

I’m not interested in manufacturing exclusive access or meaningless rewards just to justify a subscription fee.

If I offer additional benefits, I’ll explain them. If a subscription is simply a way to help sustain what I’m creating, I’ll make that clear too.

You decide what it’s worth to you. I’ll keep doing my part.

If something catches your attention, don’t leave it buried in a browser tab until you forget why you opened it.

Send it to someone who might appreciate it. Share a passage that made you think, laugh, or question something. Bring it into a conversation.

You don’t need a huge following or some grand promotional strategy.

Sometimes reaching one person who genuinely connects with something means more than having a thousand people scroll past it.

If you’re sharing something I’ve created, please credit me and link to the original piece whenever possible.

Think of The House of Zan as an art gallery.

The individual pieces are the paintings. The House is the gallery that brings them together.

You can appreciate a painting on its own, but there’s more to discover in how it’s presented, what surrounds it, and how it relates to everything else in the gallery.

Other platforms can introduce people to the art, but the House is where its original presentation, larger structures, and connections come together.

Send them home. I’ll take it from there.

Staying Connected

Things change around here.

New pieces appear. Older ones develop. Entire structures can emerge from ideas that probably should have remained harmless passing thoughts.

If you want to follow along, you don’t have to remember to check the website every morning.

Although I appreciate the devotion.

There are easier ways.

A Second Home on Substack

I’m developing Substack as more than a newsletter or a place to announce what’s happening on the website.

I plan to publish my writing there in full, giving people another way to discover it, read it, and spend time with what I’ve created.

I also want it to become a place where I can connect with readers, share developments, and have conversations beyond the individual pieces.

You can subscribe for free.

Subscriptions let you receive writing and updates by email without having to remember to visit either website. Paid support may also be available for those who want to contribute.

The House remains the original home of my creations, where everything is presented within its larger collections, structures, and connections.

Substack gives those creations another place to reach people, and gives readers another way to reach me.

Follow The House of Zan on Substack

Social Platforms

For the latest information about where else to find me online, visit Social Signals.

You can also bookmark the House and visit What’s New to see what’s been added or updated, or What’s Next for a look at what’s being developed.

I don’t expect anyone to follow me across a dozen different platforms.

Find whichever method works for you.

I’ll be here doing the thing.

Reporting Problems and Corrections

Hey, could you do me a kindness?

Tell me when something’s broken around here.

I’m responsible for a rather large amount of interconnected material, and as much as I’d like to claim otherwise, I’m capable of making mistakes.

If something isn’t working as intended, I’d appreciate you bringing it to my attention.

That might include:

Broken links, missing pages, or navigation that leads somewhere unexpected.

Spelling, grammar, or formatting errors.

Accessibility or display problems on particular devices.

Significant factual errors or outdated references.

A sentence that’s attempting some kind of linguistic gymnastics routine and has apparently forgotten how to land.

You don’t have to become my unpaid editor.

But if you notice something worth fixing, a little information about the problem can make a real difference.

You can send me a message through my contact form.

Please include the page address and enough detail that I can understand what you’ve encountered.

I’d prefer technical problems and corrections be brought to my attention privately, where I can investigate them without turning every little mistake into a public event.

Criticism and discussion are different matters. You’re free to engage in those wherever you like.

And if you believe something I’ve created contradicts the standards I’ve established for myself, you’re welcome to point that out, too.

I take those standards seriously, including when I fail to meet them.

That doesn’t mean every disagreement requires a correction or that every criticism demands a change. But a specific observation made in good faith is worth considering.

I can’t promise I’ll agree with every suggestion or act on every concern.

But if something genuinely needs fixing, I want to know.

Business & Creative Opportunities

Maybe you have a skill, professional connection, or particular area of knowledge that could be useful to something I’m creating.

Maybe you’re involved with a publication, podcast, creative project, or organization that could introduce the House to an audience I haven’t reached.

Or perhaps you have access to a useful resource, see an opportunity I haven’t considered, or have a proposal that doesn’t fit neatly into the usual categories.

I’m interested.

That includes interviews, media coverage, commissioned projects, licensing, research opportunities, technical collaborations, sponsorships, advertising, reviews, and whatever else someone might reasonably want to propose.

There are currently no advertisements or paid sponsorships on The House of Zan.

That’s how things stand today. It doesn’t mean I’m unwilling to entertain an offer tomorrow.

I’m open to discussing opportunities, including unconventional ones, and deciding what makes sense once I understand what’s being proposed.

If a commercial arrangement becomes part of something I publish, I’ll be transparent about that relationship. Being compensated doesn’t mean someone gets to purchase a favorable opinion.

Contact Me About Professional Opportunities

Sometimes all it takes is someone bringing me an opportunity I didn’t know existed.

And considering how much time I spend looking for things, that would be quite an achievement.

All for Nothing or Nothing at All

I chose to create The House of Zan.

The time I’ve invested, the decisions I’ve made, and the resources I’ve spent are ultimately my responsibility.

You don’t owe me reimbursement for doing something I wanted to do.

Although I believe I’ve made my position on paying my bills quite clear.

But if something I’ve created means something to you, and you’d like to help me continue, your contribution can make a difference.

It might be a gift, a recurring contribution, a shared link, a useful suggestion, or an introduction that opens a new opportunity.

And sometimes, simply returning to experience something new is enough.

Not every contribution looks the same, and none of them are required.

But if you’d like to give me money for nothing in return, who am I to argue?

Lobby Track: “Money for Nothing” — Dire Straits

For other rooms in The House of Zan, return to the House Map.