THE FUTURE OF DIGITISER

Hello Patrons! Thanks for sticking with me for another month. January is always a loin-watering time for most of us, financially speaking, so I do appreciate it.

Anyhow... in the wake of the past 12 months or so, and having taken some time off over Christmas to unwind from it all and reflect, I'm trying something new with regard to Digitiser and all things Biffo.

In the past, Digitiser2000 has always been something I've viewed as a bit of a hobby-with-benefits, but over the last year it really, really helped Sanya and I. Money was tight (and still is), because of what I was spending on Found Footage - big idiot that I am - and we really came to rely on it. Similarly, we did surprisingly well out of the t-shirt sales pre-Christmas (though the money hasn't come through yet). 

Coupled to how well the FF Kickstarter did, coupled to having been approached about writing a book, coupled to tentative plans for a Digitiser web-series, I'm getting a little more organised with how I view Digi. 

I've always written it more or less the day it goes online, but starting this week I'm going to be dedicated an entire day to writing Digi posts, and getting ahead. I'll be planning more (again, partly inspired by having done Found Footage with barely any planning whatsoever - and literally paying the price). 

I'm sure there'll be times when I still write something on the day, having been set off by topical events or whatnot, but doing it this way will allow me to write stuff that might be a bit more involved (and - hopefully - better), while leaving the rest of the week free for me to focus on the day job, and any extra-curricular Digi matters (such as web shows, podcasts, a book, Digifest etc.). In short, Digitiser2000 will be a kind of central hub which other things spring off of.

I think, gradually, I want to focus a bit more on building Digi up, and seeing if there's a way - some years from now - where I can start turning down other work, because being Mr Biffo is once again generating income. 

It's a tough ask, I know, in a crowded marketplace where there are billions of younger, more energised, internet "personalities", but I don't need to be making a million quid a year to make a living. And I'd rather be doing something I enjoy, that's entirely mine, which I have some control over. I don't need, or necessarily want, a huge audience. And given the unavoidable weirdness of what I do, I'm unlikely to ever get one. I like our weird, dysfunctional, little community.

Nonetheless, I intend to be a bit more sensible with any money raised through t-shirt sales, crowdfunding, and the like. Part of that requires me flipping a switch in my brain, so that I don't undervalue myself quite so much, as I might've done in the past! And, importantly, not to feel that I have to plough tons of my own money into every project (as well as Found Footage, we lost a lot of money on the Block Party event too, for example). 

Part of this is just sensible, and what I already should've been doing, but there's a longer-term goal with it too. I'm no longer thinking about Digitiser and Mr Biffo as a day-to-day thing, but am considering where I might be in one, two, five years in the future and beyond. 

As always, I'm only able to do this due to your faith and support. I've no idea if it'll work, but there'll hopefully be some announcements soon regarding the various plates that I've started spinning.

One way or another, it should be an interesting anniversary year!

Paul