{"id":2852,"date":"2026-04-02T22:57:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T22:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/?p=2852"},"modified":"2026-04-02T22:57:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T22:57:42","slug":"from-rented-attention-to-real-community-a-witchy-makers-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/02\/from-rented-attention-to-real-community-a-witchy-makers-path\/","title":{"rendered":"From Rented Attention to Real Community: A Witchy Maker\u2019s Path"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I try hard to live by my ideals and hold that line in every area of my life. Doing business with that goal in mind is endlessly challenging. I aim to use only tools that aren\u2019t harmful, which is why I avoid most social platforms and portals. I don\u2019t want to endorse practices that contradict my values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know my business\u2019s absence won\u2019t hurt those platforms. It does create an inequitable landscape for me and other small businesses trying to do the same (if you’re one of them, please say hello in the comments!). I\u2019m always looking for new ways to reach my audience (yes, you). If you know of ethical places I should be supporting, please leave a comment. I\u2019m listening and open to partnerships that align with my values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no simple answer about ethical commerce under capitalism, and opting out of mainstream platforms has its trade-offs. Socially, it can feel isolating: I miss being able to view what my main chat group is discussing regarding the latest Instagram reel or TikTok. Professionally, skipping those platforms can feel like opening a shop but not being on the main street where people walk. Even with a strong product, fewer people discover it organically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More and more, people don\u2019t \u201cGoogle\u201d first \u2014 they scroll. Discovery happens in feeds, and if your business isn\u2019t there, you lose an important funnel. That loss is real and painful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, peers in my field are posting daily, building audiences, and capturing attention. I don\u2019t view other creative, witchy providers as competition, but by opting out I risk losing visibility. It\u2019s hard to justify. Yet avoiding social media has given me more control and a slower, more intentional kind of growth: my audience is genuinely invested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m trying to shift from rented attention to an authentic audience. My newsletter, long-time client mailings, and a private Discord community let me reach people without an algorithm deciding who sees my work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why my website has become central to everything I do. It isn\u2019t friction-free: I still spend time each day managing security issues \u2014 clearing logs, caches, and handling other nuisances despite the tools I use. That hour could be spent writing, editing, teaching, or practicing, but I accept it as part of staying true to my principles.<\/p>\n\n\n

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One of the only places you can find me online outside of RunaTroy.com is on bluesky @runatroy.bsky.social — come say hello!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I aim to act from my worldview, be in right relationship with self and community, and remember that energy is connected. If I put my attention toward things that don\u2019t align with my values, I\u2019m contributing to harm. Walking the path of a witch and running a small business is a tightrope, but it\u2019s one I choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m actively looking for like-minded partners and ethical platforms. If you represent a marketplace, community, or curator that aligns with values-driven creative work, or if you know of places I should be supporting, please comment below or email me at runa@runatroy.com. Let\u2019s build sustainable, values-aligned ways to share our work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I try hard to live by my ideals and hold that line in every area of my life. Doing business with that goal in mind is endlessly challenging. I aim to use only tools that aren\u2019t harmful, which is why I avoid most social platforms and portals. I don\u2019t want to endorse practices that contradict…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,411],"tags":[595],"class_list":["post-2852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog-post","category-creative-crone","tag-crone-dispatch"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2852"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2855,"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2852\/revisions\/2855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runatroy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}