How we're building a creative community

Pioneers! Explorers! Whatever other roles we have given you throughout the past 20 logs…

We’ve got some super exciting news — introducing Campfire Critiques!

Now before you click that link and wonder what the heck these guys are doing… make sure to read the log below as we open up to you all a bit.

At the very end, there are details :) Love y’all.

One of the most beautiful things in life is evolution. Watching caterpillars become butterflies, landlines become smartphones, and even young Forrest Gump defy all odds (yes, I watched the movie recently and bawled my eyes out…)

But what’s cooler than watching evolution from afar is well, watching it happen right in front of your eyes. I’ve had the pleasure of having front row tickets to Sean and Daniel’s evolution as creators and even businessmen (yes! Danny is finally understanding money!). This relationship, watching them grow and crash and laugh and cry and grow again has created this bond that is irreplaceable. I love these two, my internet best friends.

It was one of my best decisions, for me to contact them six months ago about a measly side project. “Hey guys, what if we started a newsletter on top of our already incredibly busy days?”

“Sure” they said naively, “what will it be about?” What came out of that conversation was our Manifesto, the foundation on which every log would be built on.

Fast forward to a couple days ago, we read it out loud and unanimously murmured, “wow”. Six months later, we’ve stayed true to it and have created a beautiful community who all want to capitalize on this digital gold rush.

This was our sign that it was time to evolve. Let’s make this community dynamic, create stronger relationships and provide more value. We three discuss social media all day and critique each other nonstop so, why not open this up to the entire Out West community?

Introducing… Campfire Critiques! A live, weekly event in which the Out West community comes together to roast each other’s content (in a nice and respectful manner). When the three of us roasted each other, it was the most growth we’ve seen personally. We all need a slap in the face alongside a pat on the back.

This, alongside a group chat in Geneva (like Discord but better lol), alongside lessons and 1-on-1’s will all be on our Patreon for the price of 2 cups of coffee ($10) a month. All the revenue will be to grow the brand and create even more value to this brand.

We really are onto something special and you seeing this means that you’re early. Check it out, it’s our next evolution.

When I was 13, I bought a FaZe Clan T-shirt. It was the first thing I’d ever bought myself online - and I wore it everywhere. Almost a decade ago, this T-shirt represented my participation in a niche internet community of gaming enthusiasts. Since then, FaZe has grown into an unstoppable, global corporation with millions of supporters, and while I’m not an active fan anymore - the merch I bought makes me feel I’ve been there since the start. 

But historically, I haven’t been one to buy merchandise or subscribe to creator pay-walls. I think I’ve bought a 2014 Sidemen T-shirt and maybe a couple editing packs since. Supporting a creator has value, even if you’re buying socks - but it’s a bonus when there’s real ROI. This is where the Out West Campfire comes in. 

We know how strong this community is. How talented all of you are. But there’s one thing we all share - a hunger to keep growing. A willingness to learn more. Which is why we knew the best thing we could provide were genuine, face-to-face feedback sessions. These Campfires, which will start with intimate, smaller groups - will focus on celebrating your work while encouraging a constructive atmosphere. Specialising in storytelling, editing and social media strategy, we know what it takes to provide your work the eyes it deserves. Rock up once a week, sip your coffee, and flourish alongside your Out West peers. At $10 a month - IDK, I think it’s a steal. 

Personally, I’m so proud of how far Out West has come in just its first six months. I’m also 10 times the creator I was when I first met Tejas and Sean. I firmly believe that this community can foster some of the internet’s biggest future names - I want them to be you. 

When I was growing up, making friends was easy. 

Whether it was sitting next to someone new on the schoolbus, or riding your bike up your street and knocking on a door, I always managed to find someone who wanted to hang out with me. It was easy - we were all kids who just want to have fun with other kids.

 If that’s not the epitome of childhood, I don’t know what is.

Nowadays, making friends can take less than ten seconds - finding someone’s profile online, shooting them a quick message or comment, and you’re off to the races. That’s how I met the two other blokes in this newsletter - a single message that sparked more and more conversations until we ended up here.

By no means am I bragging about how many friends I have - trust me, I have very few.

But the ones I do keep close to me are some of the most important people in my life right now. Maybe it was because of our shared interests, or maybe we’re cosmically intertwined and meant to be because of our astrology signs. Whatever it is, Danny and Tejas are integral to the fabric of “me” and I wouldn't be half the creator I am today if it weren’t for them in my corner.

We’re three online-obsessed nobodies, all feeling the pressures of the virtual gold rush that is, well, the Internet. That’s our binding factor - the thing that keeps the wagon wheels turning, the thing that gets us back on our feet after a stumble, and the thing that we can hopefully impart onto you.

If even 20 of you reading this right now were to sit down around a campfire with us, I think you’d find out very quickly how similar we all are. We all want to tell stories better, impact more people, and most importantly, help, and BE helped, by real people.

If that’s not the epitome of being a content creator, I don’t know what is.

Making friends has never been easier. Just like knocking on a door to see if someone wants to come out and play, the Internet hands out opportunities for real valuable connection on a silver platter. The question then becomes - do you take them?

After all, exploring the unknown is better with friends.

With all this, here is the link to the Campfire Critiques. There are only 20 spots as we want to make this community extremely valuable and personal. Once we master that relationship, we will open it up to more!

Hope to see you there!