By design
I created an ad-free space
Sponsored, selfishly, by my creativity
What I have to say is important to me
I want people to focus on my art when they come to see
Sometimes I wonder if these things are easy for me to say
Because no one’s offered me a fortune to speak a different way
No one is telling me what I can and cannot say
At what price can my voice be bought
Will I forever stay free —
Bound only to self-expression, my fiercest loyalty
Or will I have to bite my tongue
Choke on my words one day
What I’d give up, can I truly say
Ultimately,
My ethics and values will lead the way
Along with close friends who keep me grounded
Now and then, I revisit the thought
At what cost, can I be bought
This poem came to me while updating my welcome page. I’ve kept my site ad-free for exactly the reason I express in the poem: I want the focus to stay on the work, not what’s being sold around it. But I also know there may come a time when I’m asked — directly or indirectly — to compromise. Maybe because I hurt someone’s feelings. Maybe because I’m offered something tempting to do something that doesn’t sit right with me.
At What Cost (aka, Will I Sell Out) asks the lingering questions I suppose many artists quietly carry:
What would I give up? And would I even know in the moment — or only afterward, when I realize my voice is gone and I’m left wondering what happened to me?Photo by Danny Greenberg on Unsplash
© 2025 Samantha Williams. All Rights Reserved.
