Romello Goodman

H1 2021 Report

June 25, 2021

Context

At The New York Times, it's time to plan for the next six months. Good Graphics started in March 2021, so let's review the first half using a corporate framework.

Stats

Financial:

  • Expenses: ~$3,000
  • Revenue: ~$2,000

Production:

  • Pen Plotter Print Designs: 38
  • Risograph Print Designs: 9
  • Orders: 76 (64 US, 12 International)

Social Media:

  • TikTok @goodgraphicsxyz: 1,267 followers
  • Instagram @goodgraphicsxyz: 19 followers
  • Twitter @goodgraphicsxyz: 16 followers
  • Instagram @mello.goodgraphics: 248 followers
  • Twitter @mellogood: 254 followers

Community:

  • Patreon Members: 6
  • Newsletter Subscribers: 5

Content Output:

  • Newsletters: 17
  • TikTok Posts: 103
  • Instagram Posts: 22
  • Twitter Posts: 178

Takeaways

The project is progressing steadily with 2-4 orders weekly, projecting profitability by H2 2021. TikTok drives the strongest engagement and will receive continued focus.

Direct-owned channels like Patreon and newsletters represent sustainable community building, avoiding algorithmic gatekeeping present on social platforms. Unlike factory-line content creation on owned platforms, these channels provide "a direct line of communication" that will outlast other channels.

The Graphic of the (Half) Year Award

Init graphic

Init is the first graphic created with goodgraphics.js, serving as the template for all subsequent work.

What's Next: H2 and Beyond

After a mental health break, reading Black Futures by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham shifted perspective on growth metrics. The book situated creative work within broader contexts while emphasizing personal timelines matter more than corporate deadlines.

Rather than pursuing "more graphics, more prints, more experiments," depth over quantity becomes the priority. Creativity is nonlinear—resting and processing equal continuous output in importance. Capitalistic, deadline-driven frameworks undermine creative potential and disrespect ancestral wisdom about sustainable practice.

Thank You

Weekly newsletters have driven the most meaningful growth, developing a writing voice while building confidence to occupy creative space without fear of failure.

P.S. — Planning resembles teaching people to love the ocean before building a ship. It's where collectives gather to choose their destination together.