We moved our Substack work to Ghost to save it. Now we’re moving the conversation to Discord to save us.
By Art of Faceless
The migration is complete. If you are reading this, you have successfully landed with us on the Sovereign Web. The archives are safe, the subscription list is secure, and, most importantly, there are no algorithms here recommending hate speech in the sidebar.
But Ghost is a place for publishing. It is where we put the work on the wall. What we missed, immediately, are your voices.
We loved the people we met in the comments section, but we disliked the architecture of the room. Substack threads and "Notes" are designed like a public hallway: everyone shouting over each other, performative arguments, and trolls wandering in from the street. It was flat, noisy, and dangerous.
We want to talk to you, but we want to do it in a room with a door.
Why Discord?
We are launching the Art of Faceless Discord today. For those who haven't used it, Discord isn't a social media feed. It’s a series of rooms.
On Substack, every conversation happened in one long, vertical line. On Discord, we have structure. We have built specific channels for specific topics:
- The Work: Discussing the essays and photography.
- The Street: Reports from your own cities and experiences.
- The Studio: Sharing your own creative projects.
- Private Channels: Safe spaces for sensitive conversations that don't belong on the open internet.
A Space, Not a Stage
The problem with platforms like X and Substack Notes is that they encourage you to perform. You write a comment hoping for likes. Discord is different. It’s a chat. It’s a messy, real, flowing conversation. It’s the difference between giving a speech and sitting in a pub.
This is better for everyone. It allows us to be organised, it allows us to be private, and it allows us to moderate the space fiercely to ensure it remains safe for the people who actually belong there.
Come In, The Kettle Is On
This link is your key. It is open to all our subscribers. Whether you want to debate the latest essay, share what you’re seeing in your city, or just sit quietly in the corner and listen, you are welcome.
The work lives here on Ghost. The life lives on Discord.
