(transcribed from IG stories)
When I recently quit my job I started looking at way to make a living doing creative work. Lots of people use Patreon and and that’s an option I’m considering but there are a few things I don’t like about it: 1) They control the platform, meaning they can change the terms and creator fees as they see fit - consider how Facebook let people build page followings just to turn around and sell creators access to their own audiences through limiting page reach and pushing ads; 2) the goal for me is to be able to do the work that I think needs to be done, not to spend my time making cute perks for people who support. So I’m looking at other options but I have some questions - thats where you come in.
What I want is for all the work I make to be pay-as-you-can. I don’t want someone who gives me $1 a month to have any less access to my work than someone who gives $100 a month. When I realized this I also realized that 99% of what Patreon offers is various audience management tools (blogging, email, etc.) that I already do elsewhere. At the end of the day the service they provide is a payment processor. So I kept looking and found that Stripe will do subscriptions for a 2.9% fee plus .30 per transaction. For reference, the lowest fee Patreon charges is 5% plus a per transaction fee. So now we get to the questions.
Do you already give reguarly to creators using Patreon (or if you use another way, what is it)? If yes, why do you do it? If no, why not?
How important is it to you that donations/gifts you make to creators be transactional? I.e. do you want to get a service or product in return?
How important to you is equity in access to art? Do you think people who make larger gifts should get more in return?
Do you think what I do (based on what you know of me and my work) is valuable enough that you would give me money every month to keep doing it? If yes, what $ range would you consider? If not, why not?
Whatever happens, I’m going to continue working on the problems that interest me creatively right now:
How to reimagine artist funding models so that creators can support themselves within capitalism while building alternative structures
How to transfer what skills and resources I (and others) have to people who want to learn and grow
Making timeless hits
Simply vibing and enjoying this life
These are all collaborative goals! If you share any of them, holler at me and let’s work on them together.