Causes to Celebrate: Patreon

As the pandemic set in, and as my need for comfort and art and inspiration deepened, I found myself looking around on twitter and facebook and other websites for something that could make the anxiety and tragedy less overwhelming.  And while I had known that Patreon existed, I hadn't really considered myself the kind of person who could afford it.  Still I'd been paying for games and loot crates in the past--and while the value of those things was questionable, I had enjoyed them for the most part.  But when I stopped to think about it, and as the pandemic set in, I realized that there were some wonderful artists and creators out there in the world that were deserving of recognition.  So rather than spending my money on things that didn't give me something tangible, or worse, gave me tangible things I didn't really care for, I found myself excited at the prospect of being able to patron people whose art and creation gave me hope or sparked in me a sense of artistic kinship.

It was funny talking with John about this today, but thinking about Patreon now, I had this feeling like it had always been around.  But the truth is, it has only existed since 2013.  In two years, it will be celebrating its tenth anniversary.  For something I had considered to have existed since...forever, it was both disconcerting, and yet comforting, to know that Patreon is a thing that now exists in the world--even if it hadn't less than ten years ago.

But what is Patreon?  Let me share with you their vision:

Patreon powers membership businesses for creators by giving them the tools they need to acquire, manage, and energize their paying patrons. With a subscription-style payment model, fans pay their favorite creators a monthly amount of their choice in exchange for exclusive access, extra content, or a closer look into their creative journey.

This model is a win-win; creators retain creative freedom while getting the salary they deserve, and fans get to rest easy knowing that their money goes directly towards creating more of what they love.

In short, we can patron the arts!

While there are costs associated with creating a Patreon account (transactional costs for different currencies, for instance, and then the cost for the site itself,) most of the money donated to creators goes directly to paying for their art.  Most creators have found ways to deal with some of the money issues, as well, asking patrons to donate in the currency of the creator's home country.  And yes!  Patreon is international in scope.  I personally donate to artists from the Netherlands, Spain, and a few here in America, as well.  But the fact that there is such an international base of artists on the platform means that I am able to support all kinds of projects.  The only limitation, of course, being how much money I have to spend.

The platform isn't without its problems, as many creators can attest, but the company is willing to reach out and talk to the artists to try and work at accommodating their needs.  So, the company is trying to improve day upon day as they can.

What I love most about Patreon, though, is that it allows creators to get an income for doing the things that they want to be doing--from art, to music, to writing, to podcasting, and so much more.  It's a place where creators can establish themselves or reinvent themselves if something isn't working.  And they can get money for the things they do; some even make a living off of the money they get there.  And to me that last is something amazing--that our digital age has created an independent path forward for artists.

That said, I sometimes wish a place like Patreon weren't necessary--that art and artists could thrive regardless of the monetary value of their work, so that they could simply create beautiful things.  But our world doesn't work like that for now, and perhaps it never will.  And in light of that, I am glad that there is a place like Patreon for creative people to offer their work to the world and receive recognition for it.

So that is why, today, I am so happy to be able to share Patron with the rest of you as a cause worthy of celebrating!