By now, I'm sure you've probably heard about Ko-fi and how it allows anyone to tip you for any reason (or no reason!) without any obligations to the tip-ee or the tipper. If not, well there you go. It's very simple and I'm super into it. You can check out my Ko-fi page here and see for yourself.
I really think everyone should have one, whatever kind of creator you might be. As the market gets more and more saturated with artists (and the current state of moneys with most people) it makes more sense to find other ways to give value to folks that are into our work.
Maybe someone wants to buy your prints but just doesn't have the wall space to display them right now, they can just throw some change your way on Ko-fi and basically give you a high-five. That might seem like small monetary value but to me, that's an enormous emotional boost.
Like 'hey I wanna support you and your work but I can't afford what you're selling, spatially or monetarily, so here's a few dollars - keep making great stuff!'. To a struggling artist, that can mean so much. And if we break it down, if only 20 people did that, this creator could then get food for that week! So I don't want to downplay the importance of the fact that there's real money involved.
For me, I tend to jump in when I see artists I follow on Twitter doing shout-outs for help. Usually they open up commissions if they can and ask for any kind of monetary help folks can give while they get through that rough spot. I feel like I've watched miracles happen there. Everyone comes together (by everyone I mean fans and other struggling artists alike) and pitch in whatever small change they can manage. Some can drop enough for a commission but alot just toss some dollars in the Ko-fi and it really seems to make big differences.
So while I think Patreon is a great resource for some, right now I'm going to stick with the simple approach. I'm hoping to start doing some small conventions later this year/next year so I'll have a shop up in the next several months. But I like having the option for people to support me without any strings attached for either party. Like if I was playing a guitar in a park for change from passersby. Except in this case, I can now know who you are (if you want) and there's room for relationships to grow there. Once more, you can check out my Ko-fi page here. xoxo
with love - M
P.S.
I want to be clear that I have a day job, I'm not in dire straits or anything like that. I even enjoy my day job most of the time. However, this job is full-time and can get stressful so I don't have much spare time to spend on my creative endeavors. It's a struggle but if my art starts paying for itself more, that would allow me to lessen my day job or get rid of it entirely. I would be able to work full time as an artist. What a dream that would be...
