What is Patreon?

What is Patreon?  Patreon is a platform that connects Creators with Patrons.  Everyone knows how difficult it is for the majority of artists of any kind to make a living from their art form.  Most painters, musicians, writers, sculptors, etc., find themselves working at least one full time job, (or as in my case-multiple part time jobs), to earn a living because  the art they are devoting themselves to creating, doesn't pay the bills.

We don't value artistic achievement highly enough in modern America.  We want to be entertained, but we don't want to pay for it.  And yet we do pay for it.  In many ways.  For example, most people pay a premium to get 100 channels or more on TV, but how much of that does anyone watch?  Who even wants most of it?  Why not pay for something you do want?

If you had the chance to encourage the artist of your choice...someone you believe in, who hasn't been discovered, but you really appreciate what they do, would you do it?

Patreon allows you to pledge a monthly amount (as low as $1. or as high as you want to go) to help an artist succeed.  In return, it frees up some of the artist's time and resources which allows them to create.  And they share those creations with their patrons!

The zines pictured above are the Rewards I sent out this month to my Patrons at the  $1. and $5. levels.  Those Patrons also have access to a micro story that I post every Monday on Patreon that I call Micro Monday.  Typically the Micro Story posts are for my Patrons only, but occasionally, I share one publicly.

If you would like to read an example of one of my micro stories, just follow this link to my Patreon page and feel free to leave a comment.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/it-pays-to-be-15245549

Regardless of the amount of economic support I get from Patreon, I benefit in other ways.  As a writer, I want to be accountable to myself and with my Patrons watching, I feel compelled to write constantly.  Before Patreon, I only wrote when everything else on my to do list was done, which meant I got very little writing done.  Since joining Patreon, I've written over two dozen short stories in the last 8 weeks, and I'm feeling ready to return to writing the full length story I started two years ago.

I invite you to head on over and read the Micro Story, maybe let me know you were there.  And check out the rewards at the different levels of support.  If you like what you see, I'd love to have you cheering me on as a Patron at any level.  (Also take a look at the "Goals" in the side bar as a special incentive to sign up as a Patron.)

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you on Patreon.