#stephthegeek

I’d like to share a short project proposal with you. 

Digital Narratives - Proposing a Virtual Self

The catch? I wrote this outline for grad school nearly eight years ago! AJAX was still the new hotness, smartphones were barely starting to hit the mainstream, and chances are you hadn’t heard of Twitter yet.

I didn’t end up doing the project as described (that’s another story), but I’ve now come back to this document as a source of inspiration and focus.

I had an illuminating conversation with an artist friend this week. She's considering using Patreon (p.s. mine launches on the 8th with some special events), but was concerned that the page listed your number of supporters and total earnings. 

Why would anyone donate if they saw I was earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month?

Then that isn't patronage -- that's pity. 

When I had a paysite, I was terrified of charging too much money. I couldn't imagine why anyone would pay the $19.95 or $29.99 going rate of a paysite for me. I wanted the lowest expectations possible. So I charged $6/mo or $22/6 mo. They were nice, low, oddball numbers where no one could fault me for being too professional or commercial or mainstream. 

What if I had priced for high expectations? Who knows... but at the time it wasn't worth the anxiety of thinking I didn't deserve it and wouldn't get it. 

Back to Patreon. Keeping earnings hidden would encourage a culture of secrecy among a group of people who typically undervalue their work. It's blind price fixing in reverse; a race to the bottom. Showcasing the success of artists creates a culture of camaraderie, enthusiasm, and aspiration.