The Artist’s Life: A Patreon Page For My Writing

So…what’s a Patreon?

Well, it’s a crowdfunding page for creative people to be able to source income for creative projects, as a short answer. It’s not like other pages that collect donations until the goal is reached. The intent on Patreon is to find “patrons” who will pledge a recurring amount to create an income stream.

The platform provides a place where creative people can market to and communicate directly with people interested in their projects, and supporters can pledge a certain amount each month toward the creative efforts. “Sustainable” is the operative word for that income, and some people on Patreon do earn enough to live on and support expenses for their project.

I’ve debated for months about setting up this profile. The last thing I want is another profile that needs to be maintained, and that’s part of how Patreon works by encouraging updates on projects and rewards and thank yous for donors who support it. I get 90% of what is collected through the site.

My art is easy to publish and present, but how many times have I said “I’d really like to do this” in reference to my rescue stories and poetry and illustrated books and more, and nothing comes of it? Even with all your encouragement it’s still too big of a financial risk for me. The books and materials I’d publish cost money, but even before that taking the time to create a dozen linoleum block prints for A Christmas Eve Rescue or painting the illustrations for Meet Lucy isn’t something I can afford to do, even a little bit at a time. I know, because I’ve tried to set a goal with one illustration a week, or a month, or waiting until I have more time in January, and been disappointed. Yet I still really want to create these things.

I have places to present my artwork for sale, but writing is a little different, as is a project that combines the two. I would like to accomplish two things with this Patreon page: to have the time to focus and explore my inspirations and see them through, and to publish and distribute them in physical form.

This is part of “the artists’ life”, and it’s a part many non-creative people don’t really know about. If you’re going to produce quality work you have a certain amount of upfront expenses to do that. Then you can’t just keep it in your house and hope someone discovers you. You need to market and show and network and all sorts of other things, and that too has expenses. My graphic design work pays the bills. For the most part all my art expenses are paid by art and merchandise sales, but I can’t extend it far enough to pay for my hours to write or illustrate, or the costs of creating physical copies of these books. Until one of them starts earning more or I have a few of these books out and selling, I have to find another way to cover the expenses for these projects.

You would be familiar with the five books I have in my header image. They range from reprints to totally new books, but those five only include my ongoing feline inspirations and not even the rescue anthologies I talk about all the time. Nor does it include the non-feline fiction and poetry I’d love to publish. So we’ll see if this works to help me along with that.

Click the links below to read a little more about the projects above right now.
Feline Style Sampler, reprint and new edition
A Little Bit About Kelly, edit the entire edition from the posts here, organize images, design and print
Paths I Have Walked, my first poetry book, published in 2011, it’s time for a reprint and a new edition
Meet Lucy, the Most Exceptional Kitten the World Has Ever Known, a dozen or more illustrations, design and print
A Christmas Eve Rescue, edit text eight to 12 linoleum block print illustrations, design and print

Thanks to my readers for your support all these years! Just know that I’m working on all those promises I made, and all these works that come from love.

Go to my Patreon page

Click here to go to my Patreon page to read more and donate.

Other ways to donate

Of course, if you’d ever like to donate anything at all you can always click this little image that will take you to Paypal (and it’s also in my sidebar).

Do you appreciate the stories and images we offer you each day?

And I will set up a donation widget through my Square account where you can use your credit card.

And no matter how you support me, I’ll always send you something in return.

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Read other articles in the category The Artist’s Life.

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Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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© 2022 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Weekly schedule of features:

Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life

Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters

Tuesday: Rescue Stories

Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork

Thursday: New Merchandise

Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy

Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats

And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!

 

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