ben

hello and welcome.

2 minute read

who are these people?

Ultimately patrons are partners. They receive joy from what you do. They desire the best for you and from you.

The ideal patron will be patient and give you room to create. They will enable you to develop as an artist by providing financial support and valuable feedback.

you probably already know them

Until you reach the point where your music is in front of complete strangers, patrons will most likely be your family, friends, co-workers, and alumni.

what do they want from you?

  • Availability—Patrons want to hear from you. Many of your family and old friends probably feel like they do not hear from you enough.
  • Participation—Patrons want to be in an exclusive group, to be a part of what you are doing.
  • Growth—Patrons want to see you grow.

service

The best frame to view your relationship with your patrons is one of service to them.

Answer this question: How can you bring your patrons joy?

bringing joy

In a true sense, if you make something that brings you joy, there is a slice of the world that will find joy in it too. And since the world is so large, that tiny slice can be a viable group for supporting you. This concept is fleshed out in the now famous internet article 1,000 True Fans.

Bringing joy to yourself can be a guiding star when considering what to make or say, but remember: you are in service to others.

remember your value

As we went over in the last entry, musicians bring to the table valuable ways of being our culture can benefit from: meaning, flow, spirituality, and philosophy. Using your creativity to deliver these intangibles to your patrons will be one of the most fulfilling things you can do as a musician.

bringing meaning

For your patrons, you can not actually give them meaning. But you can express your meaning that comes from music to inspire them to create their own.

wrapping up

When you open yourself up to receiving support from patrons, you open yourself to a partnership and relationship. Like all relationships, it does take energy to maintain, but it is a liberating and fulfilling one.

  • Be available by setting a schedule for posting things online. And respond to DMs.
  • Allow patrons to participate by asking them questions and getting feedback from them.
  • Grow by trying new things and expanding who you reach.

my hope

I hope you feel worthy to begin gathering patrons around you. I hope you can now see what this partnership can look like. I hope you accept the challenge of delivering joy and meaning to others and allowing them to give back to you.

resources and references

There are two videos from Amanda Palmer you should watch. In the first talk Amanda discusses her journey of asking her fans for money. And in the second, Amanda’s Patreon intro video, she shows how her life has changed because of her patrons. Enjoy!

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