Patrons Versus Consumers

Long ago, wealthy people would become patrons of artists and authors they liked. Think back to the Victorian era or slightly afterward. The wealthy class would support artists and authors so they could create their works. In exchange, the artists would make works for their patrons as well as providing something to discuss and show off at social gatherings.

But then came the industrial revolution and it changed the whole dynamic. Artists were hired by companies which then turned their art into a product that would be produced in large quantities and bought by consumers. Their was little direct connection between consumer and artist. Rarely were the names of the artists even mentioned unless you did some research.

But now that the internet is becoming the main method of commerce, the balance is shifting back to the artist/patron model. This is a great thing because it allows each person to decide how they want to interact and support the artists and authors they enjoy. More and more often you can buy art, music, or books in a way where the creator receives a much bigger percent of the pay.

This model gives power to both the creator and patron. Everyone can make what they enjoy and want to make (although catering to what their audience normally enjoys also helps) and then those who enjoy their work can pay them to do more of it. It becomes a very simple incentive system. If you want to see more of a certain type of writing, art, music, movies, or other creative works, simply support the creators by paying them.

In this system, the creators decide how they want to distribute and get paid for their work. There are plenty of sites for ebooks that take some cut of the money in exchange for easy distribution. Artists can offer commissions, prints, art books, or other things for people to buy. Musicians can sell tracks or soundtracks easily through websites designed for them. Recently, other websites like Patreon have experimented with more directly modeling the patron/artist relationship by allowing patrons to pay per month, giving the artist a steady income not from one wealthy patron, but from a crowd of supporters each paying a small part.

If we want to support a diverse and artistic culture, then we have more freedom today than ever in directly supporting artists and creators. Whether you like books, movies, music, art, video games, or whatever other creative product you enjoy, you can simply vote for more of it by paying those who create it.

In our own small ways, we can each change the creative culture through our choices in what media we consume and support. I think it’s great to support the individuals and small studios that aren’t afraid to try their own thing but when the bigger studios and companies work hard to make something amazing, it’s worth supporting that too. Our biggest vote in this system is who we give our money to.

The internet makes it easy to try out and enjoy a lot of content for free. Many artists put out a lot on websites, youtube, blogs, and other places and at most, receive a bit of money through advertising.  For some this is enough to live on and all you have to do is enjoy their work. But for most, they expect people to pay a little back for the content they enjoy. So, don’t be stingy. Be generous to those who create content that enriches your life. Sometimes you can try content or programs out for free but if they feel important to you, don’t be afraid to take the next step and go support the creators.

The internet has the possibility to create a wonderful cultural exchange. Creators have more ways than ever to put their content out there, but this will only work if people support it. Our creative culture will be as vibrant as we are willing to make it.

Salt Lake Comic Con

Once again another Salt Lake Comic Con has come and gone. This year I only went to Saturday, which I found enjoyable. Enduring the crowds and finding food and parking for more than one day does get to be pretty exhausting and expensive. Instead, I just wanted to pack all the fun and energy into one big day.

As usual, the crowds were pretty bad, but the popularity of the event is what helps make it so big and exciting. I have a personal dislike of crowds and usually am not quite so comfortable in them, but I endured them in search of exciting stuff to buy. I limited myself from spending too much, but I got a great Charizard t-shirt, some Charizard art from one of the artists, and a novelette by Eric James Stone (Titled: That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made). I’ve heard from the author in classes or panels, so I’m excited to finally read some of his work, especially this award-winning novelette.

While it’s fun to spend some money in the crowded expo hall, that’s not really the heart of the event to me. The true heart of a convention is the creative energy that’s on display, whether it’s in the costumes of fans, the discussion panels of artists and authors, or other things.

I went to the costume contest Saturday night and got to see the wonderful cosplays that had been made by dedicated fans. Batman costumes, particularly the Joker and Harley, are always a well-loved classic for comic cons. The winners in the top category did an 18th century twist on that classic. It was hard not to agree with the judges after seeing the excellent precision put into their detailed hand-made costumes. These dedicated fans help make a little part of beloved worlds and characters a little more real.

Whenever I needed a break from the more crowded events, I sat in on discussion panels. Many were fun, but the one I’ll remember best is the one about structuring life around creativity. Maybe this spoke most to me because it’s still what I’m working on. Pretty much all of them agreed that the first and foremost thing that creative people need is a support network. Artists and authors need people to believe in them and encourage them to keep trying, even when their projects seem tough.

Most of the rest of the conversation fell into two categories. One was about time use and the other about the creative well. These categories can differ widely for different people, but for me, I found the comments about training your brain to recognize when it’s supposed to right particularly interesting. Maybe I have difficulty because I’m so inconsistent in when I write or create. Some also emphasized that physical spaces can help your brain focus, so having a creative space where you can work on projects without distractions could also be something I want to try. Most the creative well discussion was about finding and refilling our pool of inspiration. Sometimes work or other things can drain it, but if we take a breather and refill it with what energizes us, be it exercise, pictures, music, a walk, or anything it, then we can return refreshed and ready to write, even at the end of a long day.

A day at Comic Con was perfect for finding some new inspiration, having a good time with friends, and buying some things to celebrate fictional worlds I enjoy. I’m sure I’ll go again to FanX in April or Comic Con in September, and next year I’ll try harder to make a costume to wear.