I’m quitting patreon - here’s why
For the longest time, I've always dreamed of having a Patreon.
I mean, who wouldn't? Getting your closest fans in a community, earning your living out of making art you love, and helping people improve their art -- that's the dream! 🤩 So last year I finally launched my Patreon on August 2023.
I am incredibly thankful to those who joined. My patrons are all very sweet and encouraging, and it's so good to know them by name! 💖🥰
I was posting one tutorial a month, plus video recordings and step-by-step processes, and this year I also started posting articles. I wanted to give them my all, after all.
However, a few issues started rising.
First, the Patreon platform sucks. It's hard to navigate and manage, making it tough to personalize the experience for new members.
I couldn't help feeling unsatisfied with the fact that when someone joins the community, and I wanted to shower them with love and attention and guide them through everything, Patreon doesn't let me personalize the boarding process.
I also struggled to grow my patron base, never having more than 7-10 paying patrons at a time, which made it unsustainable - I spent too much time on it for little return..
No matter how much I enjoy it, I need to make a living as well!
On top of that, I've been busy with commissions and personal life, and creating for Patreon started burning me out.
So that got me thinking about it. Should I close it? Should I keep going?
This conundrum started taking space inside my mind every single day, but I just couldn't make a decision.
Then one day, I was listening to an episode of the Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal (highly recommend!), and the guest mentioned that people always glorify starting projects and demonize quitting...
... but starting new projects requires freeing up space by quitting others.
And that just gave me the clarity I needed.
If I don't give up on projects that don't resonate with me, I won't have space to start something new and more fulfilling.
(This is a great mantra, I might actually write it on my wall 😆)
Now, I'm trying to take things more slowly. Narrowing down the amount of activities I take, taking only the essential.
So, I've decided to close my Patreon. I'll leave the content available for current members, but I won't be creating new material.
What's next?
Now, for the next week, I'll work on commissions and finish a couple of those, so I have more time to study and paint personal art!
I'm also redesigning my website, and crafting that new exciting project I've told you about 🤩
I think next week I'll have a lot to tell you! 😁
Let me know what you thought of this content. I reply to ALL messages I get! 💖
Cheers,
Bruna
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