1. INFLUENCE THE CULTURE! Who are the change-makers? The more obvious are the Lovers- the ones on the ground level, loving day in and day out, believing in people, persevering in extending mercy, and building a better world with their own two hands. You should either be those people, or support those people. But the other change-makers are the Thinkers, the Dreamers, the Story-Tellers. Who are the writers whose words have touched you, sparked something new in your heart, made you think, made you laugh, and communicated truth? (Hopefully, I'm one of them!)
The world is crying out for truth, and instead we get cheesy one-liners and not-very-inspirational quotes on our Facebook timeline. If these writers (I!) have touched you, they will touch others. Provided they continue writing! Most people stop after a while. Some of the best bloggers and writers I’ve read can’t afford to keep churning out new content because they have other jobs and responsibilities. But what if people who have caught the dream pay them to keep writing? How can you encourage and support them (ME!) to keep writing? By becoming a patron!
2. GET BETTER SATISFACTION FOR YOUR MONEY. I assume that most people who read blogs have an extra $2 or $3 or $5 per month. Or for Indians, an extra ₹100 or ₹200 or ₹300. What do you spend it on? A few snacks? They’re gone in a few moments! And just make you fat and unhealthy! And then you feel bad about yourself. (Yes, I’m junk food shaming. Only because I’m on a junk food fast at the moment.) Instead for the same small amount of money, you could be helping create a few articles of writing that will exist forever, reach the world, and change the culture!
3. A BRAND FRESH NEW BLOG POST EVERY WEEK IN YOUR INBOX! Every time I’ve found a blog that I love, I wait with joyful anticipation for the next new post. Imagine my disappointment over the years when the bloggers just disappear for months at a time, or just post re-posts, or some random collection of links. WHERE IS THE GREAT WRITING THAT WON ME OVER, WOMAN?!!!! (Yes, they’re usually women.) But you know, maybe they just don’t have enough motivation (apart from, of course, real life jobs and responsibilities). Patrons give a writer a reason to write. Do you know how long it takes to write a real new blog post? Usually two or three hours. Patrons and pledges give a writer a reason to push themselves to create more, instead of just crashing or mindlessly scrolling Facebook after a long day. And the readers are the ones who benefit!
4. PAY YOUR DEBTS. Okay, this is a little bit of a stretch, but hear me out. Most of us are used to consuming art of all kinds without a thought of paying for it. We just EXPECT creative work to be free. That goes along with pirating music and movies. Few people think- ‘SOMEBODY poured their blood, sweat and tears into this creation’. Instead it’s the norm to consider it a right. Or think that being a ‘fan’ of the artist is payment enough. This perspective changes when YOU become an artist. While it’s beautiful that often people who can’t afford to pay for it can still enjoy the beauty of the world for free (like with images available online, or free museums, etc), those who CAN afford to pay for it SHOULD! It’s not a donation, but living into the belief that a ‘a labourer is worthy of his wages’.
5. WIN EXCITING REWARDS! Ah ha! NOW we're talking! What kind of rewards are we talking? Well to start with, hand drawn postcards for everyone who donates $2 or over monthly. What can be more exciting than receiving A POSTCARD?!! IN THE MAIL!! I mean the real live snail mail!! The only thing more exciting has got to be a POSTCARD WITH A SKETCH AND A NOTE FROM ME!! Okay. Maybe I’m projecting? You tell me. What else? For $5 or more a month, you get a blog post based on a topic YOU want me to write about! Whether it’s an agony aunt problem, where I give advice and solve all your love problems or introvert problems or social anxiety problems, or a set of interview questions about my likes, dislikes and annoying habits, or a theological question that you’d like answered in simple, readable language, or a guide to wooing introverts, I'm open!
BONUS REASON: THIS VIDEO!!
So what are you waiting for? Go visit my Patreon page, and become a part of my Patron community! As soon as I get 20 Patrons, I will start churning out a quality blog post every week!
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