Supporting artists and creators is more important than ever right now. Censorship in America has been on the rise and will continue to worsen, so let’s get into it. Artists, writers, folks who spend their time researching and imparting their knowledge all need help to keep giving you the things you want and need.
Financial Support
No one who lives in a capitalistic society can survive without money. That’s simply a fact. Money buys food, water, shelter, and the treats that keep the ever-growing despair at bay. Creatives need money in order to create.
With enough money they could potentially make the things that you love full-time.
How might this look? Well, it’s different for everyone. Few folks have the financial freedom to support everyone they love, so even if you choose only one or two of your favourites, it helps!
- Buy their stuff - whatever stuff they create (yes, even if this means buying through the ‘Zon. Sometimes that’s a writer’s only option when first starting out as ISBNs aren’t free world-wide)
- Gift their art/content to people you know
- Go to their gigs
- If they have a platform (e.g. Patreon, Ko-Fi, Buy Me a Coffee etc.,), sign up. Most have tiers priced low and even if you think it doesn’t help to send that amount, I can assure you every bit adds up.
Free and Equally Important Support
This one a lot of people do anyway, because of the way social media is set up, but it’s worth repeating anyway.
- Interact with them on social media, in Discord, on their blogs - wherever they are that you see them, basically. Knowing they aren’t shouting into the void and that they’re making an impact helps
- Share their posts
- Join the free tier of their Patreon/Ko-Fi platforms
- Ask libraries to stock their work
- Write and share reviews of their work
- Tell friends and family what you love about their work
- Volunteer your some of your time to help with their endeavours by joining their street team
This post isn’t an exhaustive list. So if you think I’ve missed off something crucial, please let me know!