Have you visited my Patreon page, “Into the Dream?” This month, anyone who checks out my latest audio offering there (“Dreaming Out Loud: “Music and Love: Is There a Link?“) has the chance to win a free copy of this fantastic book by the late neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.
Let me share a few words about Patreon, which I get may be confusing for some people. It was confusing to me for many years!
Patreon is a platform for creators — writers, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs — to build a community of supporters, comprised of people who want to contribute financially to the growth and success of a particular project, endeavor, or creator.
It is not crowdfunding. So, it’s not like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, which you may have participated in the past.
I chose Patreon as a platform because I like the model of patronage: in which individuals choose to unconditionally back the creativity, growth, development, and a success of an artist / writer / entrepreneur, without expectation of a product, service, or acknowledgment in return. Unlike typical crowdfunding models, Patreon doesn’t require creators to give their backers something “in the end.” There is no spoken or unspoken expectation of a final product or goal. There is not necessarily an end-date for the project.
Sure, a creator could set a goal as the reason they’re seeking funding, but it’s not part of the model of the platform.
I like supporting creators this way. I like backing artists just for being artists. I like the idea of getting behind someone who is still in-progress or research mode or perpetually uncovering or simply seeking ways to express their creativity and inspiration.
Sometimes I do support an artist by buying their new book or latest collage / painting / album; other times I simply want to show them I believe in their skills, aim, or endeavor. I may contribute one time to a Patreon (ie. I contributed a single donation to a musician whose marketing presentation helped me when I was first getting started on Patreon) or subscribe monthly (as I would a Netflix subscription).
Every month, my Patreon subscribers receive an “audio chat” from me (imagine a love child between a podcast and a WhatsApp memo from your best friend). The chats are unscripted and unedited. They are typically an exploration of a topic related to dreams, memory, music, time or love; and I aim for each to feel like a conversation between me and You.
This month, if you check out the May 2022 Patreon post, you will see that anyone who visits may be able to win a copy of Musicophilia. You don’t need to subscribe to win. More details on the post itself.
I hope you check it out and if you do, please consider messaging me to let me know what you think! Oh, and if you’re interested in a one-on-one dreamwork session with me, one Patreon level offers a complimentary session as part of your subscription.
