Art makes up a huge swath of our lives. Art is present in ways that we may not even think about. The TV shows and the movies we watch involve untold numbers of artists working in a variety of ways so that we can enjoy those products. Writers, actors, directors, photography, and digital artists just to name a few work together to bring these things to us. The books we read are works of art. That giant billboard with the cool text and photography that is also art.

Then there are the more traditional works of art we think of: Painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, poetry. These are the kinds of things most people think of when we talk about art and there are many more items that can be included in that list. Many of us enjoy art in its various forums from museums, to art galleries, to public performances. Most of the people who support art also want to support art and the artists that create it.

One of the most challenging thing in these times is figuring out how exactly to best do that. How do we support the arts that we love? Many artists offer their works for sale, but that can be problematic for many reasons. The price of artwork varies from reasonably affordable to something most people could never afford. I am not criticizing anyone’s pricing of artwork. It is just a complication in the art world. You may really love a piece of art but there may be no way you could ever afford to buy the piece you love and enjoy, so how do you show your support to the artist and show your appreciation for their work? Another challenge that arises with works of art is that they take up space. Some of them a lot of space. Perhaps there is a piece of art you love and could afford but were in your house would you put it? Thi can be quite a challnge. If you love art or perhaps are an artist yourself you probably already have a great deal of art in your home. So, if you can’t buy a piece because you have no place to put it how do you support the artist and show your appreciation for what they do?

There is clearly no easy answer to the conundrum of how to best support artists directly. However, for me there is one process that I have found that I really like and that is the website Patreon. This is a great site for creators. People who enjoy creative endeavors can go here and support artists and other creatives directly. People can interact with the creators and enjoy becoming part of the process and even earn rewards for supporting the creators. My goal is to become increasingly involved here and support the people whose work I enjoy through this site.

I believe this website solves some of the biggest problems I raised above regarding supporting artists through buying their work as I mentioned above. You can contribute as little as $1 up to any amount you want on a monthly basis to help support what the creator is bringing into the world. Thus helping to ensure that the creator is able to keep on working. If you want to support an artist but can’t or don’t want to plunk down the whole amount of the price for a piece of artwork all at one time perhaps consider spreading that amount out over monthly payments to support that artist.

I have been becoming increasing active on Patreon. I really think this is the future of art. I try to share more and more about what I have been doing there so that people who might wish to support me can learn about what I do. I recently began to receive support from my first patrons on the website and it is a great feeling to know that people believe in you and want to contribute directly to the work you are doing. I appreciate the support so much. If you enjoy what you see on this blog or elsewhere on the website or my social media please consider supporting me here: KRNaturalPhoto/Patreon