Why you should share stuff for free on Patreon, or not

If you love to share stuff, like photos of old-time Phoenix, like I do, I recommend Patreon. I've been a Patreon creator for many years now, and it fits my goal, which is to share. The format allows me to share a lot of stuff, with high-resolution photos, and I can also share videos, links, anything. It has the feeling of a "paywall" site, and can be used that way, but I instead have chosen to share for free, and if people want to support me financially they can, but they don't have to.

My inspiration for doing it this way came from a museum that I visited a few years ago that was free. There was a place to stuff a buck or two into a box at the exit, but it wasn't all about that. It was free, and the whole idea was just to share the artwork that a family in Phoenix had collected over the years so that anybody who wanted to could see it. Unlike most museums, I wasn't inundated with things that made me feel bad if I didn't donate - I've always had shallow pockets, and I won't be seeing my name up on a wall anytime soon at a museum. Still, I liked the idea of my being able to show a bit of appreciation, so I stuffed a couple of bucks in the box as I was leaving.

I've spent the last twenty-plus years collecting photos of old-time Phoenix. They're all digital (I don't have paper photos) and I've been sharing them for a long time on places like Google+ (which is gone now) and Facebook. Most of them are gorgeous high-resolution images that end up getting all smushed up in Facebook, so I stopped sharing them there, and moved over to Patreon.

If your goal is to share, and maybe encourage people who care to help out, I recommend Patreon. If you're goal is to make a lot of money, I really can't recommend doing something like that. If your goal is mostly financial, then you really do need to make a website with a paywall and subscriptions. And it's up to you, what your goal is. My goal is to share, and my greatest wish is that the images that I've collected will be distributed far and wide, and are never lost, never locked up, never thrown away. I honestly get a big kick out of knowing that that is happening.

I'm not doing this for profit, or for my ego, I'm doing it for enjoyment. It's a lot of work, but it's a labor of love, and I'm not doing it alone. The people who support me on Patreon do more than give me a few bucks, they give me the kind of encouragement and help that makes it all worthwhile.

Thank you Patreon patrons!

If you like pictures of old-time Phoenix, please become a member of History Adventuring on Patreon. I share a LOT of cool old photos there, copyright-free, with no advertising. Your support makes it happen! Thank you!

Click here to become a Patron!

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