I got a brand new keyboard because my last one began malfunctioning to the point of being unusable - so what better way to break in the new one and its creamy, quiet keys than writing a nice little blog post? This one's a guide, though- specifically, for non-artists wondering how to support their favorite artists who exist in the online sphere.
Let's say you're a non-artist on whatever popular social media platform you're using. You browse your feed, and you find an amazing artist, writer, or other type of creative whose work you really like! You follow them, and you want to see them make more of that awesome stuff. So, what can you do to encourage them to make more?
There's plenty of ways to do this, both for free and for money. We're going to go over both ways and their numerous options, and why they're helpful. We're also going to touch on "dos and don'ts" of interacting with creatives online.
Hopefully this guide is helpful to you, and you can better support the creatives you love online!
Supporting for Free
Let's face it: A lot of us are broke.
Times are tough, and artists aren't the only ones suffering in this economy. Many creatives have been forced to move on from creative-focused careers and find something with more stability or higher pay, a grim reminder of the reality of how underpaid and undervalued artists and their craft are. Some of them remain in the artist field for other reasons, such as being disabled and unable to find more stable or normalized employment (for lack of a better term).
These things may worry you, and that's completely normal. But how can you help artists, regardless of their financial situation, for free?
You can:
Check the artist's bio and pinned posts for any links and information. These are so important; a bio makes a first impression, so artists tend to put all of the important stuff there! The same goes for a pinned post. To keep up with your favorite artists, always be sure to check their bios and pinned posts for any links to other social media platforms and/or personal websites.
If the artist has a personal website, such as on Carrd, Neocities, Nekoweb, etc., bookmark it. Yes, seriously. Assuming the artist updates their personal website regularly (I know I do), you'll want to have their page(s) bookmarked so you can occasionally check in and see if they've shared anything new. Sometimes artists will not share everything they make across all social media platforms. Some will even keep content exclusive to a side account, personal website, or even behind a paywall. You'll never know what you'll find, or what you've missed, until you look.
Use built-in reshare tools to boost/repost their work. This helps artists gain visibility, because you're sharing their post to your account and your followers. New eyes will be on the post, and your followers may share it, too! Continue the chain of boosts, and this is exactly how artists gain visibility. Visibility is the most important and vital step to getting noticed and earning a following + potential clients.
Leave a nice comment on their art. You know the phrase "give people their flowers?" Yeah, this is HUGELY relevant here. Give your favorite artist their flowers: Tell them that you love their art, tell them why you love their art, and tell them you can't wait to see more of it. You have no idea what even one comment like this can do for a creative online. Replies (at least on BlueSky) can also appear on your home feed/timeline, which can also boost visibility of the artist's post to your followers.
Subscribe to any feeds or newsletters the artist creates. You can unsubscribe from these at any time, but they're perfect ways to keep up with artists you love! RSS Feeds, BlueSky Feeds, and e-mail newsletters are a few examples. I personally enjoy e-mail newsletters! They seem like they're fun to format, and I love seeing what new things artists talk about in them.
Check out their other social media pages, even the ones you aren't familiar with. You might experience something new or find out something cool about the artist you like! As an example, a few folks who were only familiar with my artwork and my posts on BlueSky eventually visited one of my art streams. As a result, they got to see me draw in real-time! It also built a cool little relationship between artist and art appreciator, since I was able to chat with them, too. I highly recommend doing this; you might be in for a treat when you try something new.
Tell other people you know about your favorite artists. Word of mouth goes farther than you think. If you're in a group that enjoys a specific video game, show them your favorite artist that draws fan art of that video game! Do you like a musician's cover of a song by your favorite singer? That's art you can share, too! Not only does doing this support the artist, it leads to your friends potentially engaging with it and bringing more visibility and love to the artist. This is just one of many possible outcomes that are positive on all fronts!w
Some additional things to note:
Be sincere and kind when interacting with artists. A good impression, being respectful, and being polite goes a long way. Artists may not always be open for extended conversations or chats with their followers, but they remember positive interactions and you'll build a good relationship with them. They'll look forward to hearing from you, rather than the opposite.
DON'T reupload an artist's work to your own page; use built-in repost features to boost their work! Many artists consider reposting their work, especially without credit or a link back to their social media, very disrespectful. Artists own their work; just because you see something pretty online does not mean you can claim it as yours or do what you please with it. Copyright laws do apply.
Supporting with Money
Let's say you do have some spending money, and you want to commission an artist you love for a piece. Great! You're putting money in an independent artist's pocket. That's amazing stuff. In exchange, you're getting an awesome custom piece tailored for you and your interests specifically.
But what if you have money, but not enough to commission the artist? What if, despite this situation, you still want to support them but you feel like giving them the $5 you found on a rainy day isn't enough?
Trust me, it is. Creatives appreciate any and all support they get, whether it's monetary or not. And even small monetary amounts can make a difference: They can buy us a snack for a day, or can let us enjoy a coffee we normally wouldn't be able to afford. Don't think that what you're doing isn't enough; it always is.
Some additional ways you can support an artist monetarily:
Subscribe to their Ko-Fi, Patreon, or other website with subscription features for a small monthly fee. Many artists will share goodies such as HD images of their work, video tutorials and timelapses of their art, exclusive artwork not found on other platforms, and so much more. Think of this as the "Artist Plus" feature; by giving an artist you're money, you're making it that much easier for them to survive and continue doing what they love doing. And the more support they get, the more comfortably they can live, leading to them making more great art for you to enjoy.
Tip them, just because. Yes, seriously! See if they have a Ko-Fi, a Twitch page with available donations, or anything else- and it never hurts to ask, either. Every dollar makes a difference, and artists will THANK you for this. Remember how we talked about even $5 getting us something nice? Yeah, that still counts!
Sponsor a personal art piece. Some artists will allow you to "commission" them for personal work they enjoy, as many artists don't have the time or energy to create personal art for themselves. Some will offer these at discounted prices, or a "pay what you want" type deal. This is one of the best ways to support a creative you love, because they get paid to make something they really enjoy.
If an artist sells adoptables, consider buying one! Ever want to make a character, but have no clue where to start? Or maybe you lack the artistic skills to do it yourself, and you'd rather have one designed by your favorite artist? An adoptable (or even a custom design commission) can get you started in the perfect way, all while supporting the artist monetarily in the process!
If an artist is making or selling merchandise... buy it! There are plenty of artists who independently make and produce merchandise of all kinds: prints, T-Shirts, charms, acrylic standees, and more! While it might not be the most affordable option, it can be the most memorable. You can have a piece of them and their creativity as an article of clothing, an accessory, or a decoration in your home. There's few things that are more cool than that.
If the artist has a Twitch stream or YouTube channel, bite the bullet and sit through any ads. Ads can put money in their bank account; a large portion of my Twitch payout comes from ad revenue alone. Don't want to see ads? You can usually subscribe monetarily to the artist to remove ads from their channel! Either way, the artist is getting paid, and the cost on your end remains low.
If you think an artist is under-charging on their commission rates, merch, services, or anything else: TIP THEM! Tip them what you think they are worth, especially if it's MORE than what they're charging! Tell them that you feel like they deserve more and better for their skill. This is a WONDERFUL way to encourage an artist and boost their self-esteem/how they feel about their work!
Some additional things to note:
If you DON'T have money, try to avoid commenting that you're unable to support an artist on their commission posts. This can discourage artists; and you can still support them for free by boosting/reposting the commission post instead. You could even consider sharing it with friends who might be interested in a commission, too! Basically: A lot of artists know a fair amount of people can't afford their work. Art is a luxury.
Do not try to haggle or negotiate an artist's prices. Outside of instances where this is invited or encouraged, doing this is considered really disrespectful. It's okay to tell an artist politely that their rates are outside of your budget when asking for a quote or service, but do not try to negotiate prices or "haggle" if you cannot afford their work or services.
Support Adult Artists by Fighting Back Against Censorship!
We've all heard the phrase that the internet is for porn - maybe it's not, not entirely, but there is a section of the online sphere that has been carved out by erotic artists, kinksters, and people who generally enjoy the more sensual activities and sides of life. Engaging in these types of media and practices are not wrong, bad, immoral, or anything to be ashamed of. Erotic art is still art.
If you enjoy adult content, it's okay; this is a safe space. But you must know that your favorite adult creatives and artists? These people are at risk of being censored, and removed from the internet entirely. It is no longer only a possibility that the eyes of the state will deem pornography and erotic art as something immoral and try to criminalize it. It is already happening.
Attempts at censorship that affect erotic/NSFW/adult artists and their livelihood are already happening. For some, losing the free and open internet is now their reality. This includes instances such as the Online Safety Act in the UK, and multiple US states implementing "age verification" for accessing certain websites and media online.
All of these policies are under the flimsy lie of "protecting the children," when in reality, they do far more harm than good.
How is this affecting adult artists? Well, censorship is always a slippery slope, and it's also an ally of fascism.
Fascists will try to paint the censorship and eradication of marginalized identities as something justified. In this case, it's pretending that it's about "protecting the children," when in reality, it will start with the yucky art they don't like, and then eventually move on to people they don't like.
Payment processors have been pressured by White Supremacist and Evangelical groups such as Collective Shout to stop erotic creatives and adult creatives from sharing or selling their work. We've seen this with PayPal: Mention ANYTHING pertaining to adult content, and your account could be banned and your money lost with no recourse.
All of these laws and fights for control are nothing more than an excuse and an attempt to demonize marginalized people and remove them from existence. Right now, their primary target of this campaign is anyone who is queer or LGBTQIA+ in some way, though QTPOC (Queer Trans People of Color) that are multiply marginalized will suffer doubly so.
Payment Processors should not have a say in what is produced and what payments can process and what can't. Their job is to process payments, and nothing else. And kinky people and artists just want to express themselves and enjoy their kinks in peace.
How can I support these artists?
Everything shown above in this guide, plus you can make efforts to fight back against censorship.
How can I fight back against censorship?
Stop PayPros - A Neocities website with information on the #SaveSpeech movement, and information for contacting payment processors.
Protect Queer Creators and Sex Workers - Another page with contact information, petitions, and resources for fighting back against censorship.
Anti-Censorship Campaign - A directory created by VoidDebris on fighting back against payment processors and online censorship, with sections for taking action, related issues, and resources.
I know this section may have been unexpected - but this is a guide on how to support artists, and this absolutely counts. Because who will the bad guys come for after the adult artists are gone?
You. Me. Us.
Protect and support adult creatives.
Closing Thoughts
If you got this far and read everything, thank you so much! I may have said a lot of what I've shared here already, but either way, I'm glad to be able to share this guide and offer any guidance and support to both artists/creatives and their supporters.
At the end of the day, I want to see artists do well and be able to make a living. I'm so sad every time I see people - especially creatives - posting mutual aid because they cannot make ends meet. This isn't anyone's fault, however, because other people are suffering from the same struggles, too. People don't have the money to spend on luxuries such as art.
And that's why we ask for visibility so much. The power of visibility is why artists are asking to be seen more, so hopefully someone who can afford their wares, art, and services will see it and support them.
So if you don't have money... help an artist be more visible. You never know where it will get them!
Support Me
(I am both a SFW and NSFW artist; please view at your own risk!)