State of the Hourglass - August 2023

While Patreon apparently doesn't think it's a good idea to have visible goals to share and as a result has removed that widget from pages, I do think it's a good idea. I like celebrating wins, no matter how small they are, and I want people to know how much good all their support as done. That brings us to this. I doubt I'll do posts like this very often - maybe a handful of times every year - but I think setting and achieving goals is important.

First things first, a huge shout-out to those of you who have been here for so many months. It continues to blow me away that you're as generous as you are. Thank you, truly.

We recently crossed the $100/month mark, thanks in large part due to the V.I.P. tier supporters. While that does fall short of the $400/month "part time job" mark, it wasn't that long ago that we were at half that. We have a long way to go before we hit the point where I can consider my own work a full time job, but this still feels like a huge milestone given that I'm just one of hundreds of solo indie devs.

So again, even if you're part of a lower tier, and even if you haven't been here long - thank you so much for the support. It means the world to me.

Next up, let's go over what this support has done for my work. For those of you that aren't already aware, I work as a writer on other projects to help keep my bills paid. Your support has allowed me to be a little more discerning about the projects I approach for potential positions, which means two big things:

First, that I can look for projects I know I'll like working on, and second, that I don't have to stretch myself too thin working on as many projects as possible in hopes that they might grow. Those two things not only allow me to work as a writer and game developer full time - my dream job - but it helps keep some time and energy free so I can continue working on my personal projects. That's the most immediate thing your support does for me.

As for what your support does for you - the easiest way to put it is that it got you the remaster for Maids & Masters. I was able to take the time to learn how to animate, which is a completely new skill set that I didn't have prior to making my own animations. It bought the newer version of the game engine, which allowed me to add dozens of new features to the game, many of which would have been impossible to add without the upgrade. It let me spend over two months reworking existing content without needing to worry about whether I was wasting my time.

More support means I can dedicate that much more of my time to my own project(s), continue to learn and improve on new skills, re-invest some of that money into my work, and eventually - hopefully - be able to justify registering myself as a business and hiring some employees, which would allow me to really amp up the production value of my work.

If you were considering supporting me but the tier benefits weren't enough to convince you, I hope this helps you make your decision. For those of you who are already supporting me, I hope this shows you the impact you've had and helps illustrate just how appreciated you are. Without this support, none of this would be possible.