A YEAR IN REVIEW: A VIEW TO THE FUTURE OF MY PATREON

Hey guys! I wanted to talk to you in a pretty personal way about the current state of my Patreon, my future vision, my reflections, and my conclusions. It’s not something you have to read, but maybe you’ll find my current situation interesting.

First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who supports me financially — you’re the reason I can afford to live away from my parents’ house (I love my parents — I just really enjoy being an independent guy), and in a city I really like. Second, to those who support me on Patreon and also leak my content, I’ll say a phrase that sounds really good in my native language: “que os den por culo”. (in English it means something like “go fuck yourselves,” though it doesn’t quite carry the same essence).

Anyway, let’s get to the point. It’s been over a year since I started taking Patreon completely seriously as my 100% source of income — the paid job I’ve dedicated all my time and effort to. I finished my Fine Arts degree and had a somewhat solid base of followers, which made me believe Patreon could help me make a living.

And it did, at first. I’m now balancing Patreon work with my Master’s in 3D Character Animation, and basically, I’ve sacrificed the last year of my life working nonstop from the moment I wake up until I go to bed.

To be honest, though, Patreon isn’t going very well. The idea was to earn more money over time so I could work a bit less (while still producing content, of course). But what’s actually happening is that I’m earning less money while working more, so it’s really not adding up.

I started taking Patreon seriously in July 2024, when I began working on a Kung Fu Panda and Aruberu comic. From there, things took off like a rocket! I kept growing until I reached my income peak in February with... almost $1,000! I couldn’t believe it. The dream of living fully off what I love through Patreon was becoming a reality.

However, from that point onward, everything started going downhill. And honestly, I’m not surprised — it was probably too soon to reach such a high peak. But still... I kept losing income until, by September, I was down to $600. Which isn’t terrible, but rent in urban areas in Spain is insanely expensive, and with that amount, living in a tiny apartment built 70 years ago and shared with three other people leaves me either barely breaking even or even going into the negatives if I want a small “luxury” like eating out on the weekend.

Right now, I’m earning about the same as I did back in December-January 2024, basically when I had just started Patreon. So honestly, it feels like there hasn’t been any real progress. The goal is to grow, but I’m definitely earning less than before.

And I’m sorry if this sounds arrogant, but damn it, I think I deserve to live from this. I’ve been drawing ever since I was born — it’s always been my way to express ideas. I was always the kid who drew all the time, and it’s been my lifelong hobby. And now, I'm 23 and it’s everything I am. Being an artist is who I am. And honestly, with all the experience I’ve gained, I think I’ve reached a solid enough artistic style to have a stable fanbase that supports and follows me. But the truth is, I still don’t have enough of an audience to live comfortably off this.

So yeah, that’s what I’ve been reflecting on lately. I don’t know what the future will bring, but this current comic and animation project, The Woodsman Deal, is basically the last chance I’m giving Patreon before I make a big decision that could completely change how I earn income. If I see things continue to decline or stay stuck at my current earnings, I’ll likely move on to something else — probably commissions, animated YCHs… whatever comes to mind. I also want to say that I won’t make the switch suddenly; I’ll gradually test and adjust things to see what’s most profitable. But right now, the money I make simply doesn’t justify the insane amount of time and effort I’m putting in.

And on top of that, I also thought Patreon would let me make money by drawing what I want — but even that hasn’t really been the case. All the comics and animation fanart projects I’ve done have been fun, sure, but they’re not truly what I want to draw. What I really want is to draw my fursona and my OCs endlessly — until I collapse. I love them. I want to draw them with grotesquely exaggerated, soft bodies. But I’ve tried to make more “normie” or generic stuff because I know it appeals to a wider audience — and that part has gone great, since my audience has grown a lot since I started making fanarts! (And I want to make it clear that I love every single fanart project I’ve worked on, even if they’re not exactly what I’d choose to draw if my life were already sorted out)

But yeah, that’s all I wanted to say. I’ll keep you all updated on any important changes I make. Thank you all sincerely for your support!