THE SIMPLE SUM INTERVIEW (UNEDITED VERSION)
Cover image photo taken by LITO.
This interview was requested by The Simple Sum about Handxmade and Patreon, but for simplicity sake, most of my answers were paraphrased. For those who would like to read the full thing, you can read them here!
There’s a reason why it was shortened though because I really answered each question asked without holding myself back, so it might be “draggy” haha. For the summarised version you can head to their article! ✨
When did you decide to start a Patreon page?
I've always loved miniatures, and when I found out that I could make them myself with polymer clay, I dove right into it and eventually wanted to try to do it full time.
However, in order to sustain myself financially, I had to take custom orders. At that point in time (in 2015), it felt like the only two methods to generate income with art was either to do custom orders or workshops (since I didn't have any original creations or any form of art style yet to confidently sell), so initially, I chose the former.
My intention was to be able to craft a wide range creations that I was inspired to make, but custom orders ended up taking the bulk of my time, leaving little room for any creative ideas that I had. The clients who wanted custom orders usually were looking to get miniature human figurines of themselves and/or their respective partners made, so I was mainly crafting human figurines.
Even though I enjoyed making them, it was repetitive work, and the income wasn’t really enough to be sustainable as I could only make limited figurines per month. It also ended up taking the bulk of my time, leaving little room for creative ideas and made me realise that I didn’t want to be stuck making the same thing over and over.
Hence, after 2 years of familiarising myself with the medium of polymer clay from crafting a substantial number of human figurines, I decided to pivot and give Patreon a shot, making videos of my crafting process as my main thing.
With Patreon, it made sense to be a content creator, crafting all sorts of miniatures that I was inspired to make! It was a whole new direction - one that allowed me to be creative all the time, and as an added bonus I realised that I actually like editing videos.
Why YouTube on top of everything else?
Making video content means I get to try to create many things, I also like the fact that every video I make is mine and serves as a record of the things I did. Moreover, they can be shared anytime and anywhere. Sometimes when I look back at my old videos I would feel amazed that I did all of those things before.
I also feel like showing the process is something that is interesting to me, and if I'd forgotten how to make something in a certain way, I can watch my own videos and relearn from it - which has happened more than once already since I’m very forgetful haha!
Why use Patreon?
In my opinion, Patreon allows the artist to have full creative freedom, and to attract potential supporters or consumers who are drawn to the artist him/herself. Rather than being pressured to only create art that the public might like, or having to take commissions that may not be in line with the artist's vision, it is a platform where the artist can be discovered and supported by those who appreciate the unique style and direction that the artist chooses.
It’s also a way an artist can get a “fixed” monthly income, not unlike a salary (or for some other creators, for each piece of content). It is a contrast to, for example, how Youtubers are paid - their income is generated by the number of ads that people who watch their videos see, but ads have "seasons" with ups and downs so there is no concept of a fixed income and that inconsistency can potentially be stressful to the creator if they rely on that as their sole source of income.
Your main reward for patrons is a “mail-of-the-month” mechanic. Can you explain that?
My mail-of-the-month consists of prints and sticker packs that I make for my patrons each month!
Making miniatures takes up a lot of time, and if I were to mail out mail-of-the-month with miniature products, that would be the same as making the same thing over and over again which I already mentioned I didn't want to be doing.
Since I enjoy painting and drawing and would love to improve on my skill for those two things, I incorporated those things into my Patreon rewards and currently send the higher tiered patrons a mail-of-the-month package every month of prints and sticker packs made from those paintings. Most of the time I drop in some snacks/sweets I've been enjoying that month too!
Even though it feels a little bit odd that my mail-of-the-month doesn't seem to have anything to do with miniatures despite me being a miniaturist, I felt that it was relevant because it was still art that is close to my heart and want to improve on. My patrons love them too so that's a big plus!
I do have another system for my patrons to get my miniatures which involve points gained from the amount they've pledged in total. If you'd like to know more about it you can check it out on my FAQ page. It may be a little bit confusing but I've had more than 20 patrons using this system to exchange a few things and I've made it work somehow despite it being something I've created outside of Patreon to complement it.
How did your partner help you out throughout this whole journey?
My S.O. is really the foundation of handxmade. He’s been there since the beginning, and is the person who encouraged me to start, and also to keep going whenever I have little bits of doubt ever so often. He’s even the one playing music for ALL my videos, and it’s amazing how he can churn something new every week! In a sense, he’s a partner, an investor, and a pillar of support I can rely on. I can’t remember how many times I’ve gone to him for help in so many ways and he always gives me the answers I needed every single time!
For the first year or so of starting Patreon my S.O. basically gave me “pocket money” of S$500 per month to survive while I continue my pursuit, and that’s how I racked up so much debt with him. I told myself if I can get S$500 per month from Patreon it would mean I could make handxmade work somehow as that was what I needed for my basic essential needs.
When I actually reached that goal, I stopped borrowing money from him and right now the debt has halted, and I’m working on paying every single cent back eventually (starting from returning $100 per month haha).
Handxmade wouldn’t have happened without him, and I thank him for always pulling me back whenever I start to derail.
You also have a webstore on your website. How’s that working out for you?
The webstore on my website is usually just sticker packs or prints I make - I actually don't sell my miniature creations (except during auctions).
Sometimes I open my webstore to sell the paper products I've made for my patrons, but I don't really have time to do that often. Especially now that I have a part-time job editing a podcast as a side hustle to earn a bit more income.
However, the podcast is coming to an end soon (for now). I have already told them that I will not be editing future episodes for them (if they decide to continue and start another "season" with the podcast) as I would like to invest more time on my web store. I guess that will be my new side hustle for now and I'm looking forward to seeing how that will work out for me down the road!
You seem to attract an international audience too. Do you have customers/patrons from abroad?
Honestly, most of my patrons and followers are from Singapore but I do have a few patrons from overseas (mainly the U.S)! They're always encouraging and always interact with me, and sometimes I'm still shocked by the fact that they actually found me and want to support me.
The only person who pledged the highest tier I have I actually from the U.S! The Internet is an amazing place.
Managing IG, Patreon and making art, editing videos for YouTube sounds like a few full-time jobs! How does a week look like for you?
Haha not to mention editing one podcast episode every week! I always try to make at least one video every week, but now that I'm doing one of the biggest personal projects ever (a 1:12 inch miniature house from scratch), I'm still trying to wrap my head around the new schedule. But here's what my desired schedule looks like right now after a few rounds of trial and error:
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Monday: LITO podcast episode edit (I usually take one day to edit approximately 1 hour worth of audio). Once I stop this job I'm planning to leave this day to create more sticker packs for my webstore.
Tuesday-Wednesday: Work on the miniature house
Thursday-Friday: Take photos, edit photos, and edit the video for the work done from Tuesday-Wednesday.
Saturday-Sunday: I try to rest during the weekends as those are the days I sometimes can spend with my S.O, but most of the time I have to bring work over to the weekend, be it admin work, managing Patreon, or finish editing the video for the week.
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Of course, all the other things like managing Instagram are things I just have to do in the pockets of time I have (like during lunch or dinner, which isn't the best thing but you gotta do what you gotta do).
I'm still in the midst of figuring what's best for me for this project. I wanted to consolidate 3 days into 1 video but that proved to make the video too long and I didn't have time to finish editing. I've also tried making two videos per week and spend 1 day editing each video but the pace was still too intense for me (worked till 12am etc).
It's been tough trying to find a good pace for me but that's the thing about having Patreon - my patrons are understanding and they wouldn't mind me exploring different ways to schedule my plans. I'm very strict with myself and really would push myself to get at least ONE video out per week, or have other content to compensate for that, so I think in that sense I think I've gained enough trust from my patrons to really have the freedom to switch things up here and there as and when needed! They really are the best.
What’s special about Patreon?
Patreon is a way to meet and get to know people who are there not just because they admire your art or what you do, but who are investing in you as a person. They want to see you improve, they want to see you grow. I tell them everything (literally everything) about my life, and they are the some of the most supportive people I have had the pleasure of getting to know! That to me remains the most special thing that Patreon gave me.
What is the Patreon community that you have interacted with like? Any particular interactions that stood out?
For me, I am still in the midst of finding my artistic style and I do want to eventually have something that people would recognise that something was made by me when they see it. Because of that, my patrons are actually WITH ME through this long-winded journey of finding said style, and even finding myself. I give a lot of things a try, and my patrons are usually very open and supportive about everything I do which I really appreciate - I can be vulnerable with these people and I sometimes cannot believe how much I know I can rely on them to be there for me.
I’ve also received a lot of things from them that I really needed but couldn’t really bear to spend money on, like skincare products. Some of them even came to my house to pass me souvenirs they got when they were overseas! I was so touched - it’s really the little things that show that they think about me that makes me feel like I am not alone and that I am loved.
How has using Patreon benefited you?
I don’t live with my parents and moved out right after I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic. Using Patreon was the first time that I actually felt comfortable about my current circumstances, as I could finally pay my own bills since moving out.
Money has always been an issue that I struggle with, and I frequently have thoughts about quitting and getting a “proper full time job” even now. But knowing that I have 100+ people in my life who wants to see me grow successful makes me want to not disappoint them and keep on hustling.
My patrons are the one who pull me through all the ups and downs I have throughout this journey, and without them, I know for sure I wouldn’t be where I am today. They are definitely the reason why I keep trying to make it work!
What is your most memorable experience involving Patreon?
My parents aren’t really supportive about what I’m doing now, so I don’t really share a lot about handxmade to them. They are just worried about me being on a route that is so unpredictable and unreliable, but I've always dreaded telling them about my life because they would keep giving me hints to quit and stop “dreaming”.
I remember when I hit the milestone of getting USD $100 per month from Patreon last year, I was so over the moon that I told my mother about it. My parents aren’t tech savvy so they didn’t really understand what it all meant, but without that milestone in my life I don’t think I would have had the courage to even open up to my parents about anything I do!
Unfortunately, the response I got from my parents was that I shouldn’t be doing this unless I can make at least $2000 a month (they’re really worried about me so I feel bad for being so stubborn ), but it was definitely memorable to me because it was such a huge step forward to be comfortable and proud about handxmade to want to tell my mother about it.
You currently receive more than S$1,000 in Patreon a month, which is no mean feat! What content or methods did you think got you there?
I don't reaaaaally have any methods per say, especially when I've always felt that even though I always give my best to make my video content, because I don't "chase the trend", they aren't "that great" and doesn't go viral (which is one of the ways you can grow your business).
I basically feel like my videos are not really in-demand (despite it being my main thing) and hence might not be the reason why I got more than 100 patrons right now.
I think what I have going for me is the fact that I'm pretty open to my patrons. I tell them everything - all the good and bad. When I visited my parents and it went great, when I broke down and what I've learnt from it, how much my debt to my S.O is and how I don't even have savings just to continue to "chase my passion". These are some things that most people don't see, especially now when everyone is obsessed with showing only the good and positive, and to flaunt their "success". I think being so open also helps me share the experiences I have to my patrons more intimately, keeping them involved, and making them a big part of my journey because they are.
It helps that I'm the kind of person who is willing to share everything to everyone though, I understand that not everybody can be like this and privacy is very important to most people. So while this might not work for everybody, as long as you are sincere and genuine, people can and will be able to see that. Yes, the growth might be a lot slower as you rely on word of mouth most of the time, but as long as there's a steady growth there's hope.
To be honest, I still can't believe I'm halfway through my biggest goal (2k per month)! I've still got a long way to go and I can't exactly say I don't have thoughts of quitting handxmade - I still do, especially when the finance part gets rough. But whenever I think about how far I've come and how it already took me 4 years to get to S$1k per month, it's a little hard to give up 🤣
I am really one of the lucky ones who decided to give it a try while I'm young. Now that I'm heading my mid-twenties, I honestly wouldn't have even dared to start something as risky from scratch. Every step is always very scary, and I guess I'm thankful that I'm quite.....impulsive and am willing to give anything a shot before I call it quits. Even if handxmade doesn't work out in a few years time and I'm forced to quit, I know that I will thank myself for giving it a try and I know that I'd have no regrets to be on this exhilarating journey at least once.
What are your future plans? Do you intend to continue being on Patreon?
Right now, my future plans involves in making more miniatures, potentially including miniature woodworking on top of sculpting with polymer clay. I will definitely stay with Patreon, and keep producing content. I have to be realistic though, and if I can’t reach a certain target (for example, like getting $2000 per month according to my parent’s standards) to financially sustain myself by the time I’m in my late twenties with handxmade, I would have to consider other options and maybe do handxmade part time instead. But right now, I will try with all my heart to make handxmade work with Patreon.
Do feel free to include any comments you feel might be relevant, even if unrelated to the questions.
One of the many things I hope many people would understand about Patreon is that it’s not about how much you pledge. For me, having patrons is all about quantity. I would rather have 100 patrons pledging a dollar a month (which is affordable for most people), and being able to share additional content with all 100 of them, rather than having one patron pledging $100 a month and being worried about how this may become too expensive for this patron, causing them to cancel the pledge after a short while.
As long as you're there for the artist, even a dollar means the world to them! So if you have friends or family who are on Patreon and would like to try to share their passion with you through this platform, please do not think that $1 is too little or that it wouldn’t make any difference. It shows that you’re there for them and that’s all the difference they need to continue the pursuit.