Naina.co
  • Blog
    • Everything
    • Only Articles & Writing
    • #NAINAxStyle
    • Podcast : The Naina Redhu Experience
    • EyesFor…
      • #EyesForLuxury
      • #EyesForLifestyle
      • #EyesForDestinations
        • #EyesForIndia
        • #EyesForDubai
        • #EyesForEurope
        • #EyesForLA
        • #EyesForLondon
        • #EyesForNewYork
      • #EyesForPeople
      • #EyesForStreetStyle
      • #EyesForDining
      • #EyesForTechnology
      • #EyesForFashion
        • New York Fashion Week
        • Amazon India Fashion Week AW15
      • #EyesForBeauty
      • #EyesForPeople
    • Art
    • #MadeInIndia
    • #NAINAxADOBE
    • #NosedByNaina
  • Photography Portfolio
  • Contact & About
  • Press
  • Clients
  • Newsletter

NAINA.CO

Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Spotify
Facebook
online brand building, photography & art
Naina.co
  • Blog
    • Everything
    • Only Articles & Writing
    • #NAINAxStyle
    • Podcast : The Naina Redhu Experience
    • EyesFor…
      • #EyesForLuxury
      • #EyesForLifestyle
      • #EyesForDestinations
        • #EyesForIndia
        • #EyesForDubai
        • #EyesForEurope
        • #EyesForLA
        • #EyesForLondon
        • #EyesForNewYork
      • #EyesForPeople
      • #EyesForStreetStyle
      • #EyesForDining
      • #EyesForTechnology
      • #EyesForFashion
        • New York Fashion Week
        • Amazon India Fashion Week AW15
      • #EyesForBeauty
      • #EyesForPeople
    • Art
    • #MadeInIndia
    • #NAINAxADOBE
    • #NosedByNaina
  • Photography Portfolio
  • Contact & About
  • Press
  • Clients
  • Newsletter
0
  • Articles & Writing

I’ve joined the crowd-funding platform #Patreon

  • October 3, 2015
  • naina
Crowd-funding on Patreon, Become a Patron, Naina.co Luxury & Lifestyle, Photographer Storyteller, Blogger

Become a patron maybe?

I’ve just finished listening to Amanda Palmer’s The Art of Asking. You should totally listen to it or read it. I would recommend reading if you’re not into the kind of music that the Dresdon Dolls or Eveyln Evelyn make – which is totally fine – Amanda is aware that her music isn’t for everyone. I skipped through all songs on the Audible audio book except one – sorry I don’t recall which one it was but when I re-listen to the book, I will let you know.

Amanda’s Twitter feed is where I read about Patreon for the first time. I click on a lot of links and this was just another one of those. I was intrigued by the model. You’d think it’s similar to Kickstarter ( which Amanda has previously and very famously and controversially used to raise $1.2 million ), but Patreon is not Kickstarter. Patreon is more about raising a monthly stipend. Kickstarter is more about raising money for one particular deliverables. Like if I had to raise money for a particular photography commission : like photographing the Indian Women’s Hockey team as they prepare for the Rio Olympics and then go compete at the Olympics, I would typically calculate how much money I would need to make that happen and then I would ask for the money on Kickstarter and include rewards etc. I can do this on Patreon as well – they have Creator Milestones – but Patreon is more about a creator being able to do what they do, without having to worry about basic expenses.

I was led back to Patreon today after I listened to The Joe Rogan Experience with Gad Saad on it. After listening to the podcast, I naturally searched for Gad on Twitter and followed him and then I saw a tweet where he tweeted a link to his own Patreon page asking for patrons to contribute.

When this happened, my brain lit up. I’d seen someone who is regarded as a highly creative whacko – Amanda Palmer – and someone who is a highly regarded researcher, professor and author who runs his own mini-podcast series – Gad Saad – and they both were on Patreon. Maybe I could be too. What could go wrong? The worst than can happen is … nothing. The best that can happen is that I will be able to photograph and blog stories that my actual audience wants to see and read about. How cool would it be if it worked! For all parties involved too.

Maybe this could be an interesting model for independent journalists to follow as well – instead of having to depend on a not-so-regular pay check from all the publications that an independent journalist writes for, where the payments can be delayed for days, weeks, months and sometimes the cheques disappear altogether, Patreon could be a lovely way for them to not worry about rent and expenses and actually gain public funding for the projects and stories that the public would want them to pursue. Without any influence of corporations, brands and those ugly “FAM Trips”.

I love working with some brands but after a recent engagement where the brand asked me, politely, to remove some content from my blog post as it could have been taken out of context, I fumed silently. I border on arrogance when I declare that my blog has never had ads, and will never have ads and that I publish whatever the fuck I want to publish and this incident has not gone down well with me. I agreed to it because I’d signed legal documents – no other reason. I signed those documents because I didn’t think anything would go wrong in terms of my experience with the brand. It’s all highly contextual so it doesn’t fall in the purview of me deceiving my audience but it rattled me enough to expect that something much worse could happen in the future.

And there’s a ton of stories that I’d like to do that no brand will ever touch – not in my lifetime at least. Patreon could help me get a sustainable income, which in turn could then help me work on stories that don’t necessarily need a brand’s sponsorship. Patreon’s tagline is “We want to help every creator in the world achieve sustainable income.” I don’t see many Indians on there and I don’t know how the Indian audience is going to react to something like this or even react at all – no harm in trying. I’m always game for a new game.

So what’s the deal again?

So the deal is that if you like what I produce, what I publish on the blog, the photographs I made, the stuff I write, etc. then you can help me continue to do this by funding a sustainable income for me. The Patreon platform allows payment only in the form of US Dollars and the minimum is $1 per month. Yes you read that right – that’s it. Just ~Rs. 66 per month based on the current conversion rate. Of course you can give more if you like – if there’s a lot of you in the audience who become patrons, I’m set. About 10,000 to 20,000 people visit this blog monthly. If even half of you become patrons ( around 5,000 people ) that’s $5,000 per month. Honestly, I’m not expecting anything from this but just giving you an example of how powerful this can be.

I can work out rewards like if you drop $1,000, I could do a story on you! And if you give a $1 a month for a year and if you come see me, I’ll do a portrait. Things like that. I’m open to suggestions. Anyone who is a patron can suggest what my next story should be about. If you can rally your friends and associates around that story and they are patrons too, you’re basically funding that story and I will credit the patrons when I publish that story.

Someone on Twitter had asked me once if I would consider putting up a paywall on my blog i.e., visitors who come to this blog to read what I write and see what I photograph would have to pay to see the content and I was a little offended by the question. I had started blogging for ME. And I’d like to keep it that way as much as possible. While realities of “rent needs to be paid” are not going anywhere, I will never publish any ads on this blog and I will never put up a paywall. Ever. Not happening. And no, it is never going to change. I am not going to change my mind. I’m open to experimenting with different low-risk options like Patreon though.

I’m not doing this “for profit” really – I do enough of that with paid stories that I work on with brands for their products and events. And I will continue to do those but this thing with Patreon will help me do more stories like the one about the Indian Women’s Hockey Team. I really like that story and it was shared by a lot of people and even by a news website. I’d like to be able to do more of those without having to worry about not having done any “brand” stories. Without worrying about rent.

That would be nice. Yes.

…and with that, Alice jumped down the Rabbit Hole.

 

Links : My Patreon Profile where you can give money.

An example of the kind of stories you’ll be helping me with : The Indian Women’s Hockey Team

Find me on social media to ask me questions : Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Or leave a comment below!

Crowd-funding on Patreon, Become a Patron, Naina.co Luxury & Lifestyle, Photographer Storyteller, Blogger

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Pin it
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Become A Patron
  • Crowd Funding
  • lifestyle
  • luxury blogger
  • Luxury Brands
  • luxury photographer
  • naina redhu
  • naina.co
  • Patreon
  • professional photographer
  • visual storyteller
  • Visual Storyteller for Luxury Brands
naina

Previous Article
#NYFW New York Fashion Week Spring Summer 2016 #EyesForStreetStyle #EyesForNewYork #REDHUxNYC Naina.co Luxury & Lifestyle, Photographer Storyteller, Blogger
  • #EyesForStreetStyle
  • New York
  • NYFW

#NYFW #EyesForStreetStyle #EyesForNewYork #REDHUxNYC 37

  • October 3, 2015
  • naina
View Post
Next Article
#EyesForStreetStyle #EyesForNewYork #REDHUxNYC #FujiFilm X100 Naina.co Luxury & Lifestyle, Photographer Storyteller, Blogger
  • #EyesForStreetStyle
  • New York

#EyesForStreetStyle #EyesForNewYork #REDHUxNYC #X100 07

  • October 3, 2015
  • naina
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Articles & Writing

I Am Not Afraid of Being Alone

  • naina
  • January 9, 2021
the bridges of madison county, book, robert kincaid, francesca johnson, robert james waller, romance novel, novella, favourite romance novel, naina redhu, naina.co, love story
View Post
  • #EyesForLifestyle
  • Articles & Writing

The Bridges Of Madison County : My Favourite Romance Novel Ever

  • naina
  • October 21, 2020
View Post
  • Articles & Writing

Be Strong.

  • naina
  • August 28, 2020
View Post
  • Articles & Writing
  • Personal Photography Showcase

Hello 40! #40and10in2020

  • naina
  • June 26, 2020
JRE potify, the joe rogan experience, spotify, spotify podcast, podcasts on spotify, the naina redhu experience, comedian, UFC commentator, influencer marketing podcast, brand building podcast, online brand building, social media marketing, youtube podcasts, spotify vodcast, podcast industry, podcasting
View Post
  • Articles & Writing

The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Moves to Spotify : What Does That Mean?

  • naina
  • May 20, 2020
View Post
  • Articles & Writing

Listening In On A Webinar : Influencer Marketing Post The Pandemic

  • naina
  • May 8, 2020
View Post
  • Articles & Writing

How To Take Feedback From Strangers On The Internet

  • naina
  • April 24, 2020
View Post
  • Articles & Writing

Gratitude In Times of Uncertainty

  • naina
  • April 22, 2020
1 comment
  1. Tarun Vaish says:
    October 19, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    I first read about Patreon on WaitButWhy (http://waitbutwhy.com/). I love this blog, and more specifically the way they use sketches in their posts. I had been thinking of supporting them through Patreon, but never really went and signed up for it.

    Glad about the fact that you will be the first person whom I’ll be supporting through Patreon (and also about the fact that I am your first patron on the platform)! 😀

    Wishing you many more patrons in the near future. I love your work, and I am sure more and more ‘Oh-my-god-,-just-see-her-photos!’ posts will keep coming!

Comments are closed.





Naina Redhu is a professional photographer & visual artist.

Her career, spanning 16 years, started with an MBA in IT & Systems, to a job as an Innovation Management Consultant, to branding & graphic design work for international clients, to a full-time solo-entrepreneurship as an Experience Collector.

Naina started her blog 16 years ago and it has evolved from writing about Creativity & Innovation, to sharing case studies about Branding & Graphic Design to finally a destination for some of the leading Luxury & Lifestyle brands as Naina writes features for these brands and photographs them.

Having traveled all over India as a child ( the advantage of having a father serving in the Indian Army ), she is also well-traveled across Europe ( Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy and France ), Asia ( Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam ), America ( New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco ), and Canada.

Naina has her own podcast called The Naina Redhu Experience, where she talks about the business and professional aspects of photography, blogging and influencer marketing in India.

Her abstract art, under the KhaosPhilos label can be shopped on the Naina.co online store and she is available for bespoke commissions as well.

"The New Rules of Online Brand Building", Naina's on-ground workshop, recently wrapped up its 7th Edition. Launched in 2018, "Workshops By Naina" is going to be seeing more editions across the country & online.

Naina is also available for hire as a Speaker. She has been invited as a Keynote Speaker at a blogging conference and also speaks about the business of photography in India.

Always learning & evolving online, she has presence across several online spaces including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok and her podcast can be found on all podcast channels and apps.

#EyesForLuxury
  • janavi india, jyotika jhalani, naina redhu, LMIFWSS21, FDCI, Shaurya Athley, aprajita puri, janavi love, fdci goes digital, talisman, handcrafted, made in india, cashmere, shawls, luxury cashmere, eyesforluxury, madeininda, cashmere, kiera chaplin, spectaculars, eyeforfashion, fashion week, india fashion week, lotus india fashion week 2020, fdci fashion week 2020
    Talisman by Janavi India #LMIFWSS21 : Evil Eye Luxury Cashmere Collection
    • October 18, 2020
  • midsummer jardin, hand-painted jacket, impressionist, pointillism, impressionism, post-impressionism, contemporary art, khaosphilos, wearable art, wear a painting, wear art, made in india, make in india, madeinindia, makeinindia, wearableart, wearart, wearapainting, khaos philos, naina redhu, naina.co, naina, indian artist, art on garments, painted jacket, painted blazer, flower garden, midsummer garden, artist's garden, monet, seurat
    Midsummer Jardin : More About My First Hand-Painted Jacket #KhaosPhilos
    • May 31, 2020
  • bmw, eyesforluxury, automobiles, automobile brand, bayerische motoren werke ag, german company, german automobile, bmw 8 series gran coupe, the8, luxury grand tourer, four door, thegentlemanconnoisseur, nainaxbmw, india art fair, bmw at the india art fair, bmwatiaf, indiaartfair2020, new delhi, lifestyle photographer, luxury photographer, car, automobile photographer, art photographer, art fair, naina redhu, naina, naina.co
    BMW at the India Art Fair 2020 #EyesForLuxury #BMWAtIAF
    • February 22, 2020
#KhaosPhilos Art Label
  • brooch, magnet clasp, hand painted, hand cut, acrylics on wood, original painting, one of a kind, independent artist, made in india, spring drip, naina redhu, khaosphilos, handmade, handcrafted, single artisan
    “Spring Drip” Art Series of Brooches #WearableArt
    • February 11, 2021
  • The “NUANCE” Wearable Art Series of Brooches Made From Hand-Cut Paint
    • November 26, 2020
  • The Hindu Weekend, Susanna Myrtle, LuxeList, Luxe List, Hand Painted Brooches, Wearable Art, Made In India, Naina Redhu, Naina.co, KhaosPhilos, Chaos Lover, Independent Artist, Brooches Are Back, Accessories, Luxury Accessories, One Of A Kind, Unique Accessories, Hand Made, In Time, Diwali Brooch Collection
    One-Of-A-Kind Wearable Art Brooches by KhaosPhilos In The Press : The Hindu Weekend
    • October 16, 2020
Social Links
Products In The Shop
  • Brooches (96)
    • 2 Inches Diameter (41)
    • 2.5 Inches (38)
    • 3 Inches Diameter (15)
    • Oil (1)
    • Sculptural (53)
  • Collections (133)
    • ALIVE (6)
    • Benches (5)
    • DOTS (17)
    • HORIZONS (22)
    • IN TIME (16)
    • METALS (20)
    • NUANCE (8)
    • Paper 2018 (20)
    • Spring Drip (6)
    • The Early Experiments (18)
  • Garments (14)
    • Caps (2)
    • Masks (11)
  • Original Paintings (35)
    • On Canvas (15)
    • On Paper (20)
  • Prints (32)
    • Paintings (22)
    • Photographs (9)
    • Posters (1)
  • SOLD (53)
  • Uncategorized (21)
  • Workshops (3)
Your Cart
#EyesForDestinations
  • narendra bhawan bikaner, narendra bhawan, eyesforrajasthan, eyesfordestinations, bikaner, rajasthan, travel photogapher, nainaxnarendrabhawan, best boutique hotel in india, indian boutique hotel, narendra bhawan india, narendra singh, naina redhu, naina, lifestyle photographer, travel blogger
    The Nine Stages of Experiencing Narendra Bhawan Bikaner
    • December 17, 2020
  • bhairon vilas, bikaner, hotel bhairon vilas, dive bar bikaner, dive bar, narendra bhawan bikaner, rajasthan, eyesfordestinations, eyesforrajasthan, rajasthan photographs, travel photographer, bikaner photographs, bikaner bar
    The Dive Bar at Bhairon Vilas, Bikaner
    • December 9, 2020
  • The Way We Were, Dream A Little Dream, Head Up In The Clouds, Feet On The Ground, Be Elevated, Binsar, Binsar Wildlife Reserve, Mary Budden Estate, Himalayas, Uttrakhand Diaries, In The Woods, Tap Your Primordial, A Forest Dream, Seek The Wilderness, Climb Your Mountain, Forests Are Storytellers, Seek Your Wilderness, Into A Mountain, Find Your Story, Remote Life, Remote Expeditions, Remote Places, Remote Travel, Uttrakhand Tourism, Eyes For Destinations, Find Your Wonderland, Disconnect To Connect, Indian Photographer, Travel Photographer India, Hospitality Photographer India, Luxury, Lifestyle, Blogger, Naina Redhu, Naina.co, Naina
    Dream A Little Dream At The Mary Budden Estate, Binsar, Uttarakhand.
    • October 6, 2020
ART SHOP
  • Lipstick Hot And Pink, 2018 #TheEarlyExperiments ₹5,000.00
  • Lipstick Orange And Pink, 2018 #TheEarlyExperiments ₹5,000.00
  • Lipstick Red And Pink, 2018 #TheEarlyExperiments ₹5,000.00
  • Blue And Red Meditation, 2018 #TheEarlyExperiments ₹5,000.00
  • Paper Swirls, 2018 #TheEarlyExperiments ₹5,000.00
  • Ten Connections, 2018 #TheEarlyExperiments ₹5,000.00

All Copyright rests with Naina Redhu. All Rights Reserved 2020. Written permission is required for you to copy & use images or text from this website. Email n@naina.co to ask.

NAINA.CO
  • Blog
  • Photography Portfolio
  • Contact & About
  • Press
  • Clients
  • Newsletter
All Rights Reserved. Copyright Naina.co 2020.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.