spottyjaguar
patreon
I'm Leaving Patreon
🕑 Added 2020-01-26 23:28:07 +0000 UTCPlease read this post as soon as possible!
Whether you support me elsewhere, or decide to part ways, please delete your pledge after you read this. I'm no longer using Patreon at all, so I don't want you to be charged twice, or for no reason.
After June 1st, I'm going to go back to pausing my Patreon each month, and sometime after that I will remove all remaining patrons by hand, so that I can cut all ties to this site. I'll reach out one last time before I do that.
If you read this after you've been charged on June 1st, and would like a refund for that charge, just message me I'll gladly do that.
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Hey everyone!
In December 2019, I made a post saying that I was leaving Patreon. My work isnt valued or safe under their rules, and 2019 saw several artists and creators like me kicked off of it, so I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened to me. Instead, I moved to SubscribeStar, a similar site without the harsh restrictions on NSFW creators.
The full post is here, if you missed it. It includes more about how I was thinking and feeling at the time, but its not a mandatory read by any means.
Backlash
When I went public with that switch, I was open about the kinks I draw, and that included saying Id eventually like to explore art with younger characters - something people on Twitter zeroed in on, and viciously attacked me for. I expected some backlash, absolutely, but what I actually got was,
- Friends and colleagues of mine being harassed for following or even knowing me
- Rumors being spread about me and my partners
- Violence and death threats
- And at least two people bragged about reporting me to government agencies
On top of that, enough people flooded SubscribeStar with false reports about my page that they had no choice but to temporarily suspend me to look into it. Assumedly, the reports claimed Im breaking the law, or that I have images of real minors - Im not, and I dont - and I think SS did the right thing considering how serious of an accusation that is. However, it meant I was pretty much locked down for a month clearing everything up. I took a pretty big financial hit, not to mention the time and energy spent... over drawings I haven't even created yet.
Thankfully, things are all fixed now. My page is back to normal, and I can start moving forward again.
Laying low
I took all links to my SubscribeStar down in December, and Im going to keep them down for a little while longer. I will eventually be totally public with things, but my first priority is reaching out to smaller places and to people who already support what I do.
I want to avoid people who are feeling angry or betrayed. If thats you, I get it - you dont need to justify how you feel, and you never have to give me another penny if you dont want to - but I kindly ask that you don't expose my page/what Im doing for now, especially to anyone who might be hurt by it or try to report me again.
Last month was not only incredibly stressful for me, but traumatic for both of my partners due to the abusive tactics people used and countless other reasons, and I feel like weve been through enough.
Leaving Patreon (again)
If youre reading this, thank you for supporting me for however long you did, and for giving me the amazing opportunities and growth Ive had this past year. I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: I wouldn't be here without you, and I appreciate that so much.
If youre not comfortable supporting my work now that Im more open about it, then I don't think you should. You weren't charged in December or January, so you can delete your pledge and part ways.
If you do want to keep supporting me, thank you! But Im still not going to be using this site - even as a tip jar - so youll need to move!
SubscribeStar
If youre able and willing, this is how I would prefer you to support me! Youll get my art updates via email when I post there, just like Patreon, now including kinks that are against the rules here. The Discord is optional when it comes to seeing art.
Please read the text before you subscribe, to make sure you understand my art/content, how everything works, and what youll see there. Im able to be much more up front on this site, so its quite different than anything Ive had on Patreon.
PayPal
SS only takes credit/debit cards, so if you cant, or just prefer not to use it, Ive set up PayPal subscriptions instead. These are monthly payments that go automatically go from your Paypal account to mine.
You can find them here, with options that match my SS tiers.
However, with this option, you must join the Discord server to keep up with me and my art. Theres no easy way for me to deliver updates or any other rewards to you outside of the server.
If youre interested in the $25 VIP tier from my SS, you can actually have it for $15, via PayPal. This is something Im only doing for Patreon. Before I decided to leave, I announced this VIP tier would be $15 and limited to a few people. I ended up making it unlimited but a bit more expensive, but I didnt want to go back on my word.
You can sign up for the $15 version of the VIP tier here.
Thank you!
Its been... a long two months, haha, but Im feeling a lot better now. I've gotten a lot of support, not just harassment, and I've made some new connections with really wonderful people. I feel good about 2020.
If you have questions about my decision, my work, SubscribeStar, or anything else, please don't hesitate to say so! Send a Patreon message, Twitter DM, email SpottyJag@Gmail.com, or however else you can reach me.
Very belated happy new year, everyone ?
