L-sama
fanbox
Why was my content free? Why will it no longer be?
🕑 Added 2023-07-14 17:36:08 +0000 UTCHello there!
It has been some time since I wanted to address this topic, but I never took the time to do so. Unfortunately (or fortunately), my work as an artist/animator is evolving into a more serious endeavor, making it impossible to continue avoiding this question.
That is why today, I am making this announcement accompanied by a message not to justify myself but to explain the philosophy behind my choices. I believe that certain information is worth considering, although it is entirely up to you what you make of it.
Apologies in advance for this message, which will be far too long!
Why was my content "free"?
Apart from the early releases on my Patreon & Fanbox page, I have always had a strong desire to publish my content freely whenever possible (hello there, "censorship").
One of the main reasons? Because I thought it was cool!
The idea of sharing my universe freely with all of you and allowing everyone to have access to it. It has been a great pleasure to read your comments, interpretations, and ideas regarding my content. It is thanks to your immediate support that I have continued on this path. I especially remember the first episode of "wrestling my wife's sister" where I received very encouraging feedback right from the start. 🙏
A second reason, this time a bit more activist-oriented, was that I wanted to keep it free to avoid certain drawbacks that come with money: social discrimination, piracy, being accountable... basically, a whole bunch of negative things.
The idea was to leave it open for those who want/can contribute to my work according to their resources. I would have liked to propose a pay-what-you-want option for Patreon subscriptions, but they require setting a starting price.
By the way, did you know that the price set is a minimum, and you are free to contribute a higher amount if you wish 🙃 ? (Some of you have done so, and I sincerely thank them for that. 💖)
The third reason, and probably why I prolonged the experiment for so long, is ethics. For a long time, I have admired collaborative projects where everyone freely contributes their time and skills for the benefit of all. I admire projects based on patronage that build their economic models on motivations other than profit. I admire people who give without expecting anything in return, solely for the joy of sharing their work or helping others. Taking inspiration from this way of thinking, I tried this economic model out of curiosity, to see if it was viable for my activity. Spoiler alert, I quickly realized it would be challenging. However, I have learned a great deal from this experience. It allowed me to evolve my opinions, mature my thinking, and approach this change with serenity.
Why will it no longer be?
While I still stand by what I wrote above, I have realized over time that "free" also comes with significant drawbacks.
The first drawback is devaluation. I have repeated it several times: 3D animation is a field that requires a lot of time and skills. It is difficult for an outsider to imagine the extent of it, which is why I have been patient in my explanations. I have tried to be as educational as possible by providing figures like "10 hours of work = 10 seconds of animation," and so on.
However, I still have a surprisingly high number of people asking for more: different characters, additional shots, longer content, and so on. My private message inbox is just filled with requests!
I have realized that it is counterproductive to defend the value of my skills while publishing for free. People have started associating the free nature of my content with the free nature of my expertise. This confusion has led me to reconsider this choice and make my content paying. I am aware that it won't completely prevent people from asking for more, but it will help reflect the value of my work to a greater extent.
The second drawback is commitment. I wanted to continue with a patronage system because I had limited visibility into my free time, and therefore I wouldn't be able to publish continuously. I wanted to have more flexibility in my publishing schedule, to avoid being too committed.
The problem is that I have never really felt completely free. I am highly involved in what I do, and I can't see it any other way than as a commitment. Yet, it is normal to have long periods of inactivity since I have a life and work outside of this.
But every time too much time passes between two posts, I put immense pressure on myself! I think that's one of the reasons why many creators eventually quit after experiencing burnout.
I believe I have reached a point today where I spend too much time on what I do to consider it as a mere "side project" and continue to share the fruits of my work for free.
Final point: I mentioned earlier the economic model I tested for a while. To better understand, let's take the example of Blender. I find it fascinating that such software can exist solely through the support and dedication of a community. Personally, this kind of initiative deeply inspires me.
In the NSFW community, there are also many artists who freely share their work (without delving into the legal aspect and copyright, which doesn't change anything to my point).
With all this freely accessible content, supported by the kindness of a community, I thought, "Why not me too?" And it worked! The problem, and I had a suspicion, is the scale.
Femdom is already quite niche compared to other fantasies, but when it comes to mixed wrestling... the scale is microscopic. The difference lies there, and unfortunately, it is something I cannot change.
When I see so many talented creators struggling to reach an acceptable subscription threshold to make a living from their work, even though they have hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter... I can only imagine how long it would have taken me.
Perhaps it was naive of me, but I don't regret my choice at all, and even today, I am profoundly grateful to all the people who have supported me on Patreon and Fanbox so far. 💖💖💖
Truth is, In recent months, I have spent as much time creating NSFW content as I have on my actual job, which mathematically implies an increase in working hours for a decrease in salary. It was time for me to make a choice. The most important thing now is that I know why I'm making this choice and that I stay true to myself.
What does it mean for you?
For those who support me on Patreon and Fanbox, nothing changes. The subscription price and content will remain the same. Other projects will emerge in the future, but it's too early to talk about them.
For those who follow me on other platforms, I give myself the freedom to choose what I will share, but you will understand that it will be limited.
Thank you for reading until the end, 🙏
Girls Rules,
L.
