I finally did it. I caved. I made a Ko-fi.

I've always been hesitant to make something like a Ko-fi or Patreon or anything of the sort. Some of it is that I've been waiting to find an audience for a long time, and that's why I'm only sharing this on Newgrounds for now, but more of it has to to with self worth and the value I place on the stuff I make. Gonna vent for a moment but I will try to be short, and I've got a message in there too for anyone who needs to hear it!

My vent + message:

As a creator, you will always have 'competition'. Or, peers who do the same thing as you. Personally, while I know my fellow musicians are not competing with me, I've always had that sort of headspace and a desire to be really good at what I do. I don't think there's anything wrong with a competitive bone, it's gotta be handled right. For some that means to refrain from dishing punches at other creators, and for some, like myself, it means you gotta appreciate what you do a little more. With creativity, how good someone is at something is entirely subjective. Personally, I feel outshined by so many of my talented peers. This has caused me to devalue my own work a lot. The way I see it, if there are people doing exactly what I do, but better, why do I deserve any more than what I have? Obviously that's some toxic thinking.

Here's the thing. If you are a creator of any kind (or really anyone for that matter), there is going to be someone out there doing exactly what you do, but better. You will not likely ever be the *best* at what you do. The message sounds discouraging, but if you think about things a little differently, this is incredibly motivating, and is the reason I haven't given up on my goals, among other things.

Think about it like this. Think of any famous or successful person you can. They are likely very talented and skilled at what they do, but they are not the best. Especially in the case of musicians (where marketing is everything), there are even some pretty bad ones (in my opinion) that have had some great success. I won't name names, but I'm sure you can think of some. Point is, none of them had to be the best at anything to get where they are. They rose up alongside plenty of other talented peers, and plenty of those peers were doing something very similar, and maybe even better than them. But they still grew, and they grew because people found value in what they did. Likely, they valued what they did too. Maybe they even thought they were the best. The great thing about taste and its subjective nature is that no matter what you are doing, there is going to be millions of people out there who like it. It's just a matter of finding out how to reach them.

I'm not concerned with being the best, or even being wildly successful. I want to support myself by making free music for game developers and music-enjoyers. When I'm not comparing myself to others, I like the music I make, and I have been shown by many of you guys that you like it too! If you like what you do, there is a 100% chance that someone else does too. Do not hold yourself back because you do not feel like what you are making is not good enough. What you make has merit and value, so long as it is genuine and it is your own. If you are proud of your work, if you are happy with it, so do other people. While ultimately being creative should be an individual experience at its core, sharing your work is a big part of it too. Especially if it's how you plan to make your living. Don't give up, and always keep sharing.

Final words:

I made a Ko-fi because I want to make music forever. I support myself primarily off of commissions and client work, but ultimately, my greatest desire is to make good music for you and for free. I want to make something useful and enjoyable, and I don't want to hold myself back because I don't think I'm good enough. I like what I do, and I hope you do too. Your support brings me closer to my dream of being self sustained while making free music. Copyrights and royalties make the world go 'round for musicians and labels. While I don't think there's any issue with that, it does make things harder for the many people who need music for their small projects.

About my Ko-fi:

Ko-fi is the first official way you can support me aside from Bandcamp. I plan to add some more to it, because it's brand new right now and barren and sad. But there's still some perks!

For anyone who makes a monthly donation, I'll be making you guys a song every month! There's 2 tiers right now, and I'm still figuring out the logistics. But for now,

For the 'Supporter' tier, you and your fellow supporters will all get a mystery song! I wanna make this more robust eventually.

For the 'Supporter+' tier, you get the supporter mystery song, PLUS an extra song made just for you! It can be another mystery, or you can request whatever you like!

Alright, that's all. I love you guys.

• "Another Bag of Chips" is coming to Bandcamp for free very soon. Maybe next month?
• "New Peach Radio" is also coming to Bandcamp for free soon. This album will be released in two 5-6 track parts separately.
• I will be making a personal EP afterwards. High-effort, wacky, and meaningful to me. It will all still be completely free-to-use.