To those who care about the people behind the games,
Today I wrote a post for a friend and colleague of mine who’s going through a bit of a tough time. He goes by Hw21, he’s the creator of XXXivilization, and after his most recent update he’s feeling a little demotivated – like nobody cares about his game or what he’s working on.
To many of you I know that may sound pretty ridiculous for a creator making four-figures a month on Patreon. He’s financially among the top 10% of NSFW devs on the platform. How could he possibly feel like people don’t care, right?
For starters he doesn’t care about the money. He doesn’t pocket a single penny. It all goes back into the game and he only even started the Patreon to fund aspects of the game he lacks in and to be able to pay people who help a fair wage for their efforts.
Secondly, what he’s facing is a common issue nearly all creators go through but very few feel comfortable talking about. I can say this with confidence because I’ve faced the same issue myself and I've worked with a lot of other creators over the years and seen them go through it too.
Like I say in the post, motivation isn’t a fountainless well. It’s a reservoir that has to be routinely supplied, and everyone’s reservoir is supplied by different forms of reassurance.
I won’t rehash everything I’ve already written. If you’re interested you can check out the post here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/creators-curse-33741430
Ultimately, I’m pretty sure if most of you took a minute to think about your own attempts at creating something or your own drives towards success, you’d understand what I’m saying.
I may not know your favorite creator(s) personally but I’m sure they’ve either struggled or are on their way towards struggling with the same issues of doubt and demotivation.
Do yourself and this community/industry a favor: Reach out to your favorite creator(s), big and small, and just let them know you care.
You don’t necessarily have to do so with positive feedback or a pat on the back, just speaking on your experience with their game is often more than enough and would likely go a lot further than you might think. (I mean say what you did and didn't like about the game, not the sordid details of your masturbation session - although I do know some creators who'd be happy to hear about that too. XD)
I know we’re already a month into the year, but let’s try to kick 2020 off by filling the reservoirs.
Worst case, you spend a few minutes typing a message that’s ignored. Best case, you motivate someone to keep making a game/product you enjoy.
Even if you do nothing, thanks for taking the time to read this. None of this would exist without people who care more than a singular dopamine hit.
- Locke Kosta
Today I wrote a post for a friend and colleague of mine who’s going through a bit of a tough time. He goes by Hw21, he’s the creator of XXXivilization, and after his most recent update he’s feeling a little demotivated – like nobody cares about his game or what he’s working on.
To many of you I know that may sound pretty ridiculous for a creator making four-figures a month on Patreon. He’s financially among the top 10% of NSFW devs on the platform. How could he possibly feel like people don’t care, right?
For starters he doesn’t care about the money. He doesn’t pocket a single penny. It all goes back into the game and he only even started the Patreon to fund aspects of the game he lacks in and to be able to pay people who help a fair wage for their efforts.
Secondly, what he’s facing is a common issue nearly all creators go through but very few feel comfortable talking about. I can say this with confidence because I’ve faced the same issue myself and I've worked with a lot of other creators over the years and seen them go through it too.
Like I say in the post, motivation isn’t a fountainless well. It’s a reservoir that has to be routinely supplied, and everyone’s reservoir is supplied by different forms of reassurance.
I won’t rehash everything I’ve already written. If you’re interested you can check out the post here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/creators-curse-33741430
Ultimately, I’m pretty sure if most of you took a minute to think about your own attempts at creating something or your own drives towards success, you’d understand what I’m saying.
I may not know your favorite creator(s) personally but I’m sure they’ve either struggled or are on their way towards struggling with the same issues of doubt and demotivation.
Do yourself and this community/industry a favor: Reach out to your favorite creator(s), big and small, and just let them know you care.
You don’t necessarily have to do so with positive feedback or a pat on the back, just speaking on your experience with their game is often more than enough and would likely go a lot further than you might think. (I mean say what you did and didn't like about the game, not the sordid details of your masturbation session - although I do know some creators who'd be happy to hear about that too. XD)
I know we’re already a month into the year, but let’s try to kick 2020 off by filling the reservoirs.
Worst case, you spend a few minutes typing a message that’s ignored. Best case, you motivate someone to keep making a game/product you enjoy.
Even if you do nothing, thanks for taking the time to read this. None of this would exist without people who care more than a singular dopamine hit.
- Locke Kosta
