shaunjs
patreon
Week 11 - Release gaps
🕑 Added 2018-03-12 14:33:45 +0000 UTC ICYMI, Platformer episode 15 went up for $5+ supporters: https://www.patreon.com/posts/platformer-part-17477136Also for $5+ supporters, a new topic poll was just announced: https://www.patreon.com/posts/topic-poll-5-17509691
The week that was:
Platformer 15 dialed things up another notch. I think I'm reaching a point where parts of the platformer aren't going to be as quick or easy to produce anymore as we get into more complex stuff. I think I'm probably going to aim to round off "Season 1" of that series around the 20-part mark (depending what we can get in, still lots to cover) and we can have a chat together about where to go with that next. More details to come!
What's to come:
I am away Thursday - Sunday this week on a mini-holiday with my girlfriend to a spa-hotel style place that her mother and grandparents got us as a Christmas gift. While I'm looking forward to this it bums me out a little that it's so soon after the Norwich trip, a gap in videos from which we'd _JUST_ kind of recovered into a normal release pattern. It's only two days though and my next video (PokeyPoke Retro Part 2) is likely going to take more than a week anyway. I might put together another "Quick Tips" video or something for Wednesday just so there's something for $1 supporters and my YouTube subscribers who've not had as much to chew on lately. I say that a lot though, because despite the desire, "Quick video" is sort of an oxymoron. The encoding, thumbnail and general meta process of video creation takes time no matter what. Speaking of that kind of thing...
Wall of Text Therapy Of The Week:
One of my biggest drives recently with my Patreon has just been for total transparency. I want you to know what I'm doing/thinking/planning as much as possible. Doing this helps in lots of ways but I think the most is that it helps me feel OK about when things take longer than I'd hoped, when there's gaps between releases, when I take time off and so on.
Sometimes I feel like I need to prepare better for weeks that I'm not making videos such as my trip to Norwich. To have "content" to release already prepared. There's been a big gap in my videos recently that's especially noticeable if you're not an early-access-qualifying patron. This happens a lot because of these kinds of things. Not only that but I want to make my videos better, but increasingly this means spending lots more time on them than a single week offers.
Rapid release of content doesn't have great synergy with great quality work and YouTube's algorithms are something I want to pay less and less attention to, as is the point of this Patreon. This is why although I privately aim to release weekly, I will never "officially" commit to it and feel it's important to re-state that from time to time.
Doing this is difficult and scary though. While I've had some amazing success here and you guys have been amazing, and while the support I get here dwarfs the revenue I bring in from YouTube; I remain fully aware that without YouTube and my subscriber base and the support of its algorithms in the first place my new platform here would likely not exist. Not only that but regular release of work definitely helps my support here grow even today. This can lead I think to me feeling like I must release every week but I'm trying to shake that feeling and be OK with taking a little time to make sure the work is Good™
There's a balance to be struck I think. Regular-ish stuff is undeniably still important for a lot of reasons. Increasing transparency and doing these regular updates helps but I can't deny the importance of my YT base. That said I need to embrace that you guys are here paying for quality and paying for my independence from these algorithms and that I should put my trust in your regularly-proven awesomeness and incredible support.
I've said a lot of this stuff before, but Patrons come and go and honestly it's useful therapy for me to just put my honest thoughts+feelings out there on a regular basis. I keep the important stuff up top so you can skip it all too ;)
Thank you all for your support. I know I say that at the end of every video and every update, but it is always sincere and deeply felt. I have something invaluable in your support here for which I am humbled and ever-grateful.
-S
Comments
Schedules are pants, its done when its done, don't feel guilty about that. When you're a 1 man band (I am) it can be very tough knowing that people are expecting things of you, you can't delegate because its just you. The majority of your patrons, if not all, know this and understand the "juggling" that needs to be done sometimes. The thing is with schedules is that they will often become unreasonable due circumstance that's just life. You Tube is the engine that drives your patreon support so you have to keep supporting that in any way you can. I'm one of your newest supporters, and I'm very, very happy. Your work is helping me and I like what you do. I'm OK with "its done when its done". Like others have said you need down time otherwise you burn out and how does that help anyone. Don't feel guilty about it because everyone needs a break.
We all appreciate how much effort you put into your work, and how tough it can be sometimes, with all good intentions, we always want to do more as creators and push ourselves for the supporters, but hey, it's ok to have break, it's ok if you don't get done what you say you will on time, you can only do what you can do buddy, I'm sure none of us mind. Your still producing great work, and if it takes a bit longer for whatever reason then it's all good. Sometimes we can push ourselves to much Shaun and you can make yourself Ill trying to do to much, so breaks are important. So you go to your spa, and have a good chill with the girlfriend. You've earned it.
