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Gumroad has gone full retard. While we watch it sink, check out the archive password sharing.

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Anyone who supports piracy of any type of content other than stuff that has been completely abandoned by their creators and cannot be obtained through legitimate means is an awful person who doesn't get the full picture, or is incapable of seeing the world through a viewpoint other than their own. It doesn't matter whether it's a game, or a movie, or in this particular case, art. It doesn't matter if it was made by a million or billion dollar company, or an indie studio, or even an individual. If you like it, and the creator has put a price on it, they deserve to be paid for the work that you enjoyed. If you don't like it, fair enough. You're not obligated to give them money, but don't try to undermine their work and bypass paywalls. Just walk away, and carry on with your life.

If there is art that you really like, support the artist so that they can continue making what it is that you really love, instead of "archiving" their work. I can't speak for every artist out there, but artists that went beyond the hobbyist level that end up quitting probably did so because what they get from their work didn't justify the amount of time that they put into it. It's incredibly difficult to get recognised, as everything is stacked against you. And even for the artists who are really popular, they had to start from somewhere and in most cases they're probably making as much money as you think. 

We're shunned because of our commission pricing, we're shunned because some people think that you have no right to charge for your work in general, even if you are fantastic at what you do. In an ideal world where all of our needs are met through other means, Patreon wouldn't need to exist. The whole point of Patreon and any Patreon alternatives is to allow people to support creators they like in ways other than buying a commission or art prints (if they sell them). And in return, some artists may decide to reward the patrons that make their work possible in the first place that everyone can enjoy.

There's more to being a freelance artist than just the art itself, and in most cases the artist has no help with this. You have to manage clients, marketing and your overall online presence as well as the art process all by yourself, compared to a "normal" job where you are almost certainly a small piece of a bigger puzzle even if you're working for a start-up. "Normal" artist jobs are extremely competitive, and going freelance is the only way for a lot of artists. Be assured, unless you are unemployed, artists (and freelancers in general) are working just as hard as you, if not harder because there is no one to manage us. We had to figure things out on our own and create our business from scratch, instead of stepping into an already existing business.

If you're still reading this, I urge you to think twice and not take things you like for granted. Nothing will last forever, but it can last a little bit longer if you give a reason for the creator to carry on. Give us a tip, or tell your friends about us if you can't give any money. It means a whole lot.

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