Drip Roundtable: Three Creators on Opening Their Practices and Embracing Artistic Honesty
“I encourage myself to be vulnerable about my own mistakes, and to recognize that I have this platform to do that.” —Nic Annette Miller
On Drip, creators have an intimate and focused space in which to connect directly with their audience. By opening up about their creative process and sharing works in progress, they forge deeper connections with their fans. But it requires vulnerability, and no small amount of bravery.
In a recent conversation, Pablo Defendini, publisher and art director of the literary journal Fireside Quarterly, members of the B movie-riffing outfit RiffTrax, and artist Nic Annette Miller shared their experiences getting started on Drip. Miller reflected on artistic honesty; Defendini got practical about project planning; and RiffTrax explained why you shouldn’t shy away from putting your work out there — even something you might normally throw away.
Below, these three creators talk about some of the things they’ve struggled with, and how they’re moving past those challenges to bring their supporters closer to their creative practices.
THE HONEST SIDE OF CREATION
It can be tricky for a creator to regularly share the details of their practice. But when they offer even small glimpses of their process as part of their everyday work, they foster a sense of closeness and openness that’s inspiring for supporters.
RiffTrax: I think we’ve developed a flow where, as we’re working, we think about how we can integrate aspects of what we’re doing into Drip, like saving drafts that we would throw out, or shooting extra video, or recording extra audio — things we can toss in. We also have the advantage of being an 11-year-old company, so we have a lot of old behind-the-scenes stuff that we haven’t shared publicly yet that we can bring out of the coffers and show to these hardcore fans.
Fireside Quarterly: I’ve been starting to get a feel for repurposing — like, “Oh, this is stuff that I would normally write in my email newsletter every week. Maybe I’ll just grab it and put it over here instead.” I can start shifting my content to publish more on Drip... I really want to drive people to Drip, so that I can gather momentum there. Maybe I don’t want to put [certain content] on my website this time.
Nic Annette Miller: I think it’s a really good challenge for me, being more honest and sharing more. What I wanted to do [on Drip] was be more vulnerable and show that [my work] isn’t easy… I’m realizing that’s something that a lot of people who are fans want to follow. They want to see that honest side of creation, and I encourage them to create, too. Honestly, I’m just not used to Drip being in my practice, so that’s something that’s been hard for me. I encourage myself to be vulnerable about my own mistakes, and to recognize that I have this platform to do that.
PUT IT OUT THERE
At what point does sharing become oversharing? These creators have found that it’s best to err on the side of putting it out there.
NAM: I hadn’t really thought of Drip as another [form of] social media, but in a way, it’s a more exclusive social media. I kind of like that, because it may encourage me to share more, but I also have a hard time bothering people.
FQ: If people like what you’re doing, they’re going to respond to [you sharing your work]. They wouldn’t necessarily be subscribing to your Drip, following you on social media, if that wasn’t something they were interested in.
RT: I would say don’t be shy. I mean, if you’re personally shy, that’s totally cool. But people who are following you might want to know more about your process, or even just things that you’re creating on a regular basis… You are an extension of your brand, so if you’re going to make this a part of your brand, by all means, put it out there.
GET A RUNNING START
Every Drip begins with a founding membership period. It’s a chance for creators to build momentum, and for fans to jump in early and claim special subscription tiers or status. When it comes to engaging supporters, this period is important — but it’s also just the beginning.
FQ: [My advice for other creators is to] get a running start, content-wise. I have a list of things that I want to generate, but there are obstacles in the way. I didn’t realize that was going to be as painful as it has been until after I launched. Get on that treadmill before you launch, so that you can get in the habit of it and see what’s actually accessible immediately. That kind of thing will give you a better idea of when the best time is for you to launch.
RT: As far as spreading the word goes, that’s something that we’ve been trying to do pretty regularly. I feel like we’ve mentioned [our Drip] at almost any opportunity. What’s interesting, I’ve found, is that people are constantly joining.
Learn more about RiffTrax, Fireside Quarterly, and Nic Annette Miller by visiting them on Drip.
