Introducing dropin 👨‍🚀

Building a better future for art

3 minute read

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The Call to Arms

We need more artists.

We have Kickstarter to back ideas. Patreon and Substack to support entertainers and writers. Twitch for gamers. And Marc Andreessen’s call to arms to start building everywhere else.

But we need more artists. And to help these artists create, we need to put in place the support systems that are helping creators in other fields thrive.

So as part selfish want to uncover new artists and part an answer to Andreesen’s call, we are building dropin, an intimate space for artists and their communities to come together.

The Inspiration for dropin

I spent a lot of time during the COVID-19 quarantine watching artists across all different mediums. From Lukas Nelson’s Quarantunes Evening Sessions, to artist Carolyn Rose’s watercolor videos on Instagram, to Florian Gadsby’s pottery workshop scenes, artists came alive when they were needed most.

Their work showed that there is something in the spirit of the artist that is antifragile; the harder the times, the more beautiful the work.

However, there is no easy way to consistently support these artists.

Yes, you can buy Lukas’ album. Or if you are lucky, you might be able to get a Carolyn Rose original or a piece from Florian’s latest collection.

But the reality is that Carolyn can only paint one piece at a time. And Florian can only make as much pottery as will fit in his kiln. If you are not quick enough to Florian’s website when a collection drops or Carolyn’s backlog of commissions is too long, then both you (and they) are out of luck.

Enter dropin.

How dropin Works

We believe the journey of a painting or piece of pottery or new song is just as interesting as (if not more than) its final form. That's because all of the magic happens in the messy middle, hidden away in studios and spaces.

Yet, I live for seeing the making of Springsteen’s Born to Run. Watching Roald Dahl’s process for writing is endlessly fascinating. And we now have Bob Ross’ memory living on thanks to a new YouTube series Keeping The Bob Ross Dream Alive, Featuring Nic Hankins.

There is something to being able to capture the magic of the creative process, watching it unfold in front of you. And it is this magic that we want artists to be able to share with their community.

With dropin artists can now pull back that curtain via a livestream, welcoming the curious into their space. In exchange for this intimate insight, patrons are able to directly support artists, sending payments from within the app and in realtime to help support those whose work resonates with them.

It is a win-win. Artists directly receive the support necessary to be able to create while art lovers are afforded a window into a process they are passionate about.

Next Steps: Building in Public

We are currently opening dropin up to a handful of artists who are interested in testing out the technology. If you want to be an early user, send me an email. Or if you know an artist that would be a great fit, please forward them this post 🙏

We are also building dropin in public, meaning that we are sharing everything in our approach. From the technology that is powering dropin to the marketing strategies and channels we will utilize, I am sharing everything we are doing. If you are interested in following along as we roll dropin out, you can sign up for my strategy emails here.

We believe a new wave of art is coming. It is a movement which we want to help lead from the front. We hope you join us.