Alternate Route

Either you're unlucky in not getting a Philosophy of Pen pen when it goes up for purchase, or you're like, "geez, that's x-amount of dollars.  That's a lot all at once." And you'd be totally right.  

There should be another way.

Philosophy of Pen now offers a traditional patron-artist option.

This is a supportive connection between an individual (the patron) and an artist or creative professional.  Historically, the patron provides financial support, materials, resources, or opportunities that enable the artist to create and showcase their work.  In return, the artist may dedicate their creations to the patron or provide them with intellectual and cultural prestige.  It's why the Medicis were such a powerful family in Florence - they were significant patrons of the arts.  Botticelli was one such artist who benefited and gave us "The Birth of Venus" and "La Primavera".

Having a community of patrons invest in my work helps me buy high-quality shop and consumable supplies, and dedicate just a little more of my attention to creating pens.  Because in the end, I want to have made more pens so they can go where they're supposed to go, and make a difference for the world in a small but positive way by doing that.

You reap the reward of this style of relationship by being recognized (or not, if you wish to remain anonymous) as a figure who supports psychedelic-assisted therapies and preserving skilled handiwork like pen-turning among your peer patrons and others.  You will also be able to connect with your other peer patrons, should they opt-in and ALWAYS at their personal discretion.  Finally, as this site is social media dark, patrons have a large amount of influence as stewards in where Philosophy of Pen goes in the future. 

It works like this.

I will keep track of the inflection point of when your incremental, monthly patronage becomes worth the price of a market-rate Philosophy of Pen pen.  

Say the going rate is $500. You become my patron for $100 a year which - from my eyes - came out of nowhere.  At that point, I'd be curious about you.  It's difficult to tell the future, but odds are good that I will want to gift you a pen if you and I have taken the time to collaborate, talk/chat, do business and just generally get to know each other, especially by year five (your inflection point).  

It's a peculiar thing after all, the concept of a patron.  Just receiving money from the void from another being as complex and leading a varied, rich life as I am.  All that makes one wonder, "who exactly are you?"  I can't be the only person who feels that way, right?  Over time trying to find the answer to that question together would likely lead to a friendship.  And it's that friendship that forms the basis and inspiration for these pens.

We'll put this in a different way.

This is all the wood I have left of this batch of ayahuasca for pen-making.

Let's be honest, no matter how wildly successful Philosophy of Pen may get, as a turner there are always going to be some blanks I keep for myself, my family/friends, and my friends who began as patrons.  To make this whole endeavor work and generate money for the charities that need it, I need to carefully think about how much wood I have, how much I can feasibly get in the future, and where that tipping point is between reaching far and keeping it close/intimate.

Therefore, patron slots are limited to nine total.  It's not many, true, but I also like the dynamic that creates, and it's a fine pace for making pens that I'd like to engage in.  Not to mention - as an introvert - a "just enough" pace for making friends.

Once all twelve slots are filled at once an invitation is sent out to what I'm affectionately referring to as Philosophy of Pen's "council of nine".  A group of eight others, including yourself, which cycles through members only as often as the person who holds that seat chooses to remain a patron.  

Here's the catch.

You might not get a pen in a timely manner.

It's frustratingly impossible to know.  The aya pens I have given away to the three others came together when other demands on my time/energy were gently removed from the path, like a soft hand brushing lint off a mantle, to let it happen.  As if by magic.  And that's not to mention the other factors, like right blend of inspiration, sufficient good body feeling to lathe, and meditativeness.  Those days are rare indeed, but I do speculate if enough people I cared about want to see me do this, the path will be cleared for us.

So that's it, I think.  I'm requesting kindly to be honest with yourself here: if you're the sort who might be resentful about the catch above, please reconsider becoming my patron.  My trying to prevent future heartache and guilt I guess.  I'm attempting to be earnest and put myself out there to find the others, who hopefully see what we're doing here and find it intriguing enough to steer the ship with me.  

All nine patron slots full means $74 a month, which isn't much for the sake of a hobby like this, but is just enough to make pen-turning more than a passing thought.  The biggest draw is that there are others who felt called to this and are building something intimate and with potential together, giving what they can when they can.

Let me know if there are questions and I will update this.

Our current vector for patronage is through Buy Me A Coffee, and you will find more benefits listed under the tiers there.