“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of it for another.” —- Charles Dickens
Last year we started a new tradition in this house where 1 December became "All Patrons' Day". In short, it's a day to allocate a some pre-Christmas budget before shopping takes over and exhausts the funds.
I use this as a chance to donate to content makers whose work I consume (mostly podcasts, but also app developers), and charitable organisations. It's also a good opportunity to review any regular donations or patronages that might go out monthly.
I like 1 December because generosity of spirit is high right now, and it sets a nice tone heading into the holidays. Now, I know that #givingtuesday has just gone last week, and if that floats your boat, all fine. The outcome is what matters. I like 1 December because it's easier to remember, and I'll be honest – I hadn't heard of #givingtuesday until I started writing this.
We're lucky to live in one of the most affluent countries in the world, so I like this pause in the middle of the Halloween/Christmas/New Year rush and tumble to put some of that affluence in someone else's hands. In many ways, the world is actually improving (despite the messages in the news cycle), but I'm also aware of how much creative content I consume free these days, along with the work of many organisations I want to support. This is everyone's personal decision to make, but for me, it's something I really believe in.
This year, our "All Patrons" list includes a mix of Australian and International groups:
Podcast collectives:
Gimlet Media (makers of Reply All, Without Fail, and others)
Radiotopia (makers of The Allusionist, 99% Invisible, The Mortified Podcast, and others)
Podcasts:
Giant Dwarf Theatre, Sydney (makers of Story Club podcast)
Organisations:
Luna Station Quarterly (publishers of women writers of spec fic)
We thank all the people involved with the above organisations for entertaining, informing, and doing great work in the last year. Here's to a bigger and better 2019!