Thank you for reading all of what I sent! I really appreciate you taking the time to hear out my input. I am sorry things are so complicated tax wise and I'm glad you're finding a way to make it work in the meantime!

I'm happy you took the time and wrote it. It was very good advice and yes unfortunately the tax is a big issue.

Unfortunately I do not have any space in my cabinet to get more customs. Otherwise it would have been a very fun and colorful swap.

@Griffin

Thank you so much! Yes these are magnets that hold the notes in place.
You‘re welcome to give them a new home. I did not plan to keep them. I‘d be open for offers.

@Blackcurtains

Thank you for your words. You're absolutely right with the constructive criticism. I personally would have no problem with that about my own work, because I still learn too - whether if it's about a material or a technique. And yes I would never criticize people's work if not being asked for expecially because a lot of people do it just for fun, including me. But sometimes a gentle push in the right direction will let somebody develop their full potential. 

Hi pandabear_chan!

I tried to run a Patreon account for a few years while making/selling my first self-published (original concept!) book--and let me tell you, it is not easy to do! I had two people back it, and many people won't be able to sustain their memberships because the economy is not the best at the moment. However! That isn't to say what you've listed isn't feasible.

One thing you could do that is free is sustain a social media presence, such as through Instagram, TikTok (oof), Twitter (another oof) or even YouTube. This will get people interested in what you're doing with your art, besides your website and presence in the pony community here.

I like the first two tiers of Patreon that you've listed here; however, the phrase "correct use" could be misinterpreted. I would emphasize your techniques and style, and give access to sales/promos as the main draw for Patreon--I've found that doing that works best.

It's tough to sell your work and I admire your talent! I do think you have the experience and skills, for sure! When stepping out of the pony community and into the wider art world...it's not easy to convince folks that what you're doing is marketable.

A word of warning-take this with a grain of salt! My concern personally about selling my pony customs outside of the Arena/Etsy/websites--and a big reason why I've stopped--is that many corporations are now keeping a closer eye on their IPs. Copyright is starting to get tougher to navigate as a fan artist and I would caution that being talented in that area could mean that your ideas get scooped by bigger companies. It could also result in a cease and desist. It's something I've seen happen more and more online and I would be wary about selling/buying customized/fan art related items if they're not aligned with big corporations. This could make your work a hard sell.

Or it could land you a job at Hasbro! So! There are upsides!

I think it doesn't hurt to try this; however, expect that it might not succeed as you hoped going in, so that when you do succeed, it will be all the better

TL;DR-Scale back the tiers to 1 and 2, and focus on your style vs comparing to others, even beginners. Be wary that pony customs are niche fan art and could in future be a hard sell to the wider art world. I admire your experience and skill and I hope your venture succeeds!

~ChocolateStarfire

Thank you so much for your time to write this detailed answer, I highly appreciate it. In the meantime I ditched the 3rd and 4th tier and replaced it with offering commissions but then you're obliged to dive into the wonderful world of German Tax return and business registration. So I think I'll stay with my things right now and that's fine. I have my account here, Deviantart (for all the pictures), Facebook and on Instagram - that's enough.

@Griffin

Thank you so much! I thought at first it could be a bit too controverse but I just speak of own experiences - and boy what have I spent on supplies in these 20 years that were replaced a few times.
The only thing I did really right from almost the beginning was to invest in this airbrush course. I let me buy my beloved airbrush gun, that gets now over 10 years old (and sadly I soon have to get a new one), a good compressor, the right colors and additional stuff, which helps me in getting satisfying results.

If I would have had an opportunity to have a teacher in the early stages - it would have saved a lot of time, money and frustration.

We also have so many talented newbies outside who could do better if they'd encourage people to submit constructive criticism.

My project book is still filled with so many ideas (and additionally I want to create all of crystal-sushi's wonderful concept ponies that I can) so you can still expect a few things from me.

I still need to add the sparkles and hair on my pony. Pony friend is all done. I'm absolutely thrilled to see what everybody came up with.

x