Sometimes I feel blessed we got to sit down with Jes Baker in what may seem like her early days now, but really it was just the very beginning of her revolution as her Militant Baker blog gained a record-breaking following, right before she took on the Abercrombie & Fitch CEO in an open letter and her own ad campaign—Attractive and Fat.
The world seems a Militant Baker blur from that point on—with the development of the Body Love Conference, the first of it’s kind bringing more than 400 women together for dozens of workshops on body acceptance. Then Baker was invited to do a Ted Talk, which was uploaded to Upworthy. Then most recently her second collaboration with Tucson photographer Liora Dudar, The Expose Project: Shedding Light on Collective Beauty, a beautiful project that’s given Baker (and Dudar) even more exposure through dozens of stories in almost 48 languages.
What’s become obvious is that Baker’s message is needed, and what’s become obvious to Baker is that this is a calling and it’s time for her to focus her work on body acceptance full-time.
On Monday, Sept. 1, Baker released her latest campaign on Patreon, a crowd-source campaign to help creatives and revolutionaries figure out a way to earn a living doing what they love. Right now, Baker works full-time for a local mental health organization, and she’s been honest—she wants to quit to focus on all the good that’s come from The Militant Baker, the Body Love Conference and more.
Patreon, like Kickstarter and GoFundMe, allows you to make a donation, but not just a regular donation—what you can afford monthly. Kind of like a work-place giving campaign. Baker has a couple of goals set. The first is to get $1,600 in monthly contributions so she can do her work and feed her cats, the other is larger sum that could help her hire an assistant. This woman gets email like you can’t imagine.
Anyway, here’s a link to Baker’s Patreon campaign. And more from the Militant Baker below the cut on this next stage of her dream, what that means for her and what that means for us:
My advocacy started with a blog, which I then used as a platform to write a million things… including an open letter to Abercrombie’s CEO. Along with a killer photographer, I made a visual counter campaign that exploded and reached millions of people across the world! You can check out the Today show’s coverage as well as CNN’s, E!’s, USA Today’s, Time Magazine’s, and a bunch more if you missed it.
This then gave me the opportunity to create the first ever Body Love Conference which hosted dozens of our world’s biggest body love names and we were joined by 400 participants! We’re hard at work, planning one for this upcoming year and I can’t wait!
Following these successes, I was able to do a TED talk, several giant photo shoots that gained international acclaim, start a body love book club, host local events, AND continue to write inspirational content for the blog. All of this while working a full time job! Yes, I am as impressed as you are.
While I love working in the mental health field, I’m ready to leave and invest ALL of my time into body love advocacy! That’s my calling, so I’m taking a GIANT leap, quitting the 9-5 and doing more of what is important to all of us. I want to help women (and men and everyone inbetween) learn to love themselves just as they are, right now.
Patreon is a kick ass way to support me in this mission! It’s a platform that allows you to contribute whatever amount you would like each month. It could be a little and it could be a lot! My content will always be free, but the contributions will go towards allowing me to have time to do MORE; it will support me in my mission to make the world a better place!
Viva la Baker!
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2014.
Wow it is amazing in this day and age that there are forums to ask people to support you when you can’t figure out how to do it yourself. While I applaud her work I question begging.
It’s not “begging,” it’s FUNDRAISING. All charities do it. If you support the work, donate. If not, don’t.
The thing about Patreon is that it is something more similar to a patronage system (hence the similarity in the name), in that supporters offer money in exchange for the work of the artist/writer/activist. It’s more in the vein of Kickstarter and IndieGoGo than begging on the street while wearing a sandwich board.
I get that but she’s quitting her job and hoping for donations to pay her bills and to feed her cat. I’m all for finding projects but not supporting an able bodied adult who no longer cares to suffer through the 9-5. You are right, I don’t have to did if i don’t and want to and frankly the services don’t entice me at all. I question someone is in these funding sites as a means to full financial support.
Please pardon the typos as I am on my galaxy.
Do you deride artists or musicians for being supported by the people that appreciate them? It’s a similar situation here, only Baker’s work shows through in advocacy and ideas rather than a piano or canvas.
The fact of the matter is, in today’s freelance economy, the opportunities to secure funding through non-traditional means (anything that isn’t suffering trough the 9-to-5) are everywhere, if one tries hard enough to find them. You don’t dig that, sure. But doesn’t it seem a bit silly to begrudge someone for the way they get paid simply because their bosses aren’t anything like your own?
(Also, try SwiftKey. You’ll wonder how you ever used a touchscreen keyboard without it.)
Hey thanks for the Swiftkey tip.
I understand what you are saying and maybe I’m being harsh. I took the time to read her blog last night and I really like her and appreciate what she’s doing. Not enough to fund this as her living and that is ok.
That being said, I have to wonder if maybe it is a generational thing because while in my 20s I wanted to be a sculptor. In the end I had to turn it to a hobby and join the workforce (suffer the 9-5) in order to pay for my MFA. It’s not jealousy. It’s just a different mindset.
I feel like these campaigns soften the work ethic of young entrepreneurs. Why work your ass off and pay your dues when all you have to do is spend some time on social media and ask for some cash?
I do appreciate your willingness to have an open discussion about this without attacking me for having a different point of view.
It’s pretty funny what you define as loafing, Jazmin. It seems to me Jes is following a calling in creating and managing a cause, one shared by an overwhelming number of people who may appreciate what she’s doing and, especially, the way she’s doing it. That’s how businesses and charities *all* get started. You think like a leech, dear Jazmin. May there always be someone around to give you a safe and secure job to do while they take all the risks of supporting themselves, and you, in pursuit of their vision. Or, I suppose, you could always go inherit or marry some capital.
Linda Rae,
I worked 3 jobs to get through college and created a position for myself with a company and worked there for 7 years. I married a business minded fellow with no money and together we opened a well known eatery in Tucson with the money we saved from working and saving. We’ve since closed the establishment and now have free time and money to pursue other interests. Interests that include working for a living.
I understand the both the artistic and entrepreneurial spirits as I enjoy a more than comfortable lifestyle as a result of working to achieve both. THAT is my point.
Sorry, Mari:
“the first of it’s kind”
misuse of the contraction; need the pronoun here.
Grammar Gramma
@Jazmin — it’s a shame that none of us had the advantage of online fundraising when we were starting out. That could be why it was invented. Some smart entrepreneurs created it to accelerate time-to-market. Who knows, you might’ve been able to enjoy a career in sculpture. Don’t hate.
It’s interesting that people call crowdfunding campaigns “begging” or “highway robbery” or whatever else. It’s 2014, guys. The internet has changed philanthropy as we know it. Crowdfunding is a way to support things you believe in whether it be the whales, NPR, or body love.
I’ll be doing this regardless of the funding. This is just a way for those who don’t have the reach that I do to contribute and get a message spread in a big way. This isn’t necessarily about me- I’ll continue to be successful regardless. But rather it’s a way to plug in a better microphone and get a group together to help this happen. It makes the mic louder for longer.
It’s exciting and I LOVE this write up. Thanks Mari!
Oh, and Jazmine, I work 86 hour weeks. And have for almost 2 years. I reach millions pof people and better their lives in a trailblazing manner because what I do has just barely started to exist.
86 hour weeks is hardly loafing in my book. Just because someone doesn’t live life like you choose doesn’t mean that it’s wrong.
#FundamentalTruths
I am busy 80+ hours a week too but I only get monetary payment by an employer, not randoms on the internet. I am glad you are confident in your “work”.
True enough and just because someone has a differing opinion does not mean it’s wrong.
Agree to disagree. I wish you the best.
Disagreement is fair, and agreeing to disagree is my jam.
My hope is for people to do what they love and be fulfilled by it. Everyone deserves that.
Good luck to you as well:)
In a time where children are being bullied for being “fat” or not what society thinks they should look like. These children have no self esteem and are going as far as depression or suicide at least she is taking the time to send a message that you need to love yourself no matter what people think. And for those that are blessed enough to donate to her cause then that is their choice. But if the message she is sending can save a life or to than.more power to her and I wish her the best. If you choose not to donate then don’t but the message she is sending out is commendable.
hahahaha they kicked her off. The link now goes to a nudity site.