Direct messages are a way to have an open line of communication with content Creators as well as get exclusive content that they might've not included in their subscriptions.
You can start receiving messages from your preferred Creators after clicking the Follow button on their page. You will then additionally be considered their follower which would allow you to track their updates.
Some Creators might have the option to message them enabled after following them, but in most cases, you would have to purchase a subscription to be able to send them a message.
You can open the Creator's page directly from chat by clicking on their avatar or username while having a chat window with them open.
If you are receiving too many notifications after following Creators, you can mute specific chats to have the messages from the Creators you are following be delivered silently. To do so, you would need to go to DMs while logged in to your user account, choose a conversation you want to mute, and swipe to the left if you're on mobile. On desktops, you would need to open a conversation, click the drop-down window accessible on the top right of a conversation screen, and press 'Mute'.
The extra content Creators sell through DMs can be unlocked by purchasing it. More on that in this article - How can I open the locked content from the Creator?
You can additionally tip the Creator if you'd like to support them and like the content, they put out. Tips do not give any access to the content of the performer but can be a wonderful way to show appreciation for their work.
You can conveniently check out all the chat media from your Direct messaging with the Creator in the chat Gallery - be it content you purchased, locked photos and videos, or some free pictures. The Gallery allows you to filter the content by type - Photos or Videos, and by access - Locked, Unlocked or Free.