What does it mean, being an independent artist?
Let’s start with the definition of independent by the Cambridge Dictionary: “not influenced or controlled in any way by other people, events or things.”
You are solely responsible for the realization of your projects. No support, no affiliations, no help from others. You have to count only on yourself for everything. That’s the price to pay for your freedom, this is the price to pay to give to the world something that could never exist without you, without your efforts and your daily struggle with yourself to boost your motivation in pursuit of your unique way.
Integrity and authenticity are the watchwords.
Find other artists who incarnate integrity and authenticity. Build an altar to them. Find the teachers who will help you to cultivate the best parts of yourself.
Don’t follow artistic calls on specific topics. Don’t permit others to decide for you how you should invest your time, energy and dedication. Don’t permit others to manipulate you and your work. The opinion of others is worth zero. Don’t permit that what some critics write about your work plots a way forward for you. Don’t permit that the opinions of your family or friends stop you.
Cultivate your spirit. This is the only important thing you have to do. All the the rest is chatter, noise.
You have an idea to develop: keep walking until you don’t realize it, even if that implies many renunciations and difficulties. Give yourself time to experiment, to fail, to go wrong. Stay in discomfort. Stay in pain. It’s there that the light appears. It’s there that you have to find the light. Follow the light. Look for the light. Stand in the fire until there is nothing left to burn away.