The Creative Independent turns five

We thought this would be a good time to look back on the journey. So far we’ve talked with over 1185 creative people, and that number will be higher tomorrow... | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 2 years ago

A Soft Manifesto – The Creative Independent

Artist and writer Cortney Cassidy on the anti-capitalist values that helped her launch Mail Blog, and a set of principles you can apply to your own values-driven art making. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 3 years ago

Visual artist Noelia Towers on being compelled to create

Visual artist Noelia Towers on using yourself as the subject, making art with a chronic illness, working outside the gallery system, and the ugly truths of the creative process. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 3 years ago

The Creative Independent

The Cre­ative In­de­pen­dent is a re­source of emo­tional and prac­ti­cal guid­ance for cre­ative peo­ple. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 3 years ago

On the power of mutual aid publishing during crisis

Artist and educator Paul Soulellis on creating urgent artifacts, radical DIY publishing, and a call to document this moment. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 3 years ago

Key challenges, collective insights, and possible futures for the music industry

Key challenges, collective insights, and possible futures for the music industry. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 4 years ago

Οn the differences between creativity and productivity

Writer and critic Yanyi on quitting your day job, being open to thinking more than one thing, and how to know when your book is finished. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 4 years ago

On Taking Breaks

The Creative Independent is taking a break this week. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 4 years ago

On having a love/hate relationship with technology

Artist Lauren Huret on using technology as your medium, maintaining a complicated relationship with the internet, and why we must strive to burst our own online bubbles. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 4 years ago

On Observing Time

For our series with Are.na, Jon Gacnik muses over the internet, mountains, and the nature of time itself. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 4 years ago

How to establish a daily writing practice

Tips for publishing something new every day, and approaching your progression as a writer with kindness rather than judgement. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 4 years ago

How to embrace mistakes without romanticizing failure

A set of tactics you can use to renegotiate your relationship with failure, written and illustrated by Juliana Castro. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

How to know if you should hire a publicist

Kelly McClure unpacks the seemingly confusing topic of publicity, and the value of publicists in general. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

On Being Surrounded by Water

Visual artist Jane Chang Mi discusses switching careers, quiet forms of protest, and collaborating with people outside your field. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Drawing is the best videogame – The Creative Independent

A 2019 New Year's Eve letter for TCI about drawing and videogames, by artist Jeffrey Alan Scudder. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Year End: On rituals

Editor in Chief Brandon Stosuy on some personal, maybe mystical moments from 2018's TCI interviews that managed to work their way into his daily life. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Year End: On “Year”

TCI's web developer Elliott Cost discusses time increments on TCI. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

How to think differently about doing good as a creative person

A guide to avoiding Creative Savior Complex when working on social impact projects, written by Omayeli Arenyeka and illustrated by Neta Bomani. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Writer Mary H.K. Choi on sustaining a creative metabolism

Writer Mary H.K. Choi discusses the mental health hazards of social media, and creating financial security within a creative career. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

How to make a tabletop game

Learn how to ideate, develop, and publish a game independently. Written and illustrated by Adi Slepack. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

How to start a new business

A guide to new-business ideation, strategy, and sustainability by Kelly Bethke, with illustrations by Jeremy Nguyen. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

On reality and non-reality

Laurie Anderson talks about breaking rules, deep thinking, and finding inspiration in both oppressive and progressive times. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

On building new systems

Artist and Pioneer Works founder and director Dustin Yellin discusses the need for accessible culture. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

On streamlining your process

Dutch-Brazilian artist Rafaël Rozendaal discusses setting creative limits, the mystery of inspiration, and why he doesn’t need a studio. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

On how to be a creative person with a job

Actor, photographer, and personal trainer John Sharian discusses how he balances his work and creative lives and offers advice on how you can, too. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

On Impostor Syndrome

Director Andrew Ahn discusses being a first-time filmmaker, what can be learned in working in other genres, and the importance of having faith in your own value as a young creator. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

How to balance full-time work with creative projects

A guide to finding the right day job, protecting your time, and building creative habits by Jeffrey Silverstein. Illustrated by Sunny Eckerle. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

How do you use the internet mindfully?

Welcome to the Library of Practical and Conceptual Resources, a new collaboration between The Creative Independent and Are.na | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Making time for creative work

These interviews and guides offer tips and practical advice on carving out consistent time for your creative work. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Life's a Beach

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@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

The Empathy Economy

Damian Bradfield considers what becomes of the human condition in a landscape increasingly dominated by algorithms and artificial intelligence. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Year

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@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Should I delete my social media?

Addie Wagenknecht, Kimberly Harrington, Taeyoon Choi, Amelia Trask, and Sasha Hecht weigh in on the pros and cons of leaving social media. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

Björk on nature and technology

Björk talks about an early trip to the dentist, her lifelong interest in nature and technology, and what she learned from last year’s MoMA exhibition. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

David OReilly on making sure you keep going

Video game designer, artist, and filmmaker David OReilly discusses following your interests, working without a strategy, and failure as a lack of movement. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

How do you use the internet mindfully?

How do you use the internet mindfully? Explore the Library of Practical and Conceptual Resources. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

A charming conversation between you, a computer, and me

For TCI's series with Are.na, Pirijan Ketheswaran makes a case for designing interfaces that are intimate, collaborate, and creative. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

On exploring how to be online in radical ways

Web developer Tara Vancil discusses the peer-to-peer web, the current state of self-publishing, and the future of the internet. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

A study on the financial state of visual artists today

1,016 artists share how they've been able (or unable) to make a living in the art world. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago

My website is a shifting house next to a river of knowledge. What's yours?

For TCI x Are.na's Library of Practical and Conceptual Resources, designer Laurel Schwulst encourages all artists to create and cultivate websites. | Continue reading


@thecreativeindependent.com | 5 years ago