If you love your basic democratic freedoms : please support authentic journalism, journalists, a free press + ASK QUESTIONS – like – who’s lobbying in your legislature, and who benefits from legislation?
We Consume Culture + a sometimes it’s OSMOSIS.
As an indie artist – I ask movie + music lovers to SupportTheARTSustainTheARTisT ™
#CureAteFoYoSelf™ so many “curators” are working with big money sources of content to make their “picks” that it’s pointless to consider it “curating” especially when we are living in a far more diverse 21st Century – where – so-called “curating” amounts to gate-keeping – when we CAN + SHOULD discover on our own – it’s SO MUCH MORE FUN!
Reading ‘the indie label’ is not unlike reading a nutrition label.
Neighborhoods built from scratch by dedicated, caring, working people, are – like great relationships and also like great works of art / craft made by artisans in communion with culture – a ‘sacred space’ – which must not be violated by the pale glow of so-called ‘progress’ fueled by the zero-sum games of bottom-line parasitical leeches : cultural imposters – bottom-feeders + 1%er top-slurpers .
The 21st century #dedicated #workingclass indie artist – like 21st century – middle-class/working class humanity –
It’s not solved with #PublicityStunts + #gimmicks – the kinds of ‘ #charity / #charities employed mainly to bestow grace on the Charity-Giver and to absolve them of their quiet #EconomicSins –
When ” citizens united” was passed by the ” scotus corporate subsidiary” they opened the door for future elimination of individual human innovation – to be gentrified by corporate-owned “Artificial Intelligence” –
If successful – this would amount to a full scale attack on free-thinking, free-living individual human “genius” (for lack of a better term) – in favor of a “wholly owned subsidiary / subsidized ” form of “genius” – only allowed to see “daylight” once fully patented by the corporation who ultimately “owned” it outright through astronomical – financially – subsidized legal means. Corporate welfare – seeking to eliminate human welfare (unless it serves the corporation).
are the silent marauders sowing seeds, like harmful weeds + even more harmful pesticides, like both – virus and it’s over prescribed antibiotic – culminating in the overgrowth and dissemination of an antibiotic-resistant ‘strain’ of an ongoing economic discrimination virus –
– a virus fueled by it’s De-Nihil-ISM™ siblings – racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism , climate denial – where money doesn’t just ‘talk’ – it screams obscenities – and destroys culture + more importantly – it destroys the living artist.
What’s worse is that some of these Intruders – dare to Don themselves, Cloak themselves in the mantle of ‘artist’ – twice insulting the artist + the culture she serves, the culture she weaves, the culture with which she is interdependent.
Sometimes well-meaning, often self-serving “entertainment reporters” / “curators” ( pronounced cure-haters at our studio) who sometimes come in the form of what is often referred to as ‘ arts + culture journalists’ whether they work for high-brow or low-brow publications / media – are often entitled dilettantes / trust-fund babies themselves – who contribute to the so called “curator class” and either detest us because they can’t make art themselves – or simply do NOT understand or care about the real – flesh and blood and guts – and life of an artist –
These “culture-vultures are virulent enablers of this GentrificationOfCulture ™ – and are literally destroying the Culture – and more importantly – the living breathing artist who needs the Culture as much as we need oxygen. Guys – you don’t get it – and I’ll continue to try – to explain.
De-Nihil-ISM™ + GentrificationOfCulture™ – is cure-ated in a healing medicinal born of #RESPECT + #selfdetermination –
It’s about sharing not only the wealth but also the opportunity –
#WhatsInYourIndie™ :
It’s something Audiences – cinephiles and audiophiles alike – can be aware of when ever we purchase movies + music —
The term “indie” is much appropriated and it’s not a matter of race or gender- it’s about – asking the same questions we ask of our nutrition – who made it?
Did some Corporate entity swoop in and find a malleable “candidate” ( as is done in politics) to mold and shape into the “image” of “what they tell us – we the people – want”?
and together we would pushback AGAINST the Corporate dominance over us ALL – because we are in the same boat.
We need to support the professional artist in media, movies , music, books – in their daily dedication —
getting a fair shot but ALSO what’s getting discarded in many industries and economies : the waning respect and growing indifference to the so called “middle class” which IS the so called “working class.”It’s about respect due – for merit as well as professionalism and dedication of one’s life to either a craft — or just as worthy – any profession – any job done well.
The Professional Artist who is an Authentic Independent Artist – is quite discernible by anyone paying attention to the “nutrition label” – it’s often someone who’s – not ‘signed’ – not ‘owned’ – not ‘in the club’ – or simply – unwilling to follow club-rules but also unwilling to sacrifice the wellness of her Culture for personal gain or ego. She’s – a crafts-person – and viewers + listeners should consider supporting the Authentic Indie Artist —
while corporate middle-persons should support + respecting those who’ve dedicated years to that craft –
not stand ‘in the middle’ of an artist’s relationship with her listeners + viewers – with your hand out, nor your tongue – slurping off the top –
Formerly we were ok with following ‘big’ accounts — such as yours — even if they had thousands of followers and even when the “big” – indifferently discarded their own followers- chose only to follow back a few – mostly other “big” accounts. So it goes – “big” supports “big” – the big get bigger .
Recently though… I’ve been thinking … yeah, I’m doing that again …
the fact of the matter is – that independent artists like myself and my team,
as well as “individuals” with “free agency” – freedom to speak out , speak up, freedom to speak for ourselves — about ourselves —
I’ve noticed that – even human rights + other righteous causes have now become increasingly “gentrified” in what I name in my writings :
“GentrificationOfCulture™” – as though it’s not enough for “big” to be big – now – “big” needs to be worshipped for the table scraps they toss Humanity from the table of a charity … In fact every bit of dysfunction we witness in politics today – was auditioned in our cultural big media laboratories – funded by – you.
“we the people ” — including those of us working for years in the humanities – as artists or thinkers, teachers, activists, social workers – must be the makers of our own culture – without your helicopter mind and hand directing our every move from your bank account.
Now that you also want to “gobble up” this dignified work space — which we built — like so many artist neighborhoods built out of the ashes of poverty – that you swoop in and buy up — pushing us out of our own masterpiece — so that we must worship at your tables —
We too – are not just figuratively, but now literally, viscerally – an “endangered species” –
We Too find ourselves at the mercy of the trajectory of a path — which leaves all the ” humanity-based meaningful work” — to the 1 percent – who don’t need the work — they need to be worshipped in spite of their greed – so they “Don” our handmade wardrobes – and only then – declare it ‘holy’ –
– thus – pushing the people out of their own hoods and tribes – in order to keep us in the place you designated for us : “indentured servitude ” to your benevolent kingly bank account – even when it comes to our humanity, our environment, our arts , our very Culture – and therefore our legacy, our history, herstory — our future – our lives.
This form of “gentrified thinking” – also demands that we be grateful for your charity.
But we must not be grateful.
21st Century Social media was born to be democratic, meritorious but also – personal, new-found oxygen for the individual — village-oriented – not Corporate – not “mega.”
#WeToo choose not to harken backwards in time towards gentrification —
but to bring forward all that our ancestry built into a strong culture “for the individual” – into an inclusive – and fair —
“BigTinyFuture™”
with happiness, freedom, wellness, education, food safety — economic justice working hand in hand with environmental justice — at the forefront of our GDP – not an afterthought for table scrap billionaire philosophies —
“BigTinyFuture™ ” – for the whole planet – not just 1 percent.
