Independent Artistry: No-Budget, No Problem

While some art forms are primarily independent, because there is a lack of commercial viability to painting and sculpting apart from the rare popular artist, independent film and music are often the headstrong leader in artistic form in these formats.

I've been watching a variety of films by Tomas Gutierrez Alea, a Cuban filmmaker, as of late, and his films are some of the most striking, inspiring politically driven films ever produced. And from his beginning in the industry to his death at the young age of 67, he created films for over 40 years in Cuba, a very small, limited market, and most of his films didn't reach audiences far outside Cuba. Yet his films remained intriguing and boundary pushing, on a world stage in terms of accolades (winning the Palme D'or early in his career) to subject matter (his penultimate film having a gay protagonist).

Similarly, in music, I've been listening to MF Doom, a legendary hip-hop MC, renowned for integration of unpredictable rhyme schemes and engaging stories he tells through his rap. His collaborations are extremely famous in the underground hip-hop world and his prolific nature throughout his career peak, releasing 3 full-length, acclaimed albums in 2004. But he never reached a mainstream audience, and remains unknown amongst many casual listeners.

Popular projects are not often the highest quality, it is these independent projects which remain relevant and age well more often. And it's inspiring to see these low budget and under-noticed projects being some of the greatest ones. Independence allows these artists freedom to make their true concept, and find creative ways to hide the cheap production, by making it the best that they can with what they have.