TCI Turns 10

Dear reader,

The Creative Independent is now ten years old. That’s a little over a quarter of the Web’s entire history. It’s wild to think how much and how little everything has changed. Many artists are dealing with the same questions: how to stay afloat in precarious times, how to juggle a creative practice and a day job, how to start something new, how to work through creative blocks.

Is creativity just a matter of spiraling back on the same questions over and over and little by little learning more about ourselves, our practices, our dreams, and each other?

In December 2017 we counted various words across the website (314 interviews), and promised to update the list on occasion. Here it is again, ten years in: the same words (and a few new ones) across all 2,134 published interviews (5.2 million words).

world6,528

earth292

globe26

water561

plant352

animal278

human1,325

system1,049

love7,251

hate787

calm87

star338

home1,671

community2,725

blue196

green154

play6,410

friend3,678

work29,732

practice3,063

life8,352

death495

day7,221

month1,610

year9,007

precarious44

together3,187

structure1,046

galaxy9

universe264

unstructured10

gift310

child1,324

dream1,006

On spiraling around

October 14, 2016

Why spiral? We like spirals because they’re about circling back to a core idea over time, something all creative people must do to create whatever it is they’re creating. We think Julia Cameron, in her self-help book The Artist’s Way, puts it best:

“You will circle through some of the issues over and over, each time at a different level. There is no such thing as being done with an artistic life. Frustrations and rewards exist at all levels on the path. Our aim here is to find the trail, establish our footing, and begin the climb.”

Snails (and other gastropods like slugs) excrete slime. They make this slime to move, so that their bodies don’t lose moisture to the rugged terrain beneath them. This slime is beautiful because it glimmers. It’s also beautiful because it’s a map of time recently spent by the snail. Where is the snail now? And where was it going in the first place?

We think the snail is a good mascot for TCI, as it is biologically forced to leave its slime (process, path) everywhere. You could say our goal is to illuminate the (often hidden) slime of the artists we talk to. You could say we are a growing archive of slime. Perhaps it’s a worthy goal, as the snail’s trail doesn’t last long. Even slime evaporates.

– Spiral note by Laurel Schwulst

A library for the next 10 years

Below we’ve chosen zines, guides, and interviews for the next 10 years, available as PDFs.

3,664 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, and 0 seconds until September 26, 2036

1. 2026 2. 2027 3. 2028 4. 2029 5. 2030 6. 2031 7. 2032 8. 2033 9. 2034 10. 2035 11. 2036

Cover of El Caracol El Caracol Zine, The Creative Independent Download as PDF 0.3 MB

Cover of On making a living as an artist On making a living as an artist Zine, The Creative Independent Download as PDF 3.9 MB

Cover of On dealing with creative anxiety On dealing with creative anxiety Zine, The Creative Independent Download as PDF 3.0 MB

Cover of On finding your voice On finding your voice Zine, The Creative Independent Download as PDF 4.6 MB

Cover of How do you use the internet mindfully? How do you use the internet mindfully? Zine, The Creative Independent & Are.na Download as PDF 11.2 MB

First page of Justin Vernon on the power of cooperation On the power of cooperation Interview, Justin Vernon Download as PDF 0.8 MB

First page of Ocean Vuong on being generous in your work On being generous in your work Interview, Ocean Vuong Download as PDF 1.1 MB

First page of Saidiya Hartman on working with archives On working with archives Interview, Saidiya Hartman Download as PDF 0.2 MB

First page of Ryuichi Sakamoto on how your work changes as you get older On how your work changes as you get older Interview, Ryuichi Sakamoto Download as PDF 0.2 MB

First page of Caro Claire Burke on reconnecting with your ambition On reconnecting with your ambition Interview, Caro Claire Burke Download as PDF 0.1 MB

Cover of How to ask for what you need How to ask for what you need Guide, The Void Academy Download as PDF 5.6 MB

Cover of An artist’s guide to financial planning An artist’s guide to financial planning Guide, Lewis Weil Download as PDF 1.5 MB

Cover of How to apply for grants How to apply for grants Guide, Marianna Schaffer Download as PDF 3.8 MB

Cover of A guide to working with clients A guide to working with clients Guide, HAWRAF Download as PDF 3.2 MB

Cover of How to sell your own artwork How to sell your own artwork Guide, RJ Supa Download as PDF 3.1 MB

We launched TCI on September 26, 2016 with the goal of becoming an evergreen resource of practical and emotional guidance. The first interview was with Eileen Myles, and our first event was a public conversation with Ian MacKaye.

My original inspiration for the site was the punk zines that guided me as a teenager. These homemade publications taught me how to write and to distribute my work, and how to not only think about doing something, but to do it. They helped me find my voice and my community.

I’ve made sure to stick to that ethos in everything we do on TCI, without succumbing to the temptation to expand in ways that didn’t feel right. The goal is to keep TCI humble, honest, and useful.

Thank you so much for reading TCI over the years, and for reaching out with such kind, thoughtful words. It’s endlessly appreciated. There’s only one person checking the inbox and these notes keep me going.

Here’s to many more days.

Real Snail

p.s. Five years ago we did this too: Visit the 5 Years of TCI website.

Producer/Editorial: Brandon Stosuy Design & Development: Elliott Cost (Bell Kiosk) Social Graphics: Mikki Janower

Image credits: Snail shell: Theba geminataby H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, resized and desaturated. Fossil: Catellocaula vallataby Mark A. Wilson, public domain.

TCI Turns 10

TCI Turns 10

TCI Turns 10

On spiraling around

A library for the next 10 years

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