The Creative Independent

What is TCI? The Creative Independent (TCI) serves as an expanding source of both emotional support and practical advice for creative individuals. It is published without advertisements by Kickstarter, which operates as a public-benefit corporation. We share interviews, insights, and helpful guides that shed light on the challenges and rewards of pursuing a creative path, featuring the stories of various artists such as writers, musicians, designers, and visual creators. Our mission is to nurture and strengthen the community of creators.

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Musician and actor Will Oldham on accepting a creative challenge – The Creative Independent

2 weeks ago | thecreativeindependent.com | Jeffrey Lewis Silverstein

The Creative Independent New here? Prelude Will Oldham musician, actor The human who sings and composes under the name Bonnie “Prince” Billy and acts under the name Will Oldham has, over the past three-plus decades, made an idiosyncratic journey through, and an indelible mark on, the worlds of independent music and cinema.
Photographer Amanda Claire Murphy on leaving your day job behind – The Creative Independent

2 months ago | thecreativeindependent.com | Isa Adney

The Creative Independent New here? The Creative Independent is a vast resource of emotional and practicalguidance. We publish Guides, Focuses, Tips, Interviews,and more to help you thrive as a creative person. Exploreour website to find wisdom that speaks to you and your practice… Prelude Amanda Murphy Photographer Amanda Claire Murphy is a portrait photographer based in Orlando, FL.
DJ and producer Daniel Martin-McCormick (Relaxer) on balancing the line between your self-expression and your audience – The Creative Independent

2 months ago | thecreativeindependent.com | Michelle Kim

Prelude Daniel Martin-McCormick Producer, DJ, singer-songwriter, event producer, label owner Relaxer is the project of Daniel Martin-McCormick (fka Ital), member of Black Eyes and Gaze. Rooted in the US punk/noise underground of the late ’90s and early 2000s, Martin-McCormick’s music embodies a sensual, visceral edge that reflects and extends that legacy.
Comedian, writer, and podcaster Jamie Loftus on why it's cool to care – The Creative Independent

2 months ago | thecreativeindependent.com | Max Freedman

Prelude Jamie Loftus comedian, writer, podcaster Jamie Loftus is a comedian, Emmy-nominated TV writer, author, and podcaster in Los Angeles if that’s okay, but from Boston originally, with your permission of course. Her book Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs was published in 2023 and became an NYT and indie bestseller. She is also the host of two weekly podcasts, The Bechdel Cast (since 2016) and Sixteenth Minute (since 2024).
Writer and art critic Emmalea Russo on opening up new ways of thinking

Jan 21, 2025 | thecreativeindependent.com | Emmalea Russo

Writer and art critic Emmalea Russo discusses blurring the lines between reality and fiction, taking inspiration from social media, and deciding who to trust with her work Writing, Collaboration, Inspiration, Creative anxiety Part of: Being online Working collaboratively Putting your work out there Highlights on Vivienne Volker, the fictional protagonist of your debut novel Vivienne, is the widow of Hans Bellmer.
Screenwriter Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith on supporting the next generation

Jan 17, 2025 | thecreativeindependent.com | Kirsten Smith

A writer who happily dabbles in many genres, Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith is best known as the screenwriter of such comedies as , , and . She began pursuing her first love, poetry as a teenager, and published her first book of poems, a novel-in-verse called , in 2006. Smith has been a writer-in-residence at The MacDowell Colony; attended the 1993 Breadloaf Writer’s Conference on fellowship; and received numerous prizes, including “Nimrod’s” Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry.
Writer, curator, and cultural strategist janera solomon on sustaining an artistic practice over time

Jan 16, 2025 | thecreativeindependent.com | Brandon Stosuy

Writer, curator, and cultural strategist janera solomon discusses finding your work/art balance, the power of financial literacy, and making something useful.
Author and editor Ed Park on focusing on the longer journey

Jan 16, 2025 | thecreativeindependent.com | Ed Park

Ed Park is the author of the forthcoming collection An Oral History of Atlantis and the novels Same Bed Different Dreams and , a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the , and , a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. He cofounded and has worked as a newspaper editor, movie reviewer, book editor, and writing professor. His fiction and essays have appeared in , and elsewhere. Born in Buffalo, he lives in Manhattan with his family.
Author and editor Heidi Pitlor on letting your perspective change

Jan 10, 2025 | thecreativeindependent.com | Heidi Pitlor

So, the million dollar question: why are you stepping down from Best American Short Stories now, after 18 years? Well, 18 years is one of the reasons. I’ve been doing it a long time. I felt myself just itching to work with authors again. This job was 95 percent reading, and there’s so much I love about it, but I really miss the one-on-one of the editorial relationship, working with someone more long-term on bigger projects and just felt myself starting to get a little bit burnt out.
Writer Chloe Benjamin on the drive to learn and understand

Jan 9, 2025 | thecreativeindependent.com | Chloe Benjamin

Writer Chloe Benjamin on lifelong curiosity, finding balance with the real world, and the superstition of keeping projects secret Writing, Process, Success, Inspiration Part of: Feeling healthy Finding balance Developing a creative process Highlights on In the two novels you’ve published, science is a key theme.