Last week, I had a heartfelt exchange with an independent artist finding their way towards sustainable fashion. It’s really hard to go against the way things are, she told me. I’m trying to stick to my ideals and offer value, and there’s simply no template for what I want to do right now in the business.

I felt what she said down in my bones. I really did. It’s the same in the publishing world. Hell, even before that I experienced it in the ad agency world.

It’s never done a certain way until it is.

Breaking out of “the way things are done”

At every career you could possibly dream of, there is a system in place. There are things that work, and a lot of people following those same system rules to be successful. That seems perfectly reasonable, until the day you have a bright idea. You pitch your idea and it doesn’t fit into the mold. That can be a really disheartening moment.

I’ve been there a few times in my life. I wanted to have flexibility and location freedom. At the time, I worked in the advertising industry. Honestly, 10 years ago was an entirely different landscape. I was shot down immediately, told all the reasons working at an agency made sense (it wasn’t all bad advice, the experience was great), but mostly I thought my career would end if I didn’t work in an office. Clearly, a lot has shifted, and I genuinely think that had to do with the sheer volume of stubborn people, like myself, who didn’t accept that answer and went for it anyway. It paved a way for remote work to be more normalized (and clearly, mid-pandemic, that is only going to increase).

Then, I wrote a book. I had something and it was good. I showed it to a few people, got feedback, even hired an editor. The best advice she gave me was this: The publishing industry is lazy. My advice is to do it yourself. I grappled with this because so much of what I researched pointed to a system, a clear set of steps, rules and gatekeepers in place to become successful. Sure enough, I considered going through the system anyway, it’s safer that way, and almost immediately I was given a template to fit my work into.

That was last year. Now, I’m sitting on my couch approving my final book cover and telling my indie artist friend what I would have wanted to hear then. Regardless of the industry you’re in, you likely have experienced what I’m talking about…

Advice For Independent Artists, Writers, Freelancers, Business Owners

Getting over your own limiting stories and just doing it is your first hurdle (it will never be perfect, so at some point you get to take the leap no matter what). Unlearning the “way things are done” is a close second. The truth is there is always a way to do things differently and still be successful, but we’ve all been sold the “it only works this way” formula and there’s a ton of proof (financial and otherwise) to cement that in our minds.

There is always a different way and we are seeing more people who dig their heels in, believe in their ideas and themselves, and become that success story. It’s never easy being an independent artist, especially after you’ve worked in “the machine.” It takes a lot of bravery to do it on your own. To choose yourself and have faith even though every conventional piece of advice tells you otherwise.

Be Your Own Boss

All this comes to mind as I approve my final cover. I can’t tell you how freeing it is to have that creative control over my own work. I am so excited to share this with you…

 

Everything about this cover was intentional and tells the story of Cris. Embrace That Girl is literary nonfiction based on my life. This is my story and I explore some of the most important lessons many women in their twenties struggle with and come to learn. It’s a story of self worth, heartache, identity, sex, relationships, family dynamics and loss. You can find the full synopsis here.

This story is close to me. I had a vision for what I wanted it to be and I was not willing to compromise. To give you some background, in the publishing world, to get traditionally published is a process that can take years. First, you pitch a literary agent. This is a process in and of itself requiring you to send a proposal akin to a business plan proving the viability of your work and your ability to sell copies. When you secure an agent, they farm out your idea to publishing houses. If the powers that be choose your work and your vision, you are still in for more work. It can take years of editing and back-and-forth to get your book released. At the end of it, it may not look the same as you envisioned.

This was not a compromise I was willing to make to tell my story. I simply didn’t want to prove to so many people that my vision was worthy.

I will be sharing more advice for independent artists, but I did want to leave with you with one last helpful tip. Doing something on your own has never been more accessible for artists, bloggers and entrepreneurs. And yet there is a stigma on quality that comes along with the gates being lifted: don’t listen to that and…

Show Up Like You’re The Best At What You Do

Without a doubt, it’s far easier in this respect to be “in the system,” as there’s someone you are accountable to who is quality checking your work. As an indie artist or entrepreneur, you get to be this person for yourself and hire a team. You get to show up with the same mentality you would as if you were already the best at what you do, that’s a serious differentiating factor.

This doesn’t mean you aren’t open to learning or that you don’t acknowledge yourself as a beginner, it means you hold yourself to the same standard someone you admire at the top of their game does. To clarify: your work will likely not look like the work of a more experienced person, but your work ethic, attention to detail and effort to improve your craft should match theirs. It can be tempting to let yourself off the hook or skirt another round of edits because you’re the boss. Don’t. Push as hard as you can (within reason) to make your work the best possible product it can be. AND accept that it still won’t be perfect.

A typo, a stitch of fabric, a kink of any kind may likely still make its way in there.. and it’s fine. It will still find its tribe. There is a vital step in the process of launching anything: surrender. At the point you share it with the world, it isn’t yours anymore. You get to trust it will be exactly what it needs to be for its audience. And it will, it really will.