concept central: DIY or Die: How To Survive as an Independent Artist

DIY or Die: How To Survive as an Independent Artist

Do you go home, feeling frustrated, and feel this... necessity to fill the Void™ through art. Doing everything you can for the sake of expressing and communicating your darkest, most intimate thoughts? That could very well be the 'purpose' some artists have in choosing art as a hobby/passion. But what are the other reasons that compels people to create art (Aside from mortality)? What drives a person to do these things we in society have identified as creative outlets??!

I recently stumbled across this lil' video, and I gotta say its a bit of an eye-opener. Check it out:

This is "Purpose", my DVD "D.I.Y. OR DIE: Burn This DVD"
(The DVD release of "D.I.Y. OR DIE: How To Survive as an Independent Artist")

"This film is a celebration of the artistic underdog! FEATURING interviews and performances from:
Lydia Lunch, Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), J Mascis (Dinosaur jr.), Jim Rose (Jim Rose Sideshow), J.G.Thirlwell (Foetus), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Richard Kern (Filmmaker), Ron Asheton (Stooges), Madigan Shive (Bonfire Madigan), Dave Brockie (Gwar) and more."

Director: Michael W. Dean
Edited by: Miles Montalbano

Buy it? See for yourself!

Clone The Homeless - Podcast

My thoughts:
Fascinating? Some might say the insight brought by this video is really good, and some might say... hmm. It all depends. Only recently have I been interested in seeing what or how other artists think - their thought process in the honing of their craft, be it in music, art or film. This film highlights the so-called 'underdogs' of the artistic community. The people who have gone through a lot to bring their unique craft to a niche audience, and there is something really inspiring just hearing these people talk about their experiences, rejections, and minor victories.

I highly recommend (after watching the first two videos which are kind of a pre-req to get into this) to watch Dealing with Adversity and Giving Back. I won't post all the chapters (which are on Youtube as a viral kinda thing) but I'll show what I feel is sort of helpful. It's painful, its profound - try it!

What Is D.I.Y.?