The Renaissance of the Indie
I think in a few years or maybe after I’m long dead, when we look back at this period in history, I believe it will be known as the Time of the Indie. I’m not specifically just talking about indie authors, but indie filmmakers, indie game developers, and indie musicians.
As I think about it, I’ve been reading, watching, and playing far more things created by indies. The Internet is partly responsible for this. The fact that we’re all interconnected across the globe is something that never would have happened previously. But that’s only one half of it. The other, maybe bigger half of it, is that the barrier of entry is a lot lower. You can record whole movies or songs on your phone and easily upload it. Whether these products are good or bad isn’t the point, the fact that it’s even possible is amazing.
Going to Youtube or Vimeo or Steam is sadly the only way to enjoy some of these things. Companies used to take chances, but as companies swallowed other companies, and budgets blossomed to company-breaking territories, those chances have disappeared. It’s the reason why music has now become homogenized; movies and games put out sequels, remakes, and prequels; why channels renew shows that are long past their prime.
Everyone’s scared.
They’re scared of failing and scared of losing. It’s just a fearful world we live in. I feel it every time I step outside. People are scared to know their neighbors. Parents are scared to let their children walk the streets. People are scared of getting doxxed. For the people that work for companies, they’re scared they’ll lose their job.
There is a different kind of fear when you’re an indie. You’re scared you won’t succeed but more in a, “Does anyone even care” kind of way. Yet that freedom is oddly satisfying. You have no one to blame but yourself. And even if you fail, you did want you wanted to do. There was no one saying no to you. No executive saying no, no one catering to children, no one saying that’s going to cost too much money. Sure, you have limitations, but you have to use your brain to work around them.
It’s an amazing time we live in. Creatively, I think anyone can do what they truly want to. All it takes is a lot of time and a little bit of money. There’s nothing holding us back…except ourselves.
Marc Johnson
