Creativity shines on Independent Artist Day

By Stacie Hueter

Everyone wants to be a star; to have their art seen by the world. So naturally, they would seek opportunities, or as I would like to call them, “golden tickets” towards fame. Some examples might include: getting signed by a record label, securing a contract with the American Ballet Theatre or showcasing works of art as a professional artist in a gallery, such as the Cristea Roberts Gallery in London. 

Of course, many artists finally found their breaks when they got signed. With grand prizes and opportunities to work with big names, it is no wonder why so many reality television competition shows seem so enticing. 

Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of American Idol, won a $1 million recording contract with RCA Studios. She is now a household name and has garnered an international following. Yet, the vast majority of people will never be signed. It is nearly impossible to win these singing competitions, or any other television competition show for that matter. 

This phenomenon is not just in music. Fine arts, dance and other creatives find it difficult to find connections, or a company that sees enough potential to reach out to them. 

I am not saying that aspiring creatives should give up on their dreams. What I am saying is that they certainly do not need the funding from a major conglomerate to be successful. 

Independent Artist Day, observed annually on April 3, celebrates these individuals who have thrived on their own terms. It spotlights the importance of artists outside the mainstream who hustled from nothing. 

In fact, there are plenty of successful independent artists who have garnered a fanbase without initially getting signed. Take two of my favorite artists, Oh Wonder and Paris Paloma, for example. 

Oh Wonder is a London-based duo, Anthony and Josephine Vander West. They started their band 12 years ago. Initially, they wanted to work as solo artists with their own careers. For their first releases, however, they challenged themselves to produce one song each month, which eventually became their debut album titled, “Oh Wonder.” In just three days, their first song of the album, “Body Gold,” received 100,000 streams on Spotify. This blossomed into 8.4 million monthly listeners today. Eventually, they caught the attention of records like Virgin Music and Republic Records and got signed. 

On April 11, they started their United States and Canada tour, expanding their geographic performances outside of England. 

As for Paris Paloma, she started releasing music in 2020 with her debut single “Narcissus.” She did not have any major companies behind her. Like Oh Wonder, she found her big break when she kept trying. In 2023, her hit song “Labour” circulated worldwide on social media. With her powerful vocals and resonant feminist lyrics, she captivated the world. 

Paris Paloma shows artists that, if you are dedicated and have something meaningful to convey, people will appreciate you. 

Another caveat of contracts are the limitations that creatives have to abide by. Most companies have policies they enforce to make their works as commercially successful as possible. Though, this leaves little wiggle room for experimental pieces that they want to explore.

Being an independent creator allows them to make these daring pieces of art. One of my favorite contemporary artists, Yinka Shonibare, for example, owns his own studio. This allows full creative liberty without the nagging of companies’ standards. Shonibare explores sensitive topics, such as cultural identity and post-colonialism in his works, which these conglomerates would likely flag. 

One of his works, titled “Woman Shooting Cherry Blossoms,” shows a human-like figure shooting a cotton gun. The figure’s head is a globe, representing globalization, while its body is clad with Edwardian and African-style textiles, representing imperialism and the two aspects of his cultural identity. 

It is so beautifully represented in this piece, and I do not believe any contractual limits would have allowed him to generate such a moving sculpture. His works have been showcased in big-name museums such as Tate Modern and the Museum of Modern Art. 

Shonibare is another wonderful case study of someone who worked outside the box of a fancy contract. Really, all of these artists are. They show us the greatest values of being an independent artist. Although not all of them stayed that way, they demonstrate the importance of getting started, despite your lack of connections.

Stacie Hueter is a freshman journalism major