Be Creative....AND Educated!

My theme for the rest of the week is to seek facts. I feel that sometimes as indie artists, we (myself included) don't always attempt to find the correct way of doing things. Instead, we "wing it" or do it guerrilla style, slap a "this is my creativity" sticker on it and call it a day. In the indie world....ESPECIALLY in the indie world, this can't be acceptable!

I'll start with the fundamentals, with the example of indie music (it's just an easy topic...there's no beef anywhere, nor is this targeted to anyone specific.) We've all seen them before. Indie Hip-Hop artists that release a music video that has hardly any relation to Hip-Hop what's so ever.. That's because no one ever taught that music artist or the director doesn't know about the Nine Elements of Hip-Hop (bought into recognition by KRS-1). Those element's are:

1. Breakdancing
2. Rapping
3. Graffiti art
4. DJing
5. Beatboxing
6. Street fashion
7. Street Language
8. Street Knowledge9. Street Entrepreneurialism 

This is why most videos today are referred to as "Rap Videos" instead of Hip-Hop videos.

Also, indie blogs can be the worst of this crime. Just because you have an opinion that can be posted online, doesn't make it Journalism...because that too is an art form and has several different Elements that make it!

1. The pursuit of truth;

2. Loyalty to citizens;

3. Verification of facts;

4. Independence from those being covered;

5. The independent monitoring of power;

6. A forum for public debate and criticism;

7. Make the news relevant, interesting and significant;

8. Journalists should be able to exercise personal conscience;

9. News must be comprehensive and proportional;

10. The rights and responsibilities of citizens. 

Not all blogs follow this road map...and it is very wrong if they don't!

All in all...whatever your field is, read up on it!