Foreword: this is one of the earlier works that I have. It’s very cheesy. Very. Please don’t crucify me.

Just do it yourself, that is

JC Pagtakhan

“It’s a lot of hard work…but there’s this sense of fulfillment in seeing that we’re making things happen as opposed to just sitting at home and waiting for things to happen,” said Aia de Leon in a recent interview by Manila Standard with Imago. They have undergone several stressing ordeals with their former major label that kept them hanging on to promises. Now, half a century later, they were able to finally able to release their second album, “Take 2”, with no corporate baloneys. It just proves you can’t put a good craft down.

But of course, you have to do it yourself.

Indie Schmindie

Before it finally evolved into a sarcastic do-your-own-stuff lifestyle, this contraction of “independent” was regarded as the stand-alone way of releasing one’s artsy craft—also known as DIY or do-iy-yourself culture. Seriously, it’s more than just peppering your cakes with M&Ms kind of art outputs—there are music productions, publications, and movies to choose from, all without the help of corporate stuff. Mainstream media? Pfft. Just find an alternative and take things into your own hands, kicking and screaming against everyone if you have to.

Well, yeah.

Anti thesis to common

“If you don’t like what you read, then start your own.”

Clare Villacorta puts the clause rightly where it defines DIY magazines or “zines”. Dating back to the punk-rock time where zines were mostly associated to, these makeshift publications have catered mostly to the punk-rock news that some magazines failed to deliver. It has however started to evolve and now accommodate a more diverse audience, with features and literary and poetry or even teen mag parodies creating a stir on the seemingly glassy quiet pond. It is from this that Jawbreaker and other zines has evolved.

Villacorta, who’s one half of the minds behind Jawbreaker, a feminist pop culture zine, has set up the zine as something in contrast to those magazines being tossed up by most of the major producers of glossies with the cheesiest titles—most of them focusing on superficial femininity with tips on how to be beautiful or how to act around boys, acting like self-appointed “big sisters,” yet failing to focus on other issues. “But what kind of a sister is that, if she’s fat-phobic, shallow, and can’t accept you for who you are?” goes Villacorta. “That so-called sister can go to hell for all I care.”

Ah. Perfect ad campaign for another “read more, be more” program.

Becoming the antithesis to such artificial mindset, this did not stop Villacorta and co-founder Paolo Cruz to go around poking fun at the pop culture which Pinoys can’t seemingly get enough of. And on the same light, this is what Louie Cordero had in mind when he released his own series of comics, Nardong Tae, which was bluntly fiddling on crap. Literally. Both Zines, produced only through the means of Risographing, can be bought for the price of peanuts on some affiliate stores around Quezon City. Though not a lot of people may be open to photocopied works, at least they were able to produce cheap and release a product, and now they’re widely failed by most of the intellectual groups around. “Ganun talaga, wala tayong lahat pera, tapos yung mga rich kids lang talaga ang kayang mag-publish ng may kulay o magagandang papel,” laments Cordero. “Ang sa akin lang, gawin mo lahat ng gusto mong gawin.”

No Matter What

“One thing with independents is that they would make their films no matter what. Even on their own. It’s because it’s so difficult to penetrate mainstream cinema with the conventional producers and all. Going independent is one way of realizing their vision.” Claims Eric Quizon on an article by multi-awarded filmmaker Khavn dela Cruz on his now defunct site, indieman.com. And along with this quote is dela Cruz’s own perception: “Go indie by going digital.”

It must have been heaven’s grant for everyone in the film when digital came out: it’s more accessible, it’s cheaper, and it spells quality. Film’s own posse need not be dependent of celluloid to be able to realize their artsy side on video—and dela Cruz so believed in it that he had his own company, “Filmless Films”, to propagate the good news. If no big companies would help you realize the artist in you, just shut up and pick up a video cam. No money for editing? Pick up an old VCR. You don’t have any excuses.

But going film-less does. It gives everyone an excuse to be more imaginative, and it gives everyone a chance to be more experimental. “It is dealing with concepts that have no limits and boundaries, and not giving into mere commerciaIism,” shares actor Julio DIaz on the indieman site, and I’ll say that indie filmmakers have adapted the same outlook. With more and more works making it to big film fests here and in other countries, it’s amazing how the showcase of films with diverse nature is mostly attributed to indie filmmakers. It practically speIls out the creativity and ingenuity Filipinos have.

Self Expression

Just when the passion can’t be tied down, so as music can’t be held down. No, not even by guys in ties you need to constantly suck up to. Imago, bravely following the footsteps of their fellow friends’ band Sandwich, placed on a huge lipstick and kissed their corporate asses goodbye and proved their music can survive even without the major labels. And on October 28, they successfully launched their spankin’ new album.

Not a lot of bands have sob stories such as theirs, and thank God maybe, but they sure have a way to get around. Bands like Narda which remained staunchly indie has released four albums under their own music label, and still hasn’t showed signs of slowing down as they are preparing for their 5th album release. “Going independent is a conscious choice for the band. We thought that, if we could do it ourselves, then why the hell not? Hard as it may seem, at least we have full control of whatever is going on, in whatever aspect,” says Jing Gaddi, who handles the legal matters for Ponkan Music, Narda’s own music label.

Indeed, going indie in the music scene gives more freedom to the artists in terms of rights and production that labels do not necessarily give to their recipients. Although the process can be very hard as the band shoulders everything from the recordings to distribution, they are however guaranteed 100% returns. I mean, come on, you just need a burner for reproduction. But this same improvisation might make listeners wary though in terms of quality, but that’s what the assortment of bands give to them, for they do give listeners more choices other than your usual— god help us—Totoy Bibbo songs.

And the indie scene has become more unified that band productions have often included obscure bands from Laguna, Rizal, or other places, giving a chance for them to make a mark, like the now famous band from Cebu, Urbandub. Such chances has also paved the way for indie bands to be recognized commercially like appearances on Myx and MTV, but still retain their music originality without the pressure. “A lot of people who are really good musicians and make good music have a sort of fair chance to be heard more than ever” relates Katwo Librando, the sugar-high vocalist of Narda. “Indie works can help them realize the value of music as something you can have complete freedom and the value of hard work, that all in all, this country can still allow hardworking musicians a venue to be heard.

“The Trick is no being tied down to what the mainstream dictates. Even if your recording sounds like crap, but full of passion and raw energy, then that’s way much cooler than mainstream slickness,” Gaddi implores. Stick to your own craft, more like.

Do it,

And it seems the corporate are slowly losing its grasp on artists with all their new makeshift creations as time pass by. Even technology’s starting to bend down to the whims of the minds of the creative. Hey, artists aren’t artists in the first place if the can’t find a way for their outlets, right?

Point is, if you wanna do something, don’t cough up a huge excuse. Just do it.