The reality of being self-funded independent artist

The reality of being a self-funded artist is lack of finances (unless your dad is Roman Abramovich), organizing everything yourself and making things happening for yourself. But the Upside is that you are so FREE that nothing stops you from being really creative, and this is what true art is about. I don't have no freaking A&Rs, contracts to loose, top bureaucracy preventing me from doing what I like, searching for a new sound. That's why I can be so FREE that after recording a song, I'm going like - did I really come up with that? I don't have to sell my soul because I get divine inspiration and my music belongs to God, I let it flow and open my mind. If didn't have this freedom, I wouldn't know all these great things about music I've learned apart from being a singer - producing, arranging, mixing and it all helps me to grow. I met a lot of executives in Russia who tried to put me in the box and stop me from being anything but the singer representing some fake image that I am not. I rebuked that. I value my independence, no matter how hard it is to stay underground, for art's sake. I've come a long way, one day I will tell everything, I can tell you about being mixed race in Russia, being a single mother, packing bags and leaving to another country all alone and making a way there, fighting for survival, fighting for your rights, being an immgrant and a political refugee, being locked up while being innocent and pregnant, being self-assisted artist/producer/songwriter/arranger/musician, finding faith in God, finding A LOT of cash money in McDonald's, losing friends (I've lost a lot of people), how close family live with cancer, being in debts, being packed with money. I can tell you about it because I LIVE THE LIFE, I represent what I am and what I am growing to be. I don't have to follow a squeaky clean image, because I am just a normal human being, I made mistakes and I paid the price for them. I am an artist, releasing music, performing live and stuff, but I don't ride fancy cars, wear custom made blings, can't brag about a collection of LV bags - I don't care, it's not real anyway. I've been in my life at stages of being poor and wealthy, having a lot of money in my bank account and counting every penny in my pocket. But I never stopped making music. I can see myself making music at 80 on he next level. This is the truth - going back to developing the SOUND.