When you are an “Independent” anything it means you own all your work. It also means you have to pay for everything you do yourself. I decided to be an “Independent” writer when I was 12. I decided again when I was 16 and offered a contract by RCA to be a singer. I said no. I decided again when my first child was born. I’d make a cup of coffee, eagerly read my Writer’s magazines on my bed, and love on my little one asleep beside me. “I’ll be a Writer,” I’d think. “That way I can both work (as society was insisting women do; my mother never had) AND stay home with my baby.” We aren’t taught that won’t work. We aren’t taught someone rigged the system. They did. I kept writing and snuggling my little ones. God makes the way for you. Levites worked for God. The path opens, even a rigged path.
I chose again during college, “Mass Communication degrees don’t earn any money,” my pre-medicine and pre-law classmates said. “Hummm,” I’d think, then sign up for a Bible class, an English class, and a Writing class.
I chose again in my late 20’s and early 30’s. I now lived at Chapelgate and we averaged $20k a month, just my husband and me, 1980s dollars. That’s $60k per month in today’s $. I was making friends with other Independent Christian Singer/Songwriters. We had a group. We had bi-monthly meetings at the now Historic Koinonia Christian bookstore in Nashville, google it. I’d listen to my friend’s excitement when one of us “got signed” to a major label. So I thought about it. Did I want to get signed? “I wouldn’t be able to write what I want to about God,” I thought. “I couldn’t just follow him and write whatever he shows me.” So I said no. I made the conscious active decision, once again, no. “Anyway, why do I have to? I already have $. Robin already built a recording studio for me. We were already recording my first two albums ourselves. We had hired the best Christian songwriter in Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music there was (my opinion but correct) and he was Producing my albums. Robin was the best Engineer in the world (my opinion but correct). We had built our own stage in front of our Grist Mill. I was bringing major CCM artists to our 40 acre home and my Songwriter friends from Koinonia. We were putting on our OWN concerts, big & small. We both worked from home (my idea but Robin made it happen). Our 3 little children were right there beside us as I had always envisioned they should be. No. No, I didn’t want to “get signed.”
End of Part 1 (my granddaughter wants to play; she’s 6; she just showed me her book she wrote yesterday.) Part 2 will be about staying Independent after my husband died, with very little income. I call my story, designed by God, “Chapelgate in the Daytime” and “Chapelgate in the Nighttime.” I designed a daytime AND a nighttime Chapelgate illustration for my books. The stories were designed by God to match. It’s supernatural and beautiful. All I meant to do just now was share my excitement over my readership stats on my website. Not so much for a signed artist. Magically wonderful for an independent. Thank you, Father. xo
PS Actually, I’m old and tired now. So I’m not going to write Part 2 here. I’ve already written it. It’s my main book, “Chapelgate, a Spiritual Memoir.” 800 pages 1985-2009, the entire adventure with God, as it happened. It’s on my website. xo Angel
Copyright 2024 Angel Isaacs All Rights Reserved
Written October 1, 2024 at 1:02 pm
