Being independent doesn’t mean you’re accountable to no one. You become accountable to yourself, which is often when you do your best work.

Study any great creator – scientists, artists, entrepreneurs – and you’ll find an independent drive. They weren’t working to appease a boss or earn a paycheck; they were driven solely by their own curiosity and expectations.

When you’re working for someone else’s expectations, the path of least resistance is to put in the minimum required effort – or, worse, to give off the appearance of effort while not actually being productive.

I think almost everyone is creative. But it’s often hard to dredge up creativity when you’re doing it for someone else. In my profession: Writing for yourself is fun, and it shows. Writing for other people is work, and it shows. You do your best work when you’re doing it on your own terms.

-from this article: collabfund.com/blog/pure…