Create the Work You Want to Attract
Why I Made Becoming the New Indie — and Why I’ll Keep Making Films Like It
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my career is simple, but not always easy to accept:
You don’t attract the work you want by waiting for it.
You attract it by creating it.
For a long time, I thought the next opportunity would arrive after someone gave me permission. After the right client reached out. After the right budget appeared. After the “right” project landed in my inbox.
What I eventually realized is that the work you want rarely shows up on its own.
You have to make it first.
Why I Created Becoming the New Indie
Becoming the New Indie is a documentary following Deraj — a music artist building a career on his own terms, outside of traditional industry structures. It’s a story about independence, persistence, and believing in the value of your work even when the path forward isn’t obvious.
But the reason I made this documentary goes beyond the story itself.
I created this film because I want to direct more narrative-driven, story-first projects. Films that feel intentional. Work that prioritizes emotion, pacing, strong cinematography, and meaning — not just execution.
Rather than waiting for those projects to magically come my way, I went out and created one.
Creating the Work That Reflects Where You’re Going
This is something I see a lot, especially with filmmakers and creatives:
Someone wants to direct narrative films, but their portfolio is filled with weddings.
Or they want to shoot documentaries, but all they’re showing is short-form commercial work.
Or they want bigger, more meaningful projects — but nothing they’re putting out reflects that direction.
The truth is, clients and collaborators can only hire you for what they see you doing.
If you want different projects, you have to create different work.
That’s why Becoming the New Indie exists. And it’s why I’ve created two additional documentaries that I’ll be releasing later this year as well. Each project is a deliberate step toward the type of stories I want to tell more of — and the type of work I want to attract moving forward.
Not Waiting for Permission
None of these documentaries were commissioned.
No one asked me to make them.
And that’s exactly the point.
Instead of hoping the “right” opportunity would come along, I chose to invest my time, energy, and creativity into projects that aligned with where I want my career to go — not just where it has been.
These films aren’t practice. They aren’t placeholders. They’re proof of concept.
They show how I think about story.
How I work with real people.
How I build emotion through visuals, pacing, and sound.
And most importantly, they show what kind of work I care about.
A Better Long-Term Strategy
In my experience, this approach has been far more effective than waiting.
Creating the work you want to attract:
Builds clarity in your creative direction
Attracts clients and collaborators who resonate with that vision
Positions you for opportunities that actually excite you
Creates momentum instead of stagnation
It turns your portfolio into a statement — not just a collection of past jobs.
Looking Ahead
Becoming the New Indie is just the beginning.
Over the next year, I’ll be continuing to release documentary and narrative-driven projects that focus on real stories, meaningful impact, and intentional filmmaking.
If you’re an artist, band, brand, or organization looking to tell a story — or if you’re searching for a director, DP, or production partner who genuinely cares about narrative and execution — I’d love to connect.
Sometimes the fastest way to get where you want to go is to stop waiting…
and start creating the work that proves you belong there.
