
While participating in brand movements may indeed give us an illusion of inclusion, they will never be able to substitute for the prehistoric mammalian instinct to meaningfully connect with other humans through what I believe is our most profound need: the need to love.
The text is lifted from this post, which I encourage you to read in its entirety.
The broader point to draw, while not necessarily directly addressed there, is that alll creative activity is tied up in notions of marketing and brand, whether you choose that path directly or not. And that's OK because there is nothing inherently evil about the idea of marketing and selling creative work - the only issue is intent and approach. If you keep those things pure then there is quite literally nothing to worry about.
I'm more sensitive to this issue than many, I think, because I grew up around Dischord and the DIY ethos, and that experience informs most everything I do. I've also seen the negative effects of retrograde thinking and misplaced notions of "integrity". What it comes down to is this: real integrity needs to be considered and maintained at all costs. Cosmetic integrity is damn near poisonous.