Life lessons learned from artists

One great thing about Snowpocalypse 2010: I've made a small dent in the swelling stack of unread books and magazines that's close to toppling over from neglect!

I just finished reading "Just Kids" by Patti Smith, which chronicles her early years in New York City with Robert Mapplethorpe as they were learning how to be artists. A few life lessons I learned from reading this beautiful book:

One great thing about Snowpocalypse 2010: I've made a small dent in the swelling stack of unread books and magazines that's close to toppling over from neglect!

I just finished reading "Just Kids" by Patti Smith, which chronicles her early years in New York City with Robert Mapplethorpe as they were learning how to be artists. A few life lessons I learned from reading this beautiful book:

• Unconditional generosity. Smith describes a world in which artists shared not only food and shelter, but they shared their connections and supported each other by showing up at each other's shows, writing about each other when they had the opportunity, and bouncing ideas off each other while they developed new work. Besides the generosity they showed each other, Smith recounts several instances when successful artists helped along those who were still struggling.
• The importance of networking. Mapplethorpe yearned to break into "high society" and into Andy Warhol's world and hung out at places where he knew he could make those connections and introduced himself to anyone he thought could help along his career. Smith was shy and took a subtle, less targeted approach.  She was hanging out in places she enjoyed and befriended  people she found interesting without any expectation other than interesting conversations and friendship. Either way, they met people who saw their talents and helped them develop and showcase those talents until they both achieved acclaim.
• Utter confidence and sticking to goals. Smith describes the certainty they felt in their abilities as artists and how they made decisions with one goal in mind: to live the life of the artist.
• Doing it different. At Smith's first poetry reading, the playwright Sam Shepard suggested she add music. She asked a friend to play electric guitar while she read one of her poems and she was simultaneously jeered and cheered. It was the beginning of her music career.
• Be open to all possibilities!

Listen to Patti Smith speak about her book on NPR HERE.