Just Kids

I recently had a chance to listen to Just Kids by Patti Smith. In it, Smith writes how uncomfortable Robert Maplethorpe was for her to go to work while he was at home working on his art.

When the gift is enormous in someone’s life, we can’t help but feel the shame of inadequacy.

I believe that is more of a contemporary phenomenon. When we chose to break the mold of a “job” instead of something meaningful like art—the culture will not be supportive of such endeavors. But make no mistake, this is culture at work nudging (maybe pushing) us to fit in, don’t stand out, and be compliant.

Compliance will always be rewarded in the culture, but never remembered.