Shiksha Thard
Goldsmiths, University of London, BA Fine Arts
This book has changed my perspective on being an artist. I was introduced to Patti Smith by my friend Sybil. I was like a “ya, another indie rock artist” fine. Firstly, I started listening to the “Wave” album. Whenever I would listen to it, I could imagine being underwater surrounded by jelly fish and just at peace. Then I came across Just Kids. It’s a new world in the whole book. While reading the book I was going through personal changes as well, like moving to London, figuring out my life as an artist, meeting new people and most importantly getting out of my comfort zone. It all felt like a big change in me and in Patti Lee; I could connect more with her. I am someone who tends to romanticize a lot of things in life, with her reading I realise she did that as well. All of her words felt like a gush of wind. The way she would introduce someone in the story and you as a reader feel that you already know them. It never felt like I was reading a book, I felt like I was a part of their life. The book has itself lived so many lives that you as a reader don’t just feel it as a book but rather as a family album that you are flipping over or maybe something close to you. I have never been to Paris or New York but after reading it, I really wanted to save up and travel like Patti did. She has this incredible need for learning and growing more as an artist. We live in this generation of social media and often we forget to live where we really are and just enjoy. It was written in such a timeframe that I wanted to be in that time and space to see how the world was.
