Rules to Live By

Sister Corita Kent was the artist behind this famous gas storage tank just outside of Boston. I had seen it many times, but knew nothing about the artist. Turns out she also designed a Love stamp that sold more than 700 million copies. Today, as I wandered through several blogs I came across a post about her and her time as the head of the art department of Immaculate College. She was an printmaker, and the author of several books about creativity and teaching creativity. One out of print book, Learning by Heart is difficult to find, and when available as a used book it is selling at multiples of it's original price. Fortunately, I was able to track down a copy through our library exchange program.

What got me interested in learning more about Sister Corita Kent? Her rules. The rules she had posted in the art studios of Immaculate College.

Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules: by Sister Corita Kent

Rule I
FIND A PLACE YOU TRUST AND THEN TRY TRUSTING IT FOR A WHILE.

Rule 2
GENERAL DUTIES OF A STUDENT:PULL EVERYTHING OUT OF YOUR TEACHER. PULL EVERYTHING OUT OF YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS.

Rule 3
GENERAL DUTIES OF A TEACHER:PULL EVERYTHING OUT OF YOUR STUDENTS.

Rule 4
CONSIDER EVERYTHING AN EXPERIMENT.

Rule 5
BE SELF DISCIPLINED. THIS MEANS FINDING SOMEONE WISE OR SMART AND CHOOSING TO FOLLOW THEM. TO BE DISCIPLINED IS TO FOLLOW IN A GOOD WAY. TO BE DISCIPLINED IS TO FOLLOW IN A BETTER WAY.

Rule 6
NOTHING IS A MISTAKE. THERE'S NO WIN AND NO FAIL. THERE'S ONLY MAKE.

Rule 7
The only rule is work.IF YOU WORK IT WILL LEAD TO SOMETHING. IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO DO ALL OF THE WORK ALL THE TIME WHO EVENTUALLY CATCH ON TO THINGS.

Rule 8
DON'T TRY TO CREATE AND ANALYZE AT THE SAME TIME. THEY'RE DIFFERENT PROCESSES.

Rule 9
BE HAPPY WHENEVER YOU CAN MANAGE IT.ENJOY YOURSELF. IT'S LIGHTER THAN YOU THINK.

Rule 10
"WE'RE BREAKING ALL OF THE RULES. EVEN OUR OWN RULES. AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? BY LEAVING PLENTY OF ROOM FOR X QUANTITIES.?

JOHN CAGE HELPFUL HINTS:
ALWAYS BE AROUND.
COME OR GO TO EVERYTHING.
ALWAYS GO TO CLASSES.
READ ANYTHING YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON.
LOOK AT MOVIES CAREFULLY, OFTEN.
SAVE EVERYTHING IT MIGHT COME IN HANDY LATER.
THERE SHOULD BE NEW RULES NEXT WEEK.

This woman was brilliant! I love these rules. Especially rules 4, 6, 8, and 9. And of course the last line about new rules coming next week. Don't get too comfortable. Things will change, won't they?

I hope you find her wisdom as inspirational as I did. I will be printing these out, and finding a place for them in my studio. Or perhaps copying them into my journal! How's that journal of your's coming?