What would Keith Richards do_ - Jessica Pallington West [20]
And that was what Keith did during a period when he was being heavily dogged by the junkie image and lifestyle. He moved to Switzerland and taught himself how to sail down slopes. At first he was laughed at by four-year-olds, but with a little effort he became a master and was sailing past the tykes. If you’re going to be a down-and-out junkie on the run, and people are whispering about you as a dark-eyed, ashen-skinned phantom of backstreet doom, why not throw yourself into a pursuit that is blaringly the opposite?
Skiing, at a minimum, is more fun than rehab.
XI. CREATIVITY
It’s supposed to be the great solace. The thing that’s uniquely your own, your heart and soul, blah blah blah. So why does it have to be so fucking difficult? You try to work on it, and nothing comes out. You’re just sitting there, empty. You don’t know how to begin. What do you do?
WHAT WOULD KEITH DO?
Some of Keith’s greatest words of wisdom are those that focus on the creative process. Much of it revolves around the notion of the antenna. We all have one. It picks up the vibrations from the “universe” around us—even if this universe is our backyard. We need to listen to the vibrations of the antenna. Listen, and let what is being transmitted come through you. Let yourself be the vessel.
There are other techniques that can be put to use. While Keith is referring specifically to songwriting, it can be adapted to almost any of the arts.
1) Play it backward.
2) Take a break. Sometimes you have to go somewhere totally new, whether it’s a new band or a new medium. In talking about getting out of the Stones for a while, Keith said, “You realized you were working for this juggernaut and you created it. This monster has taken you over. And maybe that was one of the things that made us take a crack at each other and work outside.”
3) Play the works of others—from that, something new will come.
4) Replay pieces of your own, and from these works, you’ll find that new gems are hiding inside, waiting to be coaxed out.
5) Don’t despair. Remember that the best work is always ahead. When asked what the definitive Stones album was: “We haven’t made it yet. It’s definitely still to come.” Don’t ever give in to feelings that your best is behind you. “We keep going … we never stop.”
XII. HONESTY
It’s not Always as Easy as all those Philosophers
Lead You to Believe
Everyone’s always talking about being “honest.” Philosophers can’t shut up about it. Keith included. But sometimes you have to wonder: Is it really necessary? Why do I have to divulge secrets? How much do I really “owe” people? When do I have a right to protect myself? And what is really so bad about telling lies—from white to slightly gray? What do you do?
WHAT WOULD KEITH DO?
One of the Keith Commandments is that nothing is a secret. You can ask him anything. Sometimes you might push it, and he’ll make you feel like an acorn crushed flat under a heavy boot. But still, you can ask. It’s part of the uniquely Keith charm and a defining characteristic: the ability to look squarely at all things and answer honestly. He’s not hiding the past, what he’s done, who he is. No hiding of the ravages behind Botox and plastic surgery: “It’s all there, baby."
However, truth, like all things sacred and great, has its boundaries. It’s the reason we have the word tact. The number-one Keith tenet is to be true to yourself and protect yourself. You don’t need to give away all the truth all the time, and so freely, if you feel that there could be consequences.
“Bob Dylan was right—to live outside the law you must be honest,” said Keith. However, if the press—or whoever takes on the metaphorical purpose of the press in your own life—is going to hound you, you can at least have some fun with it. If accusations are following you and upsetting you, you can always dress up the story like a Christmas tree. It they are talking about how you’re a drug addict, you start the rumor that you go to Switzerland once a year for a full blood transfusion. That’s what Keith did. You can always beat them