The legendary singer-songwriter and author of Just Kids, out in paperback this month, describes her greatest source of encouragement and a few projects that let her dream big.
O Magazine: Where do you look for inspiration?
Patti Smith: My daughter, Jesse, whose energy and enthusiasm for life rekindle my own.

O: What have you done to stay true to yourself over the years?
PS: If I suffer inner conflict, I go to my sister Linda, who, just like my late father, has the ability to help me stay my moral course.

O: Fill in the blank: I feel most like myself when I...
PS: ...am walking alone barefoot by the sea, just as I've done since I was a girl. I feel in harmony with the purest element of nature.

O: After enjoying such a long career, is there anything you still dream of doing?
PS: I'd like to write an opera, a children's book, and a detective story.

Next: How Patti Smith found her calling

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