Read time: 1 minute, 338 words. One of the most important pieces in music history was booed so loudly the dancers couldn’t hear the orchestra. At the 1913 premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, people shouted, fought and caused enough chaos that the choreography had to be counted from backstage. Today, the work is considered revolutionary. There’s a useful reminder here. When you do something genuinely new, the first reaction may not be applause. Sometimes “they don’t get it” comes…

Read time: 1 minute, 330 words. Philip Larkin didn’t quit his librarian day job to become a great poet. He kept it for 30 years. Elizabeth Bishop never built her life around one prestigious institution. She moved between grants, teaching, fellowships and residencies. Brian Eno became famous by refusing to stay in the lane that made him famous (musician, producer, visual artist, lecturer). That’s the contrarian part. The most resilient careers often look less “committed” from the outside. But…