Tamara de Lempicka was Wildly Dedicated to Her Craft (and Her Diamond Bracelets)

Morning!

I got the idea to write about Tamara de Lempicka from one of our subscribers, Alexandra Harper, founder of Women of Culture NYC.  Thanks, Alex!

Tamara de Lempicka is one of the most recognized Art Deco artists of the 20s and 30s. Her paintings sell for millions of dollars, she’s got her own Broadway show, and her work is in the first few frames of Madonna’s music video, Vogue. 

Every time she sold two paintings, Tamara bought herself a diamond bracelet. She promised herself that she would sell enough to stack the bracelets from her wrist to her elbow. The glamor of it all. 

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She Committed to Formal Art Training in Paris

• Tamara enrolled in a private arts school called the Académie Ransom 

• One of her teachers was Maurice Denis, a well-known painter who emphasized the importance of classical art training. 

• Outside of the school, she took private lessons from André Lhote, an influential Cubist artist

Practice, Practice, Practice

• After class, she took her sketchbook to the Louvre for more practice 

• After the Louvre, she would go home and sketch even more

• Constant practice gave her an edge over the competition; she was able to quickly learn and adapt the new styles she was learning

Disciplined Work Ethic

• Once she started making money, she hired help to clean her house and care for her children so she could spend even more time on her craft  

• She treated her art as a professional job, maintaining a rigorous schedule

• When she wasn’t studying, she often worked in her studio from early morning until late at night.  

So let's apply all of this to your ambitions.

Maybe you’re not an artist; maybe you’re an AI engineer who is building their own company, or a freelance personal assistant who wants to gracefully exit the corporate world.

What are you training to get better at? What classes or workshops are you using to improve? What books are you reading? What podcasts are you listening to? Who are you seeking out for guidance and mentorship?

There’s something that you need to practice and get better at to be successful.  What is it? Are you practicing it daily? Why or why not? Do you practice before work, or in the evenings? Do you practice on the weekends?

Do you have a strong work ethic? Did you think you had a strong work ethic before reading about hers? Or do you think your current practice is enough?

Best,

The History Barista

P.S. References: Passion by Design: The Art and Times of Tamara de Lempicka and Tamara De Lempicka : A Life of Deco and Decadence

P.P.S. Thank you to everyone who came to weekly stand on Friday! Excited to hear what you’re accomplishing this week.