In an interview with Canada’s The Globe And Mail, Patti Smith offered five tips for success.

Tip #1: Cher is already Cher

“Early on in my career,” Smith told the paper, “I got a lot of different offers. There was one producer who saw me do a sort of musical poetry reading. i guess I was funny and I had a wry sense of humor and he had this idea to shape me into a seventies-style Cher. Of course it was an honor that someone wanted to invest time and money in me, but this guy had a specific vision for me and it wasn’t what I wanted to do. People often get tempted by success, celebrity, but I’ve always tried to sidestep the opportunities that aren’t in keeping with my personal vision. Everyone has to make a living – I worked in a factory, I was a really bad waitress – but in terms of your art, that’s not something your should compromise. You might think you will only compromise for a while, but that’s not the way it works.”

Other tips:

#2: Be selfish every day.

#3: Screwing up is good for the soul.

#4: I’m a girl…get over it.

#5: There’s no “I” in performer.

To hear what Smith had to say about the last four tips, head to The Globe and Mail.