The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. 

3/5 rating. 405 pages.

Book #41 of 2023. Read September 24, 2023.

This book is all about art: how it’s made, the process, and how to unlock your best artistic work.

If you’re not familiar with Rick Rubin, you surely are with some of the artists he has produced for: Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, AC/DC….and the list goes on.

I went in waves through this book because of how far out there it got at times. It toed a fine line between me being like “what on earth is this guy talking about?” and “wow, that’s pretty profound”. Though it didn’t always stay on one side. It definitely took a while to get into because of that.

I did think there were some useful tidbits in here even as a self-described non-creative person. Rick’s broad description of art basically encompasses anytime we present a part of ourselves to the world. I like this idea and it made me able to think about how the book could help in ways with teaching.

There’s a lot of talk of being in the moment, staying aware, and letting inspiration strike, which I did like. The book as a whole is almost a love letter to meditation and awareness – things I’m actively trying to work on.

Overall, I thought this book was fine. I got some good quotes and it had some interesting ideas. If you’re a huge music fan or a creative who is stuck right now on a project this might be a good read!

Some quotes I liked:

“Awareness needs constant refreshing.”

“We tend to think of the artist’s work as the output. The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world.”

“Because there’s an endless amount of data available to us and we have limited bandwidth to conserve, we might consider curating the quality of what we allow in.”

“There is never a shortage of awe and inspiration to be found outdoors.”

“There are those who approach the opportunities of each day like cruising items off a to-do list instead of truly engaging and participating with all of themselves.”

“As artists, we aim to live in a way in which we see the extraordinary hidden in the seemingly mundane. Then challenge ourselves to share what we see in a way that allows others a glimpse of this remarkable beauty.”

“[B]ecause it’s the little details that make the big things come about.” – John Wooden

“The way we do anything is the way we do everything.” 

“Begin with a question mark and embark on a journey of discovery.”

“A rule is a way of structuring awareness.”

“Success occurs in the privacy of the soul.”

“Success has nothing to do with variables outside yourself.”

“Our calling is to make beautiful works to the best of our ability. Sometimes they will be applauded or rewarded, sometimes not. If we second-guess our inner knowing to attempt to predict what others may like, our best work will never appear.”

“If you are living in the belief that success will cure your pain, when the treatment comes and doesn’t work, it can lead to hopelessness. A depression can accompany the realization that what you’ve spent most of your life chasing hasn’t fixed your insecurities and vulnerabilities.”

“As Theodore Roosevelt pointed out, comparison is the thief of joy.”

“In the process of experimentation, we allow ourselves to make mistakes, to go too far, to go even further, to be inept. There is no failure, as every step we take is necessary to reach our destination, including the missteps.”

“The world is only as free as it allows its artists to be.”

“It’s worth remembering that their way is not the way.”

“The only practice that matters is the one you consistently do,”

“As Arn Anderson once noted: ‘I’m both a professor and student, because if you’re no longer a student, you don’t have the right to call yourself a professor.”

“The invisible threads of mathematics are laced through all natural beauty. We can find the same ratios at work in the spirals of seashells and galaxies. In flower petals, DNA, molecules, hurricanes, and the design of the human face.”

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