Book by Rick Rubin
In The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin shares wisdom and perspectives on living in a creative way. Each chapter is short and has its own focus, which makes it easy to read in small moments.
Rick Rubin is most well known for the grammy-award winning music he produced and for founding record companies like Def Jam. He has spent his career fostering creativity in artists, and he believes we’re all creators.
I agree. Every single one of us, whether we’ve developed a technical creative skill or not, are creators… or dare I say, artists! We just need to create art, of any sort and any quality.
“However you frame yourself as an artist, the frame is too small.”
That creative act is what makes us artists. It’s a practice, a mindset, and a way of being.
I often go back to this book when I’m feeling lost creatively, or need some sort of jump start. It reminds me of the intertwined relationship creativity has with the way we view the world. For many, making art is not about the product. It’s about the process. In the act of creation I ask myself: What is my perspective? How can I communicate what’s in my mind?
Creating art is a way of getting to know ourselves better, and sharing ourselves with others. We are expressing our lived experience with every detail. Every choice is an expression of you and the way you see the world. When we then share our art with others, it’s communicating so more than just the words on the page. If a picture is worth a thousand words. Art is worth a million.
“Art creates a profound connection between the artist and the audience. Through that connection, both can heal.”