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Book: Creative Act: A Way of Being

Creative Act: A Way of Being

By Rick Rubin
Published in 2023 by Penguin Press
Finished reading: April 15th, 2023
Rating: 4.0 / 5

Description:

From the legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us.

Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable. Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities.

Review:

It’s a little sprawling and overcooked in some stretches but overall the message comes through: everyone is creative, everyone sees the universe uniquely, your art is your vision, and your art is its own thing, free from ego, from fame and fortune. No matter how your vision manifests —- in music, dance, food, code, whatever —- it all says the same thing: I was here.

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