“THE CREATIVE ACT: A Way of Being” by Rick Rubin

I was in Darvill’s Bookstore on Orcas Island when I was struck by the cover of THE CREATIVE ACT: A Way of Being—plain light grey with a darker grey circle on it. When I researched it on my phone, I learned that it’s getting rave reviews, and I bought it.

I wasn’t familiar with Rich Rubin. Turns out he’s a renowned music producer known for finding and developing new artists after launching his record label Def Jam. He’s been called a “psychological problem solver” who gets inside the brains of artists and helps them find and develop their own unique voice, tap into their most creative place, and produce their best work.

Five pages into THE CREATIVE ACT, I wanted to send it to every artist I know. In some ways, it’s simpe—wonderfully not wordy, with phrases and comments that are poetic and succinct. But, as a friend says, it’s “simple, but not simple-minded.” One of the main components emphasizing that all the material artists need comes from “the source”, giving the message a decided spiritual bent, is not simple at all.

I’m reading THE CREATIVE ACT in small segments. It’s not an intellectual exercise, more an identification and a resonance with how we, as artists, need to “be”, to receive guidance from the source that guides our creative processes.

I know, I know, there’s nothing new under the sun, and there are tons of books on how to “be” an artist. And, yep, there’s nothing new here, but Rubin presents his ideas and suggestions in ways I find satisfying and inspiring. I envision several re-readings of THE CREATIVE ACT: A Way of Being. I think it will continue to help me grow as a writer.