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The Creative Act
The Creative Act: A Way of Being | Rick Rubin
28 posts | 8 read | 4 reading | 11 to read
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. "A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning accomplishment. Anne Lamott I set out to write a book about what to do to make a great work of art. Instead, it revealed itself to be a book on how to be. Rick Rubin 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 doesnt, he has learned that being an artist isnt about your specific output, its about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyones life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities. The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetimes work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create momentsand lifetimesof exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.
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Bstro
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Pickpick

Listened to audiobook. Super interesting perspective on creating art, but translates to general living. Short chapters with digestible tips made it easy for listening. Everyone has a creative side, you just need to commit to the practice.

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Andrea313
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Returning to work after the holidays is a total bummer, but a thoughtful gift from a colleague was an unexpected bright spot! I'm very much looking forward to this one.

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LeftyDv
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Pickpick

I felt like I was sitting in a cabin listening to Rubin‘s musings first hand. I admittedly enjoyed the first half more, but the entire book was a fun guide to exercising your creativity, even if you don‘t consider yourself to be an artist.

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underground_bks
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Pickpick

This compassionate and welcoming collection of advice on creativity and the creative process is the work of music producer Rick Rubin. I struggled to stay focused listening to the audiobook because it is so meditative rather than narrative, and for that reason I feel I got more out of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert but this would be an inspiring read for anyone interested in a more fulfilling creative life.

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ImperfectCJ
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Got my copy from the local indie today, @jen_the_scribe ! I'm encouraged by the fact that it has what looks like 14pt font...turning more pages per tiny chunk of reading time might help me feel more like I'm making progress.

jen_the_scribe Yay! So glad you got it! 2y
JamieArc I was eyeing this one today - I‘ll look forward to what you think. 2y
49 likes2 comments
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kbuggle
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jen_the_scribe
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Pickpick

This book resonated with me in a profound way. Rick Rubin connected the spiritual with the creative. He connected the artist to the cosmos. I savored this one, moving very slowly through its pages, sometimes taking breaks to let the ideas marinate. This is one I‘ll come back to again and again. It was highly motivating and inspiring, so much so that I fear these words I‘m typing aren‘t doing it any justice. This is a must read for every creative.

ImperfectCJ Oh, wow! I just passed over this one when I was making my #bookspin list for May, and reading your review, I wonder if I should add it back...I could use this kind of read about now, I think. 2y
jen_the_scribe @ImperfectCJ Yesss! Do it! It might be just what you need. It came to me at just the right time, too! 2y
ImperfectCJ @jen_the_scribe If I can get my hands on a copy, I will put it on the list for May! It'll take a million years to come in at the library, so I'll check my local bookstore this weekend. 2y
jen_the_scribe @ImperfectCJ Keeping my fingers crossed for you! I hope you like it. 2y
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jen_the_scribe

“Michelangelo‘s David, the first cave paintings, a child‘s finger-paint landscapes—they all echo the same human cry, like graffiti scrawled in a bathroom stall: I was here.”

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jen_the_scribe

“We share our filter, our way of seeing, in order to spark an echo in others. Art is a reverberation of an impermanent life. As human beings, we come and go quickly, and we get to make works that stand as monuments to our time here.”

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jen_the_scribe
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Lunch with the tagged book and some Starbucks 😋

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Curiouser_and_curiouser
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I must share this book!
Perfect for creatives or any human out there 😊
Loving it so far. So enpoint.

BarbaraBB I am very intrigued by this one! 2y
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jen_the_scribe

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

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jen_the_scribe

“The heart of open-mindedness is curiosity.”

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jen_the_scribe
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I‘ve been moving through this book very slowly, just taking it all in…

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jen_the_scribe

“Success occurs in the privacy of the soul… [it] has nothing to do with variables outside yourself.”

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jen_the_scribe
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jen_the_scribe

“Do not let the scale of your imagination get in the way of executing a more practical version of your project.”

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jen_the_scribe
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I think I‘ll print this out and hang it up by my desk. Or better yet, keep it positive with “thoughts and habits conducive to the work” and write out the exact opposite of each one. I‘m guilty of all of these… 😬

Leftcoastzen I feel seen!😄 2y
jen_the_scribe @Leftcoastzen That‘s what I love about books like this (and Litsy too), you feel not so alone! ❤️ 2y
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jen_the_scribe
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jen_the_scribe
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jen_the_scribe
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Reading in the school pickup line as usual… been feeling a little down lately, physically and mentally. But I‘m finding a lot of comfort in this book. He links the creative with the spiritual, and I find it soothing for some reason. I think I need a social media hiatus and more me time.

RaeLovesToRead Hope things pick up soon 💕 I'm looking forward to reading this one! 2y
BethM Aww feel better! Less social media usually helps me. 2y
18 likes3 comments
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jen_the_scribe

“…you are never alone when you‘re making art. You are in a constant dialogue with what is and what was, and the closer you can tune in to that discussion, the better you can serve the work before you.”

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jen_the_scribe
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jen_the_scribe
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The sun reflecting off my ring = stars on the page 🤩

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RaeLovesToRead
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Way to evade actually creating anything #13: buy books on creativity 😉

BarbaraBB Oohh, there‘ll be a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers in that book I guess! I want to read it too - for that reason 2y
RaeLovesToRead @BarbaraBB I don't ever wanna feeeeeel, like I did that day, take me to the place I looooove, take me all the way 2y
RaeLovesToRead @BarbaraBB I think that's supposed to be a CD on the cover, but all I can see is a boob 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ 2y
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BarbaraBB It‘s your dirty mind 😉 I saw the CD immediately 😂 2y
BarbaraBB Under the bridge downtown is where I drew some blood under the bridge downtown I could not get enough 2y
RaeLovesToRead @BarbaraBB 🤣🤣🤣 if I had a dirty mind, surely I could have chosen some spicier chilis lyrics 😉 hahaha 2y
BarbaraBB That is so true 😂😂😂 2y
vivastory I'd read this for beastie boys anecdotes 2y
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jen_the_scribe
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I‘ve been done with school for a few weeks now and finally have more time to make do on my commitment to reading more design books. I‘m excited about these two.

RaeLovesToRead I tried to buy the Rick Rubin book today, but they had sold out... time for an online order 😈 2y
jen_the_scribe @RaeLovesToRead Yeah, I ordered it online after seeing a UX designer I admire post about it on LinkedIn. 2y
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RaeLovesToRead
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Just read this quote and now I feel that I need this book in my life ASAP

rockpools Record producer Rick Rubin? That‘s interesting (but I might let you read it first and report back 😁) 2y
RaeLovesToRead @rockpools I don't know anything about him! Is he controversial in any way? I'm trying and failing to get creative BECAUSE of the mismatch between reality and expectation! 2y
rockpools @RaeLovesToRead Not that I know of - think he‘s pretty prolific - was just surprised to see his name against a book. And yes, that reality/expectation thing is a tad brutal, isn‘t it? @Catsandbooks introduced me to this starting next week, if you‘re interested- I‘m liking the ‘tiny bit a day‘ angle. https://www.the100dayproject.org 2y
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RaeLovesToRead @rockpools Oh my Gosh YES!!! This looks perfect. I have subscribed and will definitely post updates of my 100 day achievements!!!! Just what I need to get myself moving! 2y
RaeLovesToRead @rockpools @Catsandbooks Are either of you doing it this year? Is there a hashtag? 2y
Catsandbooks @RaeLovesToRead great quote and yes I am doing the 100 Day Project this year. We have a group in the #LitsyCrafters discord to support each other for the project. I'll be posting my updates on my Insta. I'll probably post occasionally here on Litsy. If you want to join the discord and LitsyCrafters you're welcome! https://discord.gg/CfkC8T32uf 2y
RaeLovesToRead @Catsandbooks Oh cool, I'm not familiar with Discord, but will see if I have it 😊 My project will be a writing project, rather than a crafty one, but it's the same sort of process 🥰 This is excellent timing because I was supposed to start 2 weeks ago and didn't manage it 2y
rockpools Thank you @catsandbooks 😊. Yes, I‘m joining in with the hundred day project too. My plan up until today was to work on some of the craft projects I have lying unfinished about the place, just 10 minutes a day, to get back into crafting regularly. But now I‘m wondering if I should start the project I‘ve been wavering about for the past 2 years 🤔. We‘ll see! Either way, great that it works for you. 2y
rockpools @RaeLovesToRead Oh, and the discord thing is like a more organised version of WhatsApp (or slack, if you use that) - first time I‘ve used it and it‘s pretty straightforward. 2y
Catsandbooks @RaeLovesToRead writing is perfect! I've been following this project for years now and have seen people do all sorts of projects. Writing, music, photography, painting, digital media, dance, basically anything you can do for 100 days and document! 2y
DaveGreen7777 Rick Rubin?! As in, “the guy who helped make Def Leppard a global sensation” Rick Rubin?! 😱🙀 (edited) 2y
RaeLovesToRead @rockpools Awesome! I'm excited to get started! ☺️ Let's turn being creative into a habit 🥰💕 2y
RaeLovesToRead @Catsandbooks Thank you! 🥰 I can't wait to start! 💕 2y
RaeLovesToRead @DaveGreen7777 So it would seem! Pour some sugar on meeeeeeee 🎶🎸 2y
DaveGreen7777 @RaeLovesToRead I just realized I mixed him up with Mutt Lange. 🤦🏻‍♂️ As a child of the 80 (and a fan of hair metal), it seemed just about any album I bought had one of two names on it… Rick Rubin or Mutt Lange. 🤪 2y
RaeLovesToRead @DaveGreen7777 My music management knowledge is not extensive 😅😅🙈 2y
51 likes16 comments
review
HillsAndHamletsBookshop
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Pickpick

Legendary music producer Rick Rubin has written a book on creativity that will take its place among the best of its kind. I haven‘t felt as inspired to lead a creative life since reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Rubin offers advice on creativity inspired by eastern/Buddhist tinged philosophy and his long career mentoring some of the modern eras most influential musical artists. An exceptional book, highly recommend!

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