The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

book the creative act by rick rubin

As a creative person, I sometimes find myself facing challenges, and that’s when I turn to mentors.

I found this book on the lowest shelf at the bookstore. It seems to be an atypical book that people want to buy, given its thickness and grey color. Yet, I became intrigued upon discovering that Rick Rubin is the author. Although I haven’t found a real-life person as my mentor, his book is a captivating wellspring of inspiration for me, and here’s my perspective on his latest work.

📖 Book I Read:

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

❓The reason I read the book:

Rick Rubin is a nine-time GRAMMY-winning producer, named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time and the most successful producer in any genre by Rolling Stone. I believe I might gain some wisdom from reading this book.

🗂️ Type of Book:

  • Personal Development
  • Self Help
  • Philosophy

🔑 Keywords:

  • To live as an artist is a way being in the world. A way of perceiving. A practice of paying attention. Refining our sensitivity to tune in to the more subtle notes.
  • There’s a great power in not knowing.
  • Life is a series of external experiences

🫱 Key Takeaways:

Reading this book is like receiving wisdom from an older mentor. Rubin opens up my mind to various aspects of life and how to approach them wisely. 

👷 How I apply it:

One example that I took from this book is to limit my social media consumption. I  have a desire to stay updated on the news and current trends by regularly checking social media to stay informed about everything.

However, Rubin suggested there’s great power in not knowing everything, which I agree with. I don’t need to know everything, just the important things, this allows me to conserve my energy for something better.

📚 Other reference(s) I need to explore:

  • Workbook for The Creative Act by Rick Rubin: Your Powerful Guide on Becoming Creative and Living the Best Life Out of It