The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Rick Rubin's book "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" is for anyone involved in creating any form of art. Indeed much of what he talks about is applicable even beyond the creative arts to anyone involved in creating anything. It is important to know what this book is and what it is not. It is not a "how to " book, nor is it any form of a self help book. Rather, as the title implies, this book focuses on how to think, act, live, and breath as a creative. One could say that one one level, Rubin's book is a philosophy of creativity or being creative.The book is laid out much differently than other books on the creative process. Rather than chapters, the book has 78 "Areas of Thought". The best way to read this book is to imagine that Rubin is your personal creativity coach and he is sending you 78 different letters with the aim of helping you discover your creative self and giving it full voice in whatever creative medium in which you happen to work. Thus, you may not find all 78 "letters" apply to you, or that some open you up to new ways of thinking than others. That is perfectly fine and I suspect Rubin would appreciate that as well.Rather than read the book straight through, I would suggest reading just a few of 'areas of thought' at a time and contemplate how the principles he's discussing might apply to you. I realized after reading the first 4 or 5 'areas of thought' that it wouldn't serve me very well to just plow through. So, I took my time with it and I think I got way more out of it for doing so.To emphasize that last point, the last few pages in the book are blank lined pages for you take notes on what you've read. For those wanting to take the concepts even deeper, there is a separate companion workbook that you can buy separately.The only negative for me was that at times Rubin dives into a bit more spiritual philosophy or mysticism, which, for me, didn't really serve his larger points all that well. I would recommend just ignoring those parts. One doesn't have to have the same spiritual worldview to appreciate the larger points Rubin is making and the creative was of thinking he is attempting (and succeeding) to inspire.In sum, I would highly recommend this book for anyone desiring to unleash their creativity more intentionally regardless of what creative medium is involved.

Despite being aware of Rick Rubin’s existence, I was mostly unfamiliar with his philosophy until recently. I decided to pick this book up after listening to one of his interviews with Andrew Huberman. While the interview I watched covered many of the topics in the book, reading it in its polished form has been extremely rewarding.Rick covers his philosophy on creativity, spirituality and the role each of us play in the universe. He bounces between the theory and practical application of his techniques, although the book comes off very casual; almost as if talking to a close friend. It’s structured in short, pointed chapters which makes it extremely digestible. Some people may view the book as esoteric, although Rick does a good job of making accessible language choices.Overall, I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to expand their creativity or feels the need to challenge the direction of their day-to-day life. This is a book that will be staying on my shelf.

Most likely this book's impact on you will have a lot to do with whether or not you like having Rick Rubin's voice in your head. For whatever reason, this really works on me. If you're doing creative work in any capacity, professionally, aspirationally, or just because it makes you feel good, this book has a lot to say to you.

Everyone, anyone can have a creative life. You can fumble through it, learning piecemeal as you go, as I have done for nearly 70 years, or you can read this complex yet truly accessible book and change your life now, today. No matter how long you live, your time is short so, lean in, get after it.

I'm a lifelong musician, composer, creative, performer, etc. This book has always been recommended to me by colleagues, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I agree with many of the common points that came up in the majority of reviews, and I'll discuss them here:1. Perfect Coffee Table Book: Yes, this is a wonderful application. It's an easy book to pick up, put down, and resume later. The chapters are short and are packed full of simple, quiet advice that you can consider and ponder throughout your day.2. It's "the book": This one depends where you are on your creative journey. I believe that I will read this book again, probably several times, in the future. There is a ton of excellent advise and wisdom in there, and reading through it quickly causes a lot of information to be passed over. It should be digested and internalized slowly. Most of the wisdom was old information that I've heard from teachers, colleagues, friends, or through personal musical discovery and experience. However, it's invaluable to have these shared experiences collected in one place. If you are just starting out on your creative journey or don't currently consider yourself a creative person, I expect that you'll actually learn a lot from this book.3. The prose meanders. Yes, it does. I think you could largely read the chapters out of order and it wouldn't matter. That's okay - as Rick writes, language is an imperfect filter. Much of what he shares is a different viewpoint or expression of the same idea, so one chapter may be passed over while another may unlock something important in you. The whole book works together to instill growth, confidence, and creative openness - the colorful prose is a necessary feature.This is a book about growth that instills growth. It's going to take time to marinate and be useful to your creative process. I will say that reading Rick's knowledge has helped me find ways to streamline my personal writing process, trust the art, and better navigate roadblocks like doubt and lost direction. I've rated it four stars for its nature - it is not a solution, but a tool. A reference. I'll use this book when I'm stuck in my creating. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't, but something in it will help move the creative flow eventually.It's also necessary to address several popular reviews that mention, and in some cases fixate, on religion. This is not a sacred text or religious doctrine. It is a way of structuring your life and workflow to increase and invite creative moments and creative energy to help you achieve your goals and be more creative. I can't speak for Rick, but if you're viewing everything he writes through a strict religious lens, you're missing the entire point. It is frequently emphasized how important it is to have, nurture, and cultivate an open mind. To see and experience the world though many lenses and experiences. To explore diversity, open thought, and the self. To listen, observe, and connect with the world around us. Practicing these methods is necessary for encouraging creaticity. Reading this book through an extraordinarily narrow lens may help a little, but the majority of the contents will be misconstrued. There are a couple key chapters about that. ;)