The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Released in 2023, The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin is a bible of highly quotable material that all artists should read. Rubin, a music producer of such acts including The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and even Jay-Z, is like a zen master. His expertise lies in what he hears and how he is able to suggest and or push an artist to dig deeper or go father, or think differently than they currently do—just think of him as an oracle.

The creative act, as the title states, can refer to whatever type of “art” you are studying or producing. Whether you are a musician, photographer, painter, or designer, it doesn’t matter. Every single thing he discusses within this book applies. I found it to be one of the best books that I have ever read on the subject of creativity. It should be a required reading book for anyone in art school or trying to master a given craft.

Each chapter is short and covers a variety of topics including: Creativity, Awareness, Self-Doubt, Experimentation, Momentum, and Success, just to name a few. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

“If inspiration does not come to lead the way, we show up anyway.”

“The objective is not to learn to mimic greatness, but to calibrate our internal meter for greatness. So we can better make the thousands of choices that might ultimately lead to our own great work.”

“We're all different, and we are all imperfect, and the imperfections are what makes each of us and our work interesting.”

“Distraction is not procrastination. Procrastination consistently undermines our ability to make things. Distraction is a strategy and service of the work.”

“You are never alone when you're making art. You are in a constant dialogue with what is an what was.”

“If we are aiming to create works that are exceptional, most rules don't apply. Average is nothing to aspire to.”