The Creative Act by Rick Rubin - A 300-Word Book Review
A way of being
Rating: 10/10
Pages: 432
Time To Finish: 6 days — 80 pages/day
Where To Purchase: Amazon
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What is it about?
What starts off seeming like a book about how a creative can create beautiful art, slowly transforms into a book about a way of life.
Rick Rubin combines short chapters/ideas with poetry to guide creatives in the right direction, combat insecurities, and put their work out in a healthy and productive way.
My favourite parts
This is one of those books where every sentence is incredibly intentional. I highlighted basically everything. I love that.
I love how Rick emphasizes that art does not define the artist. You put out your work and move on. Those who consume your art will decide what to do with it based on who they are. This does not reflect you in any way.
It was also beautiful how he explained that we are the universe expressing itself. Our art is expanding the universe.
Who should read it?
All people are creative, and so, all people will find value from this book for different reasons. The more time you want to spend creating, the more you will love this book.
It made me think about what I create, but also how I approach life and business.
Additional thoughts
This is a book that is hard to put down. It’s very easy to get sucked into it. It would also make a great coffee table book, as you can pick it up at any point for a single minute and still be happy.