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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
I agree with a lot of the things he said in terms of creative process.
The more ‘woo woo’ elements were a little lost on me, although the gong was kind of funny. The part about not getting a potentially necessary surgery was well… in line with me disagreeing with him in that the artist does have some ideological responsibility for their work, theme is essential although I do agree that trying to force a story to work around a theme that’s not clicking is problematic.
Bringing in some psychology principles like A/B testing was helpful, I also liked what he had to say about work vs. creative life, the artists job is never finished and that you hold responsibility to live creatively for yourself even when it’s inconvenient. I loved what he had to say about sincerity as goal, that’s it’s rarely effective to start super sincere without some sort of filter between yourself and feeling. The idea that the creative process is a thing outside yourself that you can tap into is super effective, I love the idea that art is deeper than your ideas or thoughts. The idea that the artist is simply a conduit. That preemptively critiquing the work can stifle it- but is ultimately necessary to remove what’s unneeded and to demonstrate taste (to be the editor).
I think this book could be very helpful to anybody trying to build a creative process, and learning to tap into creative flow, artistic decision making, ruthless editing, and many other process he goes through in this book- for those who already have a artistic practice in place it can always be helpful to re-examine and take stock of your own approach.
The Creative Act is a book that has refilled my well of creativity. He uses his experiences as an artist to share his musings on how to ignore the formula, break convention, and to lean into our natural talents. He often emphasizes that an artist isn’t something we do, but rather something we embody simply by existing. A lot of what was said reminded me of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert in the sense that is not a hyper-analytical book at all, so I recommend taking his lessons with a grain of salt. A lot of what is written is non-specific; you aren't given exact directions or "rules" to apply to your life. You basically infer from it what you need. I didn't have an issue with this because I'm an abstract thinker and his perspective resonated with me on a personal level. I annotated, highlighted, and took notes in the margins and allowed inspiration to take hold. I will say that the last 50-70 pages did start to get a little repetitive so the book could have been cut shorter. Even so, I see myself rereading The Creative Act time and time again.
Initially I gave this book 4 stars, but found it has really stayed with me for days afterwards, so have moved it up to 5 stars. Whilst I don't think of myself as a particularly creative person, I could still identify with much of what Rick has to say about the creative process and could apply it to my every day life. His philosophies are so simply said, yet carry much weight, depth and inspiration. In particular, he has inspired me to change the way I listen to music so that I get a greater appreciation of the many layered elements of each song. Highly recommended!
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Truly an incredible book from the mind of a creative genius (shout out Long Beach)! I listened to this as an audiobook and I’m going to need to listen again to really digest everything. Part spiritual guide, part self help, part craft instructions. Above all The Creative Act teaches you how to *be* an artist in the world… 5/5 one of the best nonfiction books I’ve read.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I read this book because I wanted to learn more about Rubin’s philosophy. Some parts resonated more than others, as I wasn’t looking on advice for making art. Still, a worthy read (but I would wait for it to be on sale if I could do it over again)!
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Essential for creatives. He breaks down a lot of ways of being that have helped me and my teammates throughout the years. Super informative and adding to my designer reading list.
informative
inspiring
fast-paced