
There is an overwhelming chance that many of us will own at least one Rick Rubin-produced album, be it by Johnny Cash, the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Neil Young or myriad other artists who have taken creative direction from the fêted American record producer since the 1980s. Once dubbed one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine, Rubin’s book The Creative Act: A Way Of Being is comprised of 78 short, considered and valuable chapters each covering an “area of thought”.
Amongst the 78 topics covered are ‘Self-Doubt’, ‘Patience’, ‘Inspiration’, ‘Cooperation’, ‘Inspiration’, ‘Self-Awareness’ and ‘Openness’. Rubin writes: “Some ideas may resonate, others may not. A few may open an inner knowing you forgot you had.” One can randomly dive into this book and forage some valuable words of wisdom that really do intensify and aid creative thought, methods and processes: not solely inward-facing, but also in relation to our surroundings and the ever-changing, challenging world in which we live. The Creative Act is worthy of being a bible for creative souls.
The Creative Act: A Way Of Being, Rick Rubin (Canongate)
Price: £22/£15 Ebook/£30 audiobook. Info: here
words DAVID NOBAKHT
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