A way of being

The Creative Act

Rick Rubin

Cover of The Creative Act
The Creative Act
All books
Creativity#creativity#mindset

The Creative Act

A way of being

Portrait of Rick Rubin
Written byRick Rubin

Drawing on decades in the studio, Rick Rubin writes about creativity as a way of living rather than a job title. Short, meditative chapters on awareness, experimenting and letting the work lead.

Get the bookRead the 1-minute summary
  • Published2023
  • GenreCreativity
  • Key ideas5
  • Summary1 min read

Read it if you…

  • feel stuck creatively
  • want to think differently about a problem

The summary

Key ideas in 1 minute.

Open each idea and tick it when it clicks. Your progress is saved on this device.

0 of 5 ideas read

  1. 01Everyone is a creator

    Creativity isn’t reserved for artists. It’s a way of moving through the world.

  2. 02Pay attention

    Awareness is the raw material. The more closely you notice, the more there is to work with.

  3. 03Play before judging

    Gather and experiment freely first. Edit and decide later.

  4. 04Make it for yourself

    Chasing an audience dilutes the work. The audience comes last.

  5. 05Let it go

    Finishing and releasing a piece makes room for the next one.

  6. Want the stories, examples and depth behind these ideas?

    Get the full book

Try one idea today

Everyone is a creator

Creativity isn’t reserved for artists. It’s a way of moving through the world. Pick one small way to put this into practice before tonight.

Try a 7-day challenge
“Living life as an artist is a practice. You are either engaging in the practice or you’re not.”

— Rick Rubin

Pairs well with

Stories from the journal

Read smarter

One big idea from a great book, every Sunday.

Plus a quote to carry, a five-minute read, a talk and one tiny challenge. Free.

One email a week · Unsubscribe anytime

If you like this one

Your next read

All books

Some links may be affiliate links, which help support Motivation Stock at no extra cost to you.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons — Rick Rubin: jasontheexploder · CC BY 3.0 (cropped)