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A review by textualorientation
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
4.0
I didn’t know who Rick Rubin was before I picked up this book, so I didn’t come at it as a sycophant like some folks.
I understand some people’s beef with Rubin’s repurposing of Buddhist philosophy, but I found it helpful so I didn’t mind. Mindfulness does boost creativity. He’s right.
I felt conflicted about some of his points, namely the social obligation of art and the artist — but isn’t embracing those grey areas the point? I enjoyed feeling uncomfortable with some of his arguments and illustrations. The discomfort was useful, as were many of the passages in this book.
I think the whole of the book captured the creative process and its unknowable complexity rather well. I walked away with a lot of useful perspectives, even if some of it felt repetitive.
His chapter on editing was ironic, given that the book could have been cut down by at least 20%. But maybe that’s the editor in me, not the creative.
I understand some people’s beef with Rubin’s repurposing of Buddhist philosophy, but I found it helpful so I didn’t mind. Mindfulness does boost creativity. He’s right.
I felt conflicted about some of his points, namely the social obligation of art and the artist — but isn’t embracing those grey areas the point? I enjoyed feeling uncomfortable with some of his arguments and illustrations. The discomfort was useful, as were many of the passages in this book.
I think the whole of the book captured the creative process and its unknowable complexity rather well. I walked away with a lot of useful perspectives, even if some of it felt repetitive.
His chapter on editing was ironic, given that the book could have been cut down by at least 20%. But maybe that’s the editor in me, not the creative.