A Conversation on Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act"
I've been reading Rick Rubin's book The Creative Act, and it has started some good conversations about what creativity is. These are the points I took from them.
Tapping into the universal
- Creativity is older than people. It is a force in the universe that has been building on the laws of physics and adding layers of complexity for billions of years.
- We carry that force, and we also shape how it shows up.
- Cooperation, conscious or not, is part of creativity. It ties each of us to everything else that is being made.
Cultivating stillness
- Stillness is like the speed of light. We can get closer to it but never reach it.
- It means finding inner harmony and quieting the “monkey mind” so intuition can come through.
- We are all moving toward stillness. Some of us are further along than others, but we are after the same inner peace.
Detaching from the outcome
- The creativity is in the intention more than in the result.
- The finished work reminds you of that intention. It is the visible form of a deeper purpose.
- The creative process is complex and unpredictable. Set intentions instead of fixed expectations.
Offering your work as a gift
- Find your place in the larger system you live in, and balance your own fulfillment with what you give to others.
- Look for ways to make creative work sustainable, with a fair exchange of value, while keeping the spirit of generosity and service.
What I took away
Creativity is a collaboration between the universe and the person making something. When we cultivate stillness, let go of fixed outcomes, and offer our work as a gift, we join a larger creative flow than our own.