The essence of Rick Rubin’s book The Creative Act in an article.
Are you doing creative right? The obvious things we all miss.
If you have clicked on this article because you doubt yourself as an artist, the good news is doubt will push you to hone your skill. Doubt can encourage you to look around and find something new to bring into your creations. Doubt yourself enough to inspire yourself to improve, to care about the details.
And, whilst foremost art is play, as in please let it be fun, also let it be something you get good at. You will bet better because you will carve out regular time for it. Regular time for art, for self-expression, is regular self-care.
“We’re not playing to win, we’re playing to play.” Rick Rubin
You will no doubt come into times when the creative flow comes to a stop. This isn’t a bad thing. It is a new season. Seasons cycle around. A lack of output is a sign that there needs to be some input. Start listening, reading or watching. Best of all, put yourself in nature. Once you do you will know why.
We don’t look for ideas, we listen. We don’t need to understand ideas or inspiration or our art. But we appreciate it by creating it and letting it go.
We dive deep into what we are creating. We uncover, unveil, and search for invisible messages as we refine and polish.
You are the instrument your art is using to come alive. Tune yourself in, go deeper, listen more subtly.
Art is also your way of understanding what was and what is. I write as if to understand and summarise thoughts I have had. This article is my way of taking what is of use for me from Rick Rubin’s book, The Creative Act, and applying it in my life.
We aren’t an artist, after all, we make art. We are not a writer or a baker, but a person who does these things. This change from what to action brings us to the practice and acknowledges it is in our doing that we are to focus, not on the output.
If you’re wondering which project to choose, let your emotions tell you. Follow excitement and intrigue, wonder and interest. Still not sure? Try on different creative pursuits. Begin them and see how they feel when you are working on them. Not every seed grows. Ideas that do have the right conditions. You to take ownership in setting up the right conditions for successful creation.
If you become distracted along the way, allow it when intentional. Allow a lull to lead to a distraction to lead to an inspiration that leads you back to your creation.
“Your desire to create must be greater than your fear of it.” Rick Rubin
If your inertia stems from fear of expression, stick with it to find a way to start. This is an essential piece of creative expression for you. It can be work that no one else will see but working through fear is your growth.
Finally, remember you are not the stories you tell yourself. Nor is how you define your art, what it is.
“You are you. The work is the work.” Rick Rubin
And, there is great freedom in not defining but allowing. After all, you are only one of your many versions. An evolving being, but constantly a creative one.