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Printed from https://writing.com/main/product_reviews/pr_id/115267-The-Creative-Act-A-Way-of-Being
ASIN: 0593652886
ID #115267
Product Type: Book
Reviewer: Jeff Author Icon
Review Rated: 13+
Amazon's Price: $ 19.25
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Further Comments...
Rick Rubin is an enigma to me. On the one hand, he's one of the most successful music producers in history and there are some truly iconic artists who sing his praises and say that they wouldn't be where they are without him. On the other hand, stuff like this:

https://www.tiktok.com/@60minutes/video/7189964392400833834?lang=en

When I saw that he had written a book, I was super excited because I thought I would get a glimpse into his process and better understand how he's able to succeed in creative endeavors the way he's had. Unfortunately, this book is about as clear as that 60 Minutes clip I linked above. *Laugh*

With the caveat that there were some legitimately good bits and pieces in the book (I wrote this blog entry today based on one of them: "Thoughts and habits not conducive to the work" Open in new Window.), the vast majority of it is a little too "out there" for me to make sense of. The book is comprised of 78 "chapters" that are more like a few hundred words of mental extrapolation on a topic, followed by a sentence or two that sums up the theme of that vignette. I'm actually going to print one it its entirety so you can see what I mean:


Shades and Degrees

In the creation of art, proportions can be deceptive.

Two seeds of inspiration might seem indistinguishable, but one may yield volumes and the other little to nothing. What begins as a lightning bolt may not produce a work that reflects its initial magnitude, whereas a humble spark may grow into a epic masterpiece.

In crafting, the amount of time we put in and the results we get are rarely in balance. A large movement may materialize all at once; other times a tiny detail may take days. And there's no predicting how much of a role either will play in the final outcome.

Another surprising facet of the process is how the tiniest of details can clearly define a work. They can determine whether a piece is stimulating or languid, finished or unfinished. We make one dab of the brush, one tweak in the mix - and suddenly the work jumps from being halfway done to complete. When it happens, this seems miraculous.

What ultimately makes a work great is the sum total of the tiniest details. From start to finish, everything has shades and degrees. There is no fixed scale. There can't be, because sometimes the smallest elements are the ones that weigh the most.


                   When the work has five mistakes,
                   it's not yet completed.
                   When it has eight mistakes,
                   it might be.




Some of the other "chapter" headings:

         *Bullet* Breaking the Sameness
         *Bullet* Connected Detachment (Possibility)
         *Bullet* Apocrypha
         *Bullet* A Whisper Out of Time
         *Bullet* Surrounding the Lightning Bolt
         *Bullet* The Sincerity Dilemma


Some of the summaries at the ends of sections:

No matter what tools you use to create, the true instrument is you. And through you, the universe that surrounds us all comes into focus.

There's a reason we are drawn to gazing at the ocean. It is said the ocean provides a closer reflection of who we are than any mirror.

Sometimes disengaging is the best way to engage.

Talent is the ability to let ideas manifest themselves through you.


Maybe I'm just not cerebral enough or whatever for this book. Because while there were a handful of good pieces of advise and insights in here, there's also a whole lot that made me just scratch my head. Like, I literally have no idea WTF he's talking about or how it applies to the creative process. Whatever he's doing is clearly working quite well for him, but as far as my own "creative acts" I think I'm going to scribble down the handful of intriguing concepts in this book and then move on to a different book about the creative process. Rubin's a little too weird for me.
Created Mar 09, 2024 at 1:05pm • Submit your own review...
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