If you’ve ever stared at a Google Doc and thought: “Wow, I am officially a creative fraud.” Congratulations, you’re already in Rick Rubin’s target audience.
Rubin, better known as the bearded Buddha behind albums from Johnny Cash to Jay-Z, did something radical here: he wrote a book that isn’t really about music, or even art in the traditional sense. The Creative Act: A Way of Being is less “how-to manual” and more “spiritual survival kit” for anyone who occasionally makes things—and then panics about them.
Spoiler: that’s all of us.
What the book is actually about
Rubin’s central thesis is simple but liberating: creativity is not about being special—it’s about being aware. Every one of us is constantly receiving signals, ideas, fragments. The job of the artist is to tune into the static and translate it before it dissolves back into the ether.
Think of it like an old-school radio. Creativity isn’t about inventing the song; it’s about turning the dial until the station comes in clear. Rubin wants us to stop pretending we’re geniuses and start admitting we’re just decent antennas.
Best bits (and where I rolled my eyes)
• The zen dad energy: Rubin reminds you—often—that the process matters more than the outcome. It’s soothing and slightly annoying, like being told to breathe while spiraling in an airport line.
• The universality: whether you’re painting murals or perfecting sourdough, the advice lands. Creativity here is not just for “real artists.”
• The repetition: it can feel like he’s remixing himself. Then again, he’s a record producer so remixing is his job.
Why you should read it
Because you need permission. Permission to start badly, to start again, to follow odd rabbit holes, to not monetize every hobby, and to see your work as tuning in rather than pushing out.
Rubin won’t give you a step-by-step framework. If you want that, read my review of Bird by Bird here: Bird by Bird — Book Review. What he offers is a way to see your creative life as a way of being.
Who this book is for
• Overachievers who feel blocked because they’re not making “good” work.
• Dabblers who secretly want to take their creativity seriously.
• Professionals who forgot why they loved their craft.
Basically, if you create anything (or want to), this is for you.
My take
I approached this book with my sarcasm dial set to high. A music mogul telling me how to live my creative life? Please. But Rubin doesn’t posture. He doesn’t even really teach. He reflects with the calmness of someone who wrestled the same anxieties and decided to stop fighting.
Yes, I rolled my eyes a few times. And yes, I dog-eared half the book anyway.
Final rating
5 out of 5 if you want creative philosophy.
3 out of 5 if you wanted a workbook.
Either way, it belongs on your shelf and more importantly, in your bloodstream.
Keep the creativity flowing
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