When I decided to launch Artists Inspired, I knew what I wanted it to be. I knew I wanted it to be a place where I could turn to my artist friends and say "OMG, you have got to see this, hear this, read this."
Over the years I have read many books on art and creativity. And usually I end up feeling somewhat disappointed. Something's missing. I don't feel like reading the books over and over because I am so inspired. I am not jumping up and down yelling "Read this. Read this. Read this."
Maybe I don't need a library filled with books on creativity. Maybe one will do. And, I think I have found it... The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. I just finished my third reading and it's bleeding yellow highlighter.
I had never heard of Rick Rubin until I saw him interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 minutes. Rubin is a well-known major success story in the music industry. He is a music executive and producer. He was named as Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People In the World.
During the 60 Minutes interview they discuss his just published book. I immediately downloaded it to my iPad and started reading. This is a book I will most likely read over and over again for the rest of my life.
The book begins with a quote from Robert Henri (1865-1929, American painter and teacher)."The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable."
Okay, I thought. That was a great start.
Rubin describes his books as 78 areas of thought. The first thought is Everyone is a Creator. He says, "Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It's our birthright... To live as an artist is a way of being in the world."
The second thought is called Tuning In. "Think of the universe as an eternal creative unfolding," he continues. "Trees blossom cells replicate. Rivers forge new tributaries. Every manifestation of this unfolding is doing its own work on behalf of the universe, each in its own way, true to its own creative impulse."
I was hooked. This book does not disappoint.
