I first heard about this book during an interview with the author on the podcast People I (Mostly) Admire. I knew that Rick Rubin was a famous music producer. Not being a musician myself, I wasn’t all that interested in his book. I figured that it was just another celebrity memoir about all the famous people he worked with. Interesting, but not really my thing. I learned from this interview that I was wrong and decided to read it.
In fact, this book is not a memoir at all, at least not in the traditional sense. It is more a series of short essays on the creative process. In its tone and approach, it reminded my of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. That book focuses on the challenges of Resistance and how to overcome it. This book is broader in scope and shares ideas on how to nurture creativity and get your art into the world.
My favorite aspect of the book is that right up front he acknowledges that some of the suggestions contradict each other. He doesn’t see that as a problem (nor do I), and simply suggests that you take what works for you and leave the rest. The book is suggestive rather than didactic. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide to creativity, this is not it. But if you are looking for tips on how to nurture the messy journey that is the creative life, this book is for you.
My rating: 5/5
