The #1 New York Times bestseller.
“A gorgeous and
inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the
artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere,
and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction.
A stunning accomplishment.” —Anne Lamott
From the
legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the
wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book
many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of
us.
“I set out to
write a book about what to do to make a great work of art. Instead,
it revealed itself to be a book on how to be.” —Rick Rubin
Many famed music
producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick
Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of
all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really
are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping
people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to
reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes
inevitable. Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where
creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that
being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your
relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s
life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few
more important responsibilities.
The Creative Act
is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path
of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom
gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience
that puts the power to create moments—and lifetimes—of
exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.