Rick Rubin and the Zen of Creativity

(0:03) Rick Rubin is one of the most well-known producers in popular music, and with good (0:08) reason. His discography is a who's who of rock, pop, and country legends. He's got an (0:14) act for taking already great artists and helping them deliver more incredible (0:18) work.

A peek into his mindset is something any aspiring musician or (0:22) producer would find useful. But in his book, The Creative Act, A Way of Being, (0:27) Rubin not only shares some of his approaches to music production, but he (0:30) also shows that his techniques can be applied to any craft. Whatever flavor of (0:35) creativity you find most appealing, you can tap into Rubin's well-honed wisdom by (0:40) reading The Creative Act.

(0:43) Hey, it's Matt. Thanks for tuning in to another Loud Lit. Remember, you can (0:47) support this show, as well as independent booksellers, by starting your online (0:51) book buying at the Loud Lit bookshop page.

Click the link in the show notes. (0:55) I find Rick Rubin to be one of the most fascinating people in popular music. He's (1:00) produced albums by some of my favorite artists.

Metallica, Beastie Boys, Red Hot (1:05) Chili Peppers. The list is very long, but it's not just his discography that (1:10) impresses me, it's his approach to working with these big-name musical acts. I've (1:15) heard a lot of stories about how laid-back he is.

He sets a good example (1:18) for people who think micromanaging is the way to bring out the best in others. Now (1:23) some bands he's worked with, like Slipknot, have not been fans of his (1:26) hands-off approach. But still, Rubin's overall results speak for themselves.

(1:31) Plenty of people he's worked with have heaped praise on his methods. Natalie (1:35) Mains, for example, said that Rubin has the ability and the patience to let music (1:39) be discovered, not manufactured. And Dr. Dre has said Rubin is hands-down the (1:45) dopest producer ever that anyone would ever want to be.

Ever. So is Rick Rubin (1:51) some genius guru who sits at a level that's unreachable for us mere mortals? (1:57) Definitely not. His success comes from time-tested methods, not magic tricks.

And (2:02) he shares some of those methods with anyone willing to read them in the (2:06) creative act, A Way of Being. (2:10) Although Rubin's life has been firmly entrenched in the world of music, he (2:14) presents most of his advice as generally as possible. You can apply his wisdom to (2:19) whatever creative pursuit you choose.

Music, visual art, writing. Wherever you (2:24) want to apply creative problem-solving, the creative act offers tips that can (2:28) help. Much of Rubin's advice reads like a book of wisdom from a Buddhist (2:32) philosopher.

His calming writing style feels like it's coming from Thich Nhat Hanh, (2:37) not someone who's worked with Metallica and Slayer. But this is the (2:41) tranquil wisdom that's helped artists as diverse as Johnny Cash, Black Sabbath, and (2:46) Lana Del Rey create some of their best work. It isn't until page 63 that Rubin (2:51) specifically discusses the act of music creation.

He writes, (3:16) The work is being created on a subconscious level. Again, even though he's (3:21) talking about songwriting, it's easy to see how a painter or dancer might use (3:25) this approach in their work. Rubin is considered a giant in the music industry, (3:30) but in this book he demystifies himself.

He isn't some untouchable godlike genius. (3:36) He's just a guy who figured out unconventional approaches to creativity. (3:40) That's probably why he's able to pull great work out of artists who might feel (3:44) creatively stuck.

Maybe some of the artists he's worked with couldn't see a (3:48) way of making music outside of processes that had worked before but had since run (3:53) their course. If that's how you're thinking about your own processes, the (3:57) creative act may give you some unconventional perspectives on how to (4:01) move forward in exciting new ways. In fact, one chapter outlines several (4:06) specific tactics he employs when trying to help an artist in need of rekindling (4:10) their enthusiasm.

Many pieces of advice in this book seem counterintuitive but (4:15) are worth at least trying with an open mind. For example, a lot of us feel that (4:21) relinquishing focus means dooming a project of failure. But in his sage-like (4:26) tone, Rubin reminds us that quote, sometimes disengaging is the best way (4:31) to engage.

Distracting ourselves, when done mindfully, can allow us to access (4:36) different parts of our brain that we can't tap into through relentless focus. (4:41) But don't think his advice is all eccentric rule-breaking. Rubin reminds (4:45) readers of the importance of managing their schedule and developing good daily (4:49) habits.

He explains that quote, discipline is not a lack of freedom. It is a (4:55) harmonious relationship with time, a necessary component to free up the (4:59) practical and creative capacity to make great art. In fact, there is at least one (5:04) character trait that Rubin considers mandatory.

He writes, if there is a rule (5:09) to creativity that's less breakable than the others, it's that the need for (5:13) patience is ever-present. If you're worried about burnout, I suggest stepping (5:18) away from the grind and reading the creative act. Rubin warns against (5:22) competitiveness with other artists, saying it rarely results in true (5:26) greatness and has an unhealthy impact on us.

Instead, we should strive for (5:31) self-competition, but not in a way that aims to beat our previous works, but (5:36) instead to evolve, to progress. If that sounds too weak or woo-woo to help you (5:42) reach your goals, maybe take another look at Rubin's resume to remind yourself that (5:47) you can be successful without destroying your mental health. The (5:51) creative act is the type of book you'll want to read all the way through once, (5:55) put down for a while, but keep coming back to over time.

You're the type to (5:59) mark up a book, go ahead, break out the highlighter, make notes in the margins, or (6:04) just write down your favorite passages in a separate notebook. Whatever your (6:07) style is, do whatever you need to absorb the book's numerous nuggets of wisdom and (6:13) apply them to your own creative work. Thanks for listening to Loud and Lit.

If you (6:20) liked this episode and want to hear more, please subscribe and leave a 5-star (6:24) rating and review. And if you want your own copy of the creative act or any (6:28) other book, click the bookshop link in the show notes. When you do, your (6:32) supporting Loud Lit as well as independent booksellers.

My name is Matt, (6:36) and until next time, keep reading, keep rocking.