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Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin Books

Record producer

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“One of the reasons so many great artists die of overdoses early in their lives is because they're using drugs to numb a very painful existence. The reason it's painful is the reason they became artists in the first place: their incredible sensitivity. If you see tremendous beauty or tremendous pain where other people see little or nothing at all, you're confronted with big feelings all the time. These emotions can be confusing and overwhelming. When those around you don't see what you see and feel what you feel, this can lead to a sense of isolation and a general feeling of not belonging, of otherness. These charged emotions, powerful when expressed in the work, are the same dark clouds that beg to be numbed to allow sleep or to get out of bed and face the day in the morning. It's a blessing and a curse.”

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Author:Rick Rubin
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“The recognition of abundance fills us with hope that our brightest ideas still await us and our greater work is yet to come. We are able to live in an energized state of creative momentum, free to make things, let them go, make the next thing, and let it go. With each chapter we make, we gain experience, improve at our craft, and inch closer to who we are.”

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Book:The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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“You may sometimes wonder: Why am I doing this? What's it all for?...If we like what we are creating, we don't have to know why. Sometimes the reasons are obvious, sometimes not. And they can change over time. It could be good for any of a thousand different reasons. When we're making things we love, our mission is accomplished. There's nothing at all to figure out.”

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Book:The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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“To live as an artist is a way of being in the world. A way of perceiving. A practice of paying attention. Refining our sensitivity to tune in to the more subtle notes. Looking for what draws us in and what pushes us away. Noticing what feeling tones arise and where they lead. Attuned choice by attuned choice, your entire life is a form of self- expression. You exist as a creative being in a creative universe. A singular work of art.”

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Book:The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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“Defining one's true self is not so simple. It may be impossible. We inhabit many different versions of a changing self. The suggestion to "be yourself" may be too general to be of much use. There's being yourself as an artist, being yourself with your family, being yourself at work, and being yourself with friends. Being yourself in times of crisis, or in times of peace. And being yourself for yourself when by yourself.”

SelfAuthenticity
Book:The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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“A river of material flows through us. When we share our works and our ideas, they are replenished. If we block the flow by holding them all inside, the river cannot run and new ideas are slow to appear. In the abundant mindset, the river never runs dry. Ideas are always coming through. And an artist is free to release them with the faith that more will arrive. If we live in a mindset of scarcity, we hoard great ideas.”

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Book:The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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“Without the spiritual component, the artist works with a crucial disadvantage. The spiritual world provides a sense of wonder and a degree of open-mindedness not always found within the confines of science. The world of reason can be narrow and filled with dead ends, while a spiritual viewpoint is limitless and invites fantastic possibilities. The unseen world is boundless.”

ArtistSpiritualityLimitlessArtworkSpiritual WorldOpenmindednessBoundlessness
Book:The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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“If you feel unable to hit a note or faithfully paint an image, it’s helpful to remember that the challenge is not that you can’t do it, but that you haven’t done it yet. Avoid thinking in impossibilities. If there’s a skill or piece of knowledge you need for a particular project, you can do the homework and work toward it over time. You can train for anything.”

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Book:The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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“I've gotten to work with amazing people. I would say usually we get to a point before we get into the studio where there isn't that sense of anxiety or nervousness of who they are because I don't think it would be as productive in the studio if that was the case. But maybe meeting someone like Neil Young for the first time made me anxious.”

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Author:Rick Rubin
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“I never decide if an idea is good or bad until I try it. So much of what gets in the way of things being good is thinking that we know. And the more that we can remove any baggage we're carrying with us, and just be in the moment, use our ears, and pay attention to what's happening, and just listen to the inner voice that directs us, the better.”

IfsThinkingKnowsWayTryingIdeasMomentsUseVoicePayAttentionHappeningsEarsBe GoodPay AttentionRemoveInner VoiceJust ListenBaggage
Author:Rick Rubin
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