How to Access Your Creativity: Insights from Rick Rubin on the Creative Process

The discussion with Rick Rubin delves into the multifaceted nature of creativity, extending beyond music to encompass writing, film, science, and all domains requiring novel thought. Rubin, a renowned music producer, emphasizes that creativity is an elusive, non-intellectual process, often closer to magic than science. A central argument is that ideas are fleeting, akin to clouds or dreams, necessitating immediate capture. The conversation explores the interplay between the subconscious and conscious mind, and their interaction with the external world, highlighting practical tools for accessing this innate human capacity. A crucial distinction is made between the open, unburdened creative access of children versus the rule-bound, baggage-laden approach of adults. Rubin suggests that while imitation can build skills, true creativity emerges from finding one's unique voice, often by unintentionally breaking established rules. He posits that new ideas are frequently novel combinations of existing elements, rather than entirely unprecedented concepts. The discussion also differentiates between creating art for personal expression and creating for commercial appeal, stressing the importance of owning one's feelings and taste over external validation. Practical advice includes paying attention to internal feelings—a "surge of energy," excitement, or curiosity—as indicators of creative potential. Rubin advises translating these feelings into actionable experiments rather than relying solely on language, comparing it to tasting food to discern preferences. He also suggests that limiting choices, rather than having infinite options (as in the digital age), can paradoxically foster creativity by forcing novel problem-solving. The ability to broaden or narrow one's focus, changing the "aperture" from the standard, is presented as essential for generating new ideas. The broader implications touch upon the fundamental features of human existence, suggesting that the creative process is what allows humans to generate novel ideas that enrich life through entertainment, emotion, and intellectual discovery. The podcast underscores the challenge of defining and teaching "taste" in creative endeavors, noting that perfectionism driven by external feedback can hinder its development. Ultimately, the episode champions an authentic, self-directed approach to creativity, where the artist's unique perspective is paramount, irrespective of popular opinion or commercial pressures.

Rick's expertise in the creative process extends well beyond music. In fact, our conversation takes us into the realm of what the creative process is specifically and generally across domains, including music, of course, but also writing, film, science, and essentially, all domains in which new, original thought, ideas, and production of anything becomes important.

The title of the book is The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin. This is a book that I've now read three times from cover to cover, and I'm now reading it a fourth time. Because it is so rich with wisdom and information that I'm applying in multiple domains of my life, not just my work but my everyday life.

I'm now convinced that there may not actually be an internal source of creativity that exists on its own right. And the example that you give that, for me, really is serving as an anchor, and tell me if I'm wrong here, is this idea that ideas and creativity are a little bit like a cloud.

If you have an idea, you have to write it down. And you may end up throwing it away, but if you wait, it will be gone.

I think the best way to think about it is like a dream. It's like, if you think about your dreams, they don't necessarily make sense. When you wake up, you might remember part but not the whole thing. Then, if you start writing them down, they'll come back, and they may not make sense to you.

I think language is insufficient to drill down on creativity. It's closer to magic than it is science.

Kids, they're open, and they have no baggage. They don't have any belief system. They don't know how things are supposed to work. They just see what is, and if we pay attention to what is, we learn much more than if we--

I think it's a combination of-- a new combination of existing ideas presented in a new way. I think that's how it works.

Understanding how you feel in the face of other voices, without second guessing yourself, is probably the single most important thing to practice as an artist. Or a skill set to develop as an artist is to I know how you feel, and own your feelings.

The one thing I can't teach is taste, and the one predictor I have of the people who will never develop it are the ones who are perfectionists. Because they're filtering their-- perfectionists that filter their perfection through the feedback of others.

Most people don't actually know what they like. They like what they like because of the certainty of the people that they like.

Well they're just two different things. Like coming up with a story with the purpose of pleasing someone else is a skill set, but it's more of a commercial endeavor than an artistic endeavor.

Sometimes more choices is not better. So limiting your palate to something manageable forces you to solve problems in a different way.