Mastery: We're All Creators

Issue No. 19 | May 8th, 2023 | Read Time: 3 Minutes

Happy Monday Everyone!

I just recently finished

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin, and for those who don't know, Rick Rubin is an American record executive and record producer as well as the former co-president of Columbia Records and current co-founder of Def Jam Recordings.

Rubin has helped produce albums for Kanye, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, Jay-Z and Eminem just to name a few. 

In his recently published book, Rubin talks about how you can tap into your creative subconscious and decipher its messages to make it into a reality.

But in the very first chapter of his book, Rubin makes it known that he's not just talking to writers, artists, or singers. He's talking to everyone because creativity is not a rare ability. 

To be creative isn't just about making art, it's about bringing something into existence that wasn't there before. So every time you create a post on social media or even rearrange your room, you are tapping into your

creative act

.

The only difference between those who possess this creativity is the decision to share it with the world.

That's where you find writers and singers who just want to share something that is an embodiment of them. Because by creating something, we are sharing a glimpse of our inner landscape.

But there are those who are paralyzed by fear and choose not to share their creative act because they're afraid of the criticism that may come with it. 

And Rubin's response to this statement is what I believe is one of the most valuable pieces of information in the book. 

He says that we can't look at our creations with flaws because it's our imperfections that make our work interesting. That's what makes creators so valuable because there is not style of writing, painting, or photograph alike. 

So by being afraid of criticism, you're robbing the world of your creative abilities because there is an audience for everything, you just have to be willing to find it and patient enough to wait for it. 

And notice how I said

patience

, because when you're first starting off as a creator, it's normal to not even have an audience to present

to

.

And to this, Rubin says even if there is no audience to receive your creation, we still build the muscle of making something and putting it out into the world.

So the lesson here is to not be afraid of sharing your creative act. We all have something to offer the world and whether or not you have an audience to present it to, still put it out there because it reaffirms the belief that you

are

a creator.

Just know that everyone has a creative aspect of themselves because creativity isn't a rare ability. What's rare is making the choice to act on it.

And that's what's known as the

creative act

. 

Until next time,

Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I'm Currently Reading -

I'm now reading

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

by Matthew Perry. His recent memoir on battling addiction and handling his rise to stardom.

• If you'd like to see my notes pertaining to any of the other books I have previously read, including The Creative Act, then check out my websiteisaiahctaylor.comto view my entire library of notes and summaries.

Quote Of The Week

• "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." — Mark Twain