I remember when the book The Creative Act by Rick Rubin came out a few years ago. I didn’t read it then, but I was aware of it.

I considered buying the book because I’m fascinated with creativity.

I decided to take it out of the library instead of buying it. It wasn’t available at the time.

Then I forgot about it.

Three years later, I came across a reference to it and took it out of the library.

I made the mistake of getting the audiobook and listening to it while I commuted to and from work.

This isn’t a book to read in big gulps. You need to take your time reading this book.

There are nuggets of wisdom to savour and digest.

It’s like The Practice by Seth Godin. You’ve got to read it slowly.

So, I took out the physical book and stopped listening to the audio. I was missing too much information.

But who am I kidding? I’m going to buy the book. So that I can sample the information whenever I want.

As Rubin says in the opening, “Some ideas may resonate, others may not.”

Early on, he speaks about seeing clues in the world that provide answers to questions in your work or art. That resonated for me.

Sometimes having the intention to find an answer is all you need. Paying attention to the world around you allows you to see an answer you might not have noticed otherwise.

Is it magic? Is it coincidence? Is it the trigger of your reticular activating system?

Does it matter? You found an answer.

Each chapter is only a few pages long. Ideas that click for me may not click for you. But there are plenty of gems and suggestions in the book to help you when you’re stuck in the creative process.

This is the kind of book to have ready when you’re looking for some inspiration or guidance in your art. It makes me want to be creative. It makes me want to go out and get inspired by the world around me.

It makes me want to write.