Philosophy for creativity

 reposted from my Art and Artists blog:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1839633876399915070.html

This is Rick Rubin.

He's a music producer who's worked with Jay-Z, Kanye & Lady Gaga.

He doesn't know anything about music & made $300M. His philosophy for creativity is why artists come to him.

Here's the philosophy:

1. “I have no technical ability. And I know nothing about music.” - Rick Rubin

• Being an expert is overrated
• Creative people are great at the intangible
• Theory/education often drowns out the art

Being creative doesn't mean being productive or talented. 

2. "The best art divides the audience."

• Take off your safety pants
• Let people disagree with you
• The haters help your work go viral

If everyone agrees with you, what you've created is sh*t. 

3. "Everything we do is art.

It doesn't matter if it’s picking out clothes, or working on a song, or making dinner. It’s all about how it feels and how it resonates."

• We're all creative even if we don't think we are
• Art is making people feel something 

4. “Get the full idea down as quickly as possible. When you see the whole thing, you see opportunities for connections.”

The first draft needs to happen.

Move your ego out of the way.

Let it flow out of you.

Finished work beats a folder full of drafts that make you an amateur.

5. “Go on with a blind belief something good will happen until proven impossible.”

• Much of creativity is just confidence

• If you believe it's good others will. Convince yourself first.

• Creativity is subjective. Hit publish & let the world decide. 

6. “Perfection is achieved not when there’s nothing more to add, but when there’s nothing left to take away.”

• For true creativity to exist you must remove all the filler no killer stuff in the way

• Rarely is there not enough. Often there's too much.

Masterpieces are simple & have fewer layers.

7. “Creativity is not a rare ability.

It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us”

• We're born creative

• Corporations & society beat the creativity out of us

Make creativity a habit to get it back 

8. “Impatience is an argument with reality”

The creative journey leads nowhere if you're looking for overnight success

• Slow down
• Put in the work
• Daily flow states
• Chase obsession 

9. "There’s a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get a point across"

• Morons make things complicated

• Creative people talk simple because that's how movements are built

If it sounds smart it's bullsh*t or it comes from a McKinsey consultant. 

10. "Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience"

• What you think you know is a distraction

• True creativity is humility. It's knowing you know nothing

• Creativity doesn't follow a plan/strategy. It's chaos, madness & insanity all in one.

11. "You can't control people's interpretation. And why would you want to?"

• No one knows if your creative output is good
• Stop trying to be a fortune-teller

The best reactions to your work are unexpected. 

12. "Some mistakes are actually subconscious problem solving."

Creativity is full of mistakes.

That's why perfect people are uncreative.

True art is full of flaws & the flaws make the art better not worse. 

13. "Sometimes the mistakes are what makes something great.

Humanity breathes in the mistakes."

• Humans are imperfect, so imperfect art feels more human & that's why it resonates more

Go write something full of typos. 

14. "Do not think about what you want to be remembered for

Instead, focus on what you want to create"

Creating a legacy is stupid

Why focus on what your life will be like when you're dead?

What's fulfilling is creative work done today. What happens to that work when you're dead is none of your business.