There are very few books that fill your cup whenever you are empty. For me one such book is The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.
A few ideas that resonated deeply and changed my perspectives within are:
The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world.
The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity.
No matter what tools you use to create, the real instrument is you.
Look for what you notice that no one else sees.
All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.
In terms of priority, inspiration comes first. You come next. The audience comes last.
Zoom in and obsess. Zoom out and observe. We get to choose.
Setting the bar low, especially to get started, frees you to play, explore, and test without attachment to results.
As artists, we seek to restore our childlike perception: a more innocent state of wonder and appreciation not tethered to utility or survival.
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.
I have jotted down 100+ more ideas in my notes. But for today, I hope this inspires the artist in you to be bold, go wild and stay creative.
