Life is a Creative Act!

I've had the privilege of supporting dozens of clients who get paid to be creative for a living; letterpress printers, interior designers, painters, gift box creators, graphic artists, photographers, creative agency owners, and writers. I'm in awe to see the natural-born talent they have cultivated over the years.

I used to think I wasn't creative.

And I've come to understand that we're all creative, whether we're paid for it or not. You'll need a healthy dose of creativity if you're a coach crafting a new client program, an executive planning a meaningful off-site, or a mom finding ways to get the kids to bed on time!

Life itself is a creative act.

I've become more and more interested in how to cultivate creativity for myself and my clients. A new book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin can help. Rubin has intiruged me since I first heard of him when he began working with Johnny Cash in the mid 90's. Who was this hippie guru-looking guy from NY bringing out a side of Cash never seen before?

Rubin's worked with a wide range of artists from The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Chicks and Adele and has won 8 Grammy's so he knows about creativity. 

In the book, he describes in super short chapters with names such as Look Inward, Self-Doubt, and Non-Competition, what he's learned from his experience. It's the sort of book you can pick up, read one chapter and let it percolate for the rest of the day.

This book is inspiring, unique, and unforgettable. I hope you check it out!

I've listened to a half dozen podcasts where Rick Rubin talks about his new book, including Debbie Millman's Design Matters, Krista Tippett's OnBeing, The Tim Ferriss Podcast, and his own Broken Record Podcast interview led by Malcolm Gladwell. They're all excellent.

But my favorite is his interview with Rich Roll for its depth and exploration of additional topics, including depression and meditation. I highly recommend you check it out!

I've heard Rubin talk about how he wants to support artists to do their best work. Amen to that. As a coach, bringing out the best in clients is all I can hope to do.

Here's to your creative life!