Kaleigh's Reviews > The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Wow, couldn’t disagree more. I think it’s brilliant, essential reading.

Just because the chapters are short doesn’t mean the book is empty. I understand wanting Rick Rubin to expand more on his “78 areas of thought,” but there is still utility in what he is saying. I definitely wouldn’t use the word “obvious” when describing his insight on creation. And I truly don’t get the feeling that this book is trying to be a Buddhist text. Even if it was, I don’t really see the problem with that. As someone who loves and works in the humanities, I find lots of what Rubin is saying to be insightful and helpful.

i like that your review acknowledges the strength this book has in its brief “pep-talk” chapters, while also offering another book for those who might not have found what they needed in this one!

Spot on Kaleigh.

🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅

I find the design of the chapters and pages to be a perfect reflection of the message and content. Wish more books would be this thoughtful. I think you may miss the point be focusing on content density per square inch of paper.

I guess you missed the message that the work is exactly as long as it needs to be. The information and philosophy and takeaway materials are dense. To bury them in flowery prose and padding like many “self-help” books do would be a disservice to the artist reading it. Rick is a guru and he’s trying to take you along. But if you don’t want to join him, that’s fine with him and those who loved this book too.

If this beautiful book serves as an oracle as you say I would give it 5 stars

I agree, I was expecting so much more from such a thick book. Even the text is large and pages mostly empty. Visual Music on Brian Eno is much more inspiring.

And there you have it, everyone perceives content from their own circumstance and perspective.

Look closer....Or from further away.

Agreed, Sharon, and I think that’s one of the best parts about reviews (if not the main point of them). When there are enough quality reviews on a work, one is likely to get a good idea about the content, and based on others perceptions- good or bad- and their reasonings, tone, comparison(s) to other works, etc. it’s usually easy to tell what reviews will be most helpful; if the posters perception sounds like it may be similar to your own experience if you read said book. The fact that we are able to reply to reviews on Goodreads (which isn’t always the case on other platforms) is interesting- it can be helpful to see other reader’s reactions and why they agree or disagree, but sometimes I feel the tone of responses to reviews to be a bit hostile if they don’t agree with the review. To come off as argumentative or like someone is wrong in their opinion takes away the point of the review process altogether. Discussing your different views with the poster can be very helpful and spark discussion points to consider, further helping someone to decide where they might fall on the spectrum if they decide to read. I think it’s worth noting that no matter what your thoughts are, you still share something in common with the reader, and everyone else here reviewing and discussing- y’all read the same book in the first place, and had thoughts about it worth sharing, unlike a random Facebook post that ends up with hundreds of comments that are full of arguments because people get mad when someone thinks differently than themselves (but oh what a boring world it would be if the opposite were true and we all thought the same exact way!). My point being that sometimes the comments can sound like a Facebook post’s comments, full of pissed off people that someone (god forbid) has a different opinion on some random topic or news story. But, it gets so heated on the Book perhaps because commenters share absolutely nothing with the original poster, making them unwilling to DISCUSS rather than just fight and be mean. Here, usually, commenters and posters both read the book in the first place, and can debate and discuss certain things about the book they BOTH READ, which I think makes it easier to empathize or understand the other person despite agreeing or not. I’m not saying anyone here is attacking the way I see on Facebook, just observing after Sharon’s comment made me think. It’s something to keep in mind. If you do disagree with a review, and dislike the tone of it or the reasons for the review, then you can obviously respond and give your POV, but when you do, just remember- you do share something in common in the first place, and I’d be willing to bet if you read the same book you probably share more that just that in common, too, AKA there is no reason to feel that they are downright wrong, you are superior, you share no common ground and therefore don’t want to give them any reasonable benefit of the doubt, you assume they are ‘bad’, worthy of being belittled, you must be right, them wrong, etc. the way strangers seem to think in the depths of a Facebook comment section, haha. Maybe this commonality of reading the same book is partially why strangers don’t attack each other the way they might on other platforms like the Book…who knows, just my observation as I’m starting to use Goodreads for the first time in years, this time actually participating in the community rather than just using it to create TBR lists or track books read. Speaking of, this one IS on my TBR list, hence my reading the comments. I hope I don’t feel the same as you did, Kaleigh, I wouldn’t necessarily expect it to be lacking so much solid content in a rather large book. But, to the commenters who brought up the point that it might be formatted that way on purpose, to make their own point about quality differing from quantity, if that’s what some of the commenters were getting at. I appreciate the different perspectives, one way or another, and the fact we can talk like adults here unlike the platform I mentioned above…haha. And I guess I found it worthy to mention this, in hopes that I’m right in that different opinions doesn’t lead to comment fighting but rather healthy discussion comments! I guess I’ll have to come back once I’ve read the book though and see what my perspective on the points made here is. I think I just decided it’s my next book to read once I finish the one I’m on now!

Agreed

I feel like the point of the book is to take what sticks and let go of what doesn’t, so the layout you’re describing is the actual point.

Kailey, I don’t see Sharon’s comment was hostile. I think it is just factual all of us will respond to all elements of life with our own unique life experiences.

Get the audiobook, you’ll love it, and keep the book as it’s companion

Completely agree with you! And also have to disagree about the audiobook comment — I listened to it & thought it was a bit unbearable 🫢

Hmm. I disagree. I thought the book was a jewel. Every mini essay was both equally profound and simple. The space was necessary and lent it a poetic feel.

Thank you for this review! You've saved me some money

The book is an excellent work. I think it is worth every penny. There are a lot of books about creative process but Rick really seems to have the clearest understanding of the experience of anyone I have read.

100% agree

Agreed. I kept falling asleep while reading this book. He makes great points, all of which were summarized in the first few pages.

I loved this book and highlighted many quotes and pages. In my work as a photographer and writer, I will reference this book often.

As a visual artist, I loved this book. It gets straight to the heart of what matters.

Thank goodness for subjectivity. The only thing I’ll add is that I wish there were not so many blank pages in between. I get it, sure, but I feel it would be even more impactful without the spaces. More irritating than anything.

i respectfully disagree with you

I couldn't stand this book. Feels like The Secret 2023.

I totally agree!

You read and think too fast.

So as someone who just picked this up from my library, and haven’t read it yet, I see there are two camps…
those who liked it and those who didn’t. I appreciate someone reviewing it and sharing the reasons why it was liked or unliked. But other comments that just state “I didn’t like it”, would be better received if I knew why you didn’t like it. And when someone says, “I agree with you” or says “I disagree with you “, again, why?
Maybe too much conversation for some people? But I do use reviews and comments to choose books, so any thoughts on the material is welcome to me, whether positive or negative. I’ll make up my own mind after reading, but it is interesting for me to see other’s opinions.

I totally agree. Elizabeth Gilbert wrote Big Magic and it is much better.

I am reading it and enjoying it!

I'm a little bit surprised about your lack of sensitivity about this book, lol. Essential read, Rick Rubin made what he maded doing things based a lot on what he wrote in this book. I don't know what kind of complexity you understand about creativity to think that simplicity is " eye-rolling " lol...

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