Legendary music producer Rick Rubin has been behind the scenes on some of the most iconic and impactful albums that I grew up with. They’re the soundtracks to my life, timeless classics that left a lasting influence and a love of all music.
He’s worked with artists from all walks, from the obscure to the accessible, Hip Hop to Heavy Metal, Punk Rock to Country, and everything in between—from the groundbreaking early days of the Beastie Boys and Slayer to the heartbreaking final days of Johnny Cash. His role as producer is to summon the creative magic from the music, taking the bare bones of the rough draft and turning it into a masterpiece, working with the musicians to take it as far as it can go while holding true to the original idea.
It’s like lighting the way down a path that’s been darkened, but needs to be traveled in order to find the treasure.
Rubin’s new book, a mix of philosophy, art, and inspiration is here to help you along the way of your own creative path. Like an old familiar friend, guiding you gently through the creative process with short pep talks, affirmations, and encouragement. Reminding you that it’s all there inside you, just needing a little light, to let it all out. It’s simple yet elegant, an easy blend of science and magic, the Tao Te Ching meets Oh! The Places You’ll Go.
Written in short, themed chapters, it can read like a daily meditation guide or creative calendar, to spark something for the day. It’s there to remind and encourage you that there is an artist inside each of us, no matter how great or small. You can still be an artist without framed work in a gallery, a musician without a backup band and gold record, a writer without the great American novel. What is important is to find your own inspired paths, commit creative acts, and add fuel to the fire in your soul that makes you want to create and share with the world.
On the very first page, Rubin states, “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. Creativity doesn’t exclusively relate to making art. We all engage in this act on a daily basis.”
This is a book for anyone and everyone who has a desire to create and make beauty out of the ordinary. It’s for when you have writer’s block, an empty canvas, a tune in your head that needs to be heard aloud, a lack of motivation or inspiration, for when you doubt your ability. Rubin will remind you that when you hit a wall, you make your own door.
“No matter what tools you use to create,
The true instrument is you.
And through you,
The universe that surrounds us
All comes into focus.”
Kristian Preylowski and Kari Meutsch co-own and run the Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock.