The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, a famous music producer, was an eye-opening read. The internet abounds with summaries of the book, how to apply the lessons to your life, and what those lessons are. Not much more needs to be said about it, other than: there’s much to gain from reading it. Maybe even twice. The reason being, when we’re on LinkedIn, we may scroll past posts that remind us to “think outside the box”, to “think creatively”, but more often than not – while many of us agree with the sentiment, the question of “How” looms larger.
BIG PICTURE
The Creative Act isn’t just practical advice, nor is it first hand tales from Rubin’s experiences in the music industry, it’s more about a way of being. The book introduces concepts such as Beginner’s Mind, which encourages us to see things anew, and emphasizes the importance of noticing everything. By truly being in the moment and perceiving a richer world around us, we learn to navigate through creative challenges and appreciate different phases of creation. This immersive approach leads to a profound realization: when you embrace creativity, as defined in the book, work becomes its own reward.
Aside: have you experienced the difference between work that lifts you up and leaves you feeling more energized than when you started, versus work that leaves you exhausted and depressed?
This blog post for instance is its own reward, for it is this writer’s opportunity to reflect on what was so enjoyable about the book, but perhaps moreso, the opportunity to act as a vessel and encourage another to “Look Inside” and see what the book reveals about yourself.
As the author of this post would imagine, everyone will experience this book a little bit differently, so much so that reading a summary (while useful for remembering) probably will not stack up to experiencing it firsthand.
THE CREATIVE ACT AND CONSULTING
In the realm of consulting, where it seems some consultants are all too eager to find the right box to put their clients into, and perhaps from a client’s perspective – all too eager to find a box to jump into… the book can help consultants and consulted alike see things a little bit differently, change the frame from “What Is The Best Practice” (read: least risk for an average reward) to “What Would This Be, as a Masterpiece”?
Gauging what shooting for the stars might look like is not a recipe for flying into a black hole, not a call to pursue needless risk… but an invitation to visualize an outcome unheard of, the kind of outcome that through the ages will be whittled away into a “Best Practice”, when the ground has been so thoroughly trod upon, it is thus tried and true. Until someone else comes along and imagines a future one’s competitors did not yet think possible.
Sure, to achieve that may be out of scope within a given frame of time, it may be beyond one’s budget… but when you are able to imagine what greatness is? Then you are that much closer to manifesting it, because you also know what greatness isn’t.
It’s at this point that Best Practices shine. Not as the end all be all, but as reliable tools to bring your vision into reality. Consider a piece of charcoal in the hand of a neophyte versus in the hand of a master – in the first case, the newbie is controlled by their own limitations and seeks only to master charcoal, in the second the expert masters the charcoal to bring the vision to life… but the charcoal is simply that: charcoal. Such is the case with Best Practices.
As a client, an idea of the dream (even if you know it’s neither practical nor possible) is an excellent place to start, because while “5% better” may seem a more tangible goal, knowing where one wants to be is often more valuable. To gift yourself a vision of the future allows you to see the present in a way which you likely have not considered. It helps you more quickly get to a place where you choose the Best Practice to fit your needs, as opposed to conforming to a Best Practice that might be wrong for you.
As consultants, we understand the concerns people have when embarking on sizable projects, but one of the joys of consulting, the reason why WE are in this business is: the opportunity to co-create a masterpiece with you is often its own reward; a big problem, so defined, becomes a key to unlocking a solution of smaller subset.
The process is its own reward, and the product is the victory.
Yours and ours.
Until inspiration strikes again.
In the meanwhile, whether you know what you want, NOW, and are ready to bring your vision into reality… OR, feel the need for a brand new vision altogether, we’re excited to explore kaleidoscope possibilities and find the one that shines brightest for you and your customers.
The Marmalade Group 