From Broken Record: Rick Rubin in Conversation with Malcolm Gladwell

Thu Jan 26 2023

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'The Creative Act' is about how all creative choices are made, not just in music or visual arts
Explores the spiritual component of belief in something bigger that takes you out of the ordinary to allow you to see a wilder potential
Emphasizes the importance of overcoming voices that tell us we can't do things for creativity
Highlights the power of belief and its ability to allow you to go further than you think
Discusses the obligation of artists to look outside of themselves when finding solutions to creative problems

Pay close attention to what's happening around you for creative problem-solving
Hold the question in your awareness and engage in something else to solve a problem
Creativity can be internal and deliberate, but it can also be external and unconscious
Self-expression is not about you; everything we are comes from outside of us
Distraction can be a productive strategy in service of the work
Connection with the outside world can be inspiring if you pick places that are inspiring

Different artists have different strategies for finding inspiration
Inhabiting someone else's voice or tradition can spark new innovation
Imitation can turn into legitimate innovation
The Beatles were doing American Motown music but did it differently because they were English

Girls' sports are facing a crisis due to chronic injuries, pressure to get into the best colleges, and overbearing parents
Coaches face difficulties dealing with crazy parents who call at all hours or make nuisances of themselves during games
Zip Recruiter is a hiring platform that can help businesses find qualified candidates quickly and easily
BetterHelp is an online therapy service designed for convenience and flexibility. It offers licensed therapists and a brief questionnaire to match users with the right therapist

Competition is not the driving force behind creating great work
Success is when you feel good enough about your work to share it with the world
The moment of success is when you sign off on a project and move on to the next one
Car designers in the past fell in love with similar design aesthetics, even though they were competitors
Artistic movements can spring up simultaneously around the world without any direct influence from each other
Love for an idea or concept is what drives creativity and innovation, not competition or perfectionism

Imperfections in art can make it more soulful and authentic
Audiences want to see the mind or heart of the creator, not an abstract thing that fits every criteria of perfection
Journalism through a personal filter is engaging and interesting

Letting go of beliefs and assumptions can lead to breakthroughs in any field
'The Creative Act' has many moments where seemingly contradictory points are made, but they are actually compatible
There is a balance between being inwardly and outwardly sensitive that must be observed

The language we use to describe our feelings and emotions is important for mental health
Framing devices and settings in language can cause unnecessary suffering
'Nonviolent Communication' by Marshall Rosenberg is a good resource for better communication
'Should' is a make wrong word that makes us feel like we were wrong at the time

The best way to work with other people is through cooperation and demonstrating ideas
There should be no rivalry of ideas, but rather a respect for each other's opinions
If everyone works together for the best outcome, conflicts can be avoided
The goal is to achieve harmony among all voices involved in a project
When there are dissenting opinions, it means that the project has not gone far enough
A project is better when all parties involved love it rather than just some of them

'The Creative Act' explores these philosophies around creativity
Rick Rubin talks about his experience with a group called Trouble Funk in high school who played hip-hop