I’ve been reading Rick Rubin's The Creative Act: A Way of Being off and on since I brought it for myself as a Christmas present. I had seen it pop up in various reading lists as an important read for creative souls but never had the coin to buy it. We were in Wanaka, NZ a few days before Christmas last year when we wandered into an exquisite looking homewares store that smelt of sandalwood and cinnamon. It was the kind of establishment that I normally wouldn’t bother entering with the kids because I can’t be bothered with the boring stares of the staff as the kids man-handle various (expensive) trinkets.
This time the kids were a bit older and had been responding well to our threats of keeping their hands in their pockets if they want to go into stores like this so we ventured in. Among the $100 Japanese lunchboxes and bespoke wooden bowls was a single copy of Rick Rubin's book. It was a sign. I brought it for myself, got it beautifully gift wrapped and told the kids they could give it to me for Christmas which was a ‘two birds with one stone’ scenario.
The book is made up of 78 chapters each looking at a particular area or concept around the creative process. Some of the chapters are only a few pages long which means I’ve been able to pick it up in between books or programs and just read a few chapters here and there when I can. Each chapter is a lovely reminder about what it means to be a creative person and celebrates the gift that we all have when it comes to creating. It could be art or music, cooking or writing. I have always believed that everyone is creative, some people just might not have found the best way to express it yet. I love this book because being reminded of the gifts we have is just a nice way to spend your time.
I read a chapter on ‘The Ecstatic' last night which I loved. Broadly it describes that moment when it works. Rick uses’ the analogy of biting into a piece of fruit at the peak of its ripeness. When I relate this to my design work, I think of those moments of clarity, when the answer reveals itself right before your eyes. Seemingly separate ideas or directions might merge in some weird and wonderful way to form something I never anticipated. It's the essence of creativity.
You forget all the hard work it took to get there and the ideas that went nowhere or concepts that flopped and get to relish in the feeling that you’ve discovered something special. A silent whisper that makes you laugh. The movement when harmony and fulfillment prevail.
You don’t have to be making art or writing music to have this feeling. You could be knitting a jumper or be building a shed in your back yard. As I mentioned before, I believe everyone is creative, they just might just not recognise themselves as creative people. I also believe that we are responsible for creating these moments in our lives. Some people are lucky enough to get paid for this type of thinking. Most people I know are working on projects where they’re bringing ideas to life. It could be a strategy for the local council or a program supporting young people to gain employment.
Sometimes this moment pops up when you are in the neutral zone of a project. From nowhere a switch is flicked and you lean in knowing that something important has changed.
Sometimes this feeling isn’t always where you’d expect it to be. Quite often it’s discovered in moments away from projects when your brain has space to connect the dots. This is why the shower is responsible for some many brilliant ideas. Sometimes we need to stand back to see the whole picture. I get lots of ideas when I’m running. I try really hard to clear my head and just acknowledge what my body is doing but it never works and I eventually end up thinking about something in my life.
I feel something shift. Something new is revealed or an idea explodes centre stage. In my experience, being away from all of life's distractions is the best environment to encourage ecstatic moments. I was sluggish on my run this morning so I decided that I would run up a really steep hill to get a view of the sunrise. It was hard and I really couldn’t be bothered but I was running anyway so might as well. The reward was a panoramic view of Ballarat waking up this morning. The colours were amazing because it's autumn which is Ballarat’s time to shine. Reds, yellows, pinks in the sky and in the trees.
Running might not traditionally be a creative endeavour but admiring a sunrise surely is. These movements occur all the time with or without our acknowledgement. Being able to harness them for our own creative pursuits is an infinite resource if we can tap into it. Anything that helps bring ‘The Ecstatic’ to life. When things fall into place and we know where on the right path. It's visceral and doesn’t have to make sense but they’re why we keep showing up.
