What I love most about Rick Rubin’s gem of a book is that it has invited me to play again, to create for the sake of creating, to loosen my grip a little on outcomes and enjoy the process, to realize that I am an artist, a creator. We all are.
In the section entitled, Beginner’s Mind, he writes, “To see what no human has seen before, to know what no human has known before, to create as no human has created before, it may be necessary to see as if through eyes that have never seen, know through a mind that has never thought, create with hands that have never been trained. This is beginner’s mind – one of the most difficult states of being to dwell in for an artist, precisely because it involves letting go of what our experiences have taught us. Beginner’s mind is starting from a pure childlike place of not knowing…” He goes on to say, “Innocence brings forth innovation. A lack of knowledge can create more openings to break new ground.” Wisdom is of value too, of course, but it “tempers the power of naivete.”
As the mother of four boys, I encourage you to spend time with children under seven and you will be reminded of the power of a beginner’s mind.
What I know for sure is that if I am wound up or in reaction to something or someone, or if I’m struggling to recover that sense of calm in the midst of the chaos, one of the tried and true ways to recover my center, a sense of calm, centeredness and groundedness is to go to the art, without a clear idea of what I’m creating. My only intention is to immerse myself in something that keeps my hands and fingers moving, whether that’s creating collages, puzzling, repotting plants or cutting up vegetables and other ingredients for a delicious and heart-warming made up soup. It’s all creativity. It’s a way of being that brings me back home to myself, to the people closest to me and all of you around the world.
Rick Rubin could name drop a ton and he doesn’t. He could pontificate from vast experience and he doesn’t. He could share insights and then suggest what we might do with them and he doesn’t. As a true elder, he captures his insights and wisdom in 78 Areas of Thought, short, themed snippets that feel like tender nudges to question the status quo, let go of familiar ways of doing, being and thinking, and open up to the joy and wonder of creating for creating’s sake. I feel less heavy in the process, lighter, more open to what’s possible. It’s delightful.
While a beautiful and financially successful outcome may result, it’s also okay if that is not in any way what happens. The joy of the creative process is more enduring. The curiosity at its core is like the air we breathe. As Rubin says, “art is the portal to the unseen world.”
If you are in need of a spark, a simple and yet elegant invitation to tune in and be moved anew, take a look at The Creative Act: A Way of Being. May you find greater beauty, joy, peace and inner harmony in the process.
(Find this book in the Recommended Reading section of my website, under: Additional Inspiration, Fun, Expansion, & Depth)
