The Stories Came Later

Jan 21, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jun 20

Rick Rubin, creativity, and the origins of Sparkle Valley

I recently read a book on creativity that aligned nicely with Blue Flower. It’s called The Creative Act, and it was written by the big-time music producer, Rick Rubin. What’s interesting about Rubin is he says he knows nothing about music and has no technical skills. So why do musicians pay him big money to “produce” their music. His answer? It’s because of the confidence he has in his taste and the ability to express what he feels.

That sounds counter-intuitive and it’s why the interviewer asked him to explain it. No technique or expertise? Just taste, feeling, and attention. It’s definitely worth digging a little deeper.

Here are 5 quotes from Rubin’s book The Creative Act that help shed light on what he means here.

“You don't need to be better than anyone else. You just need to be fully yourself.”

The goal isn’t to stand out or be different. It’s to be honest.

“Don't chase perfection. Chase expression.”

Make it live. That’s what resonates.

"Sometimes the mistake is the hook."

The weird part might be the best part.

Abigail, Ivana & Boris Tortoise in the Academy of Muses

"Make things you love. Everything else is guessing."

Don’t try to predict. It’s impossible.

"It's not about making something. It's about being something."

Don’t think about the product. Think about the state.

This final idea really stuck with me: How creativity isn't something you manufacture. It arrives in waves.

That's how Sparkle Valley came about. I never reverse-engineered anything. I simply followed the thread wherever it wanted to go. Wave after wave, And to tell the truth, looking back now, 10 years from when I started, the books feel almost secondary. The real creative act happened years earlier in a garden with my daughter.

The stories came later.