Diving into the lessons and ideas music producer, Rick Rubin, can offer us in our quest of becoming a great artist from his book: The Creative Act: A Way of Being

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3:15 - The Power of Awareness

The universe is only as large as our perception of it. When we cultivate our awareness, we are expanding the universe. This expands the scope, not just of the material at our disposal to create from, but of the life we get to live.

7:30 - Submerge

In service of this robust instinct, consider submerging yourself in the canon of great works. Read the finest literature, watch the masterpieces of cinema, get up close to the most influential paintings, visit architectural landmarks. There’s no standard list; no one has the same measure of greatness…The goal is not to learn to mimic greatness, but to calibrate our internal meter for greatness.

9:50  - The Artist Mindset


The artist’s goal is not merely to produce, but to make the finest work they are capable of. The business thinks in terms of quarterly earnings and production schedules. The artist thinks in terms of timeless excellence.

Fear of criticism. Attachment to a commercial result. Competing with past work. Time and resource constraints. The aspiration of wanting to change the world. And any story beyond, “I want to make the best thing I can make, whatever it is,” Are all undermining  forces in the quest for greatness

11:40 - On Rules

So rather than climbing the five tallest mountains in the 80 days, what was stopping me from topping all 14 death zone mountains in the quickest time imaginable? I struggled to think of too many pitfalls. Only politics or money. Or maybe an avalanche or a crevasse, if I’m really unlucky

The goal of shaving off an entire seven years from the world record was wildly ambitious, but I quickly embraced the idea. The bottom line was to climb as quickly as possible, whatever the weather, Nims style

14:40 - When is The Work Done?

How do we know when an idea is flourishing? Often the most accurate signposts are emotional, not intellectual. Excitement tends to be the best barometer for selecting which seeds to focus on.

The call of the artist is to follow the excitement. Where there’s excitement, there’s energy. And where there is energy, there is light. 

16:30 - How an Artist Defines Success

Success occurs in the privacy of the soul. It comes in the moment you decide to release the work, before exposure to a single opinion. When you’ve done all you can to bring out the world's greatest potential. When you’re pleased and ready to let go. 


19:15: Why Create Art?

The reason we’re alive is to express ourselves in the world. And creating art may be the most effective and beautiful method of doing so. Art goes beyond language, beyond lives. It’s a universal way to send messages between each other and through time

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Check out my new book Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence