‘No matter what tools you use to create, the true instrument is you. And through you, the universe that surrounds us all comes into focus.’
‘The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity. To see past the ordinary and mundane and get to what might otherwise be invisible.’
‘Turning something from an idea into a reality can make it seem smaller. It changes from unearthly to earthly. The imagination has no limits. The physical world does. The work exists in both.’
‘Look for what you notice but no one else sees.’
‘There’s a reason we are drawn to gazing at the ocean. It is said the ocean provides a closer reflection of who we are than any mirror.’
‘The person who makes something today isn’t the same person who returns to the work tomorrow.’
‘Doubting the quality of your work might, at times, help you to improve it. You can doubt your way to excellence.’
‘Sometimes disengaging is the best way to engage.’
‘You are never alone when you are making art. You are in a constant dialogue with what is and what was, and the closer you can tune in to that discussion, the better you can serve the work before you.’
‘Instead of sounding like others, value your own voice. Develop it. Cherish it.’
‘Holding every rule as breakable is a healthy way to live as an artist.’
‘Beware of the assumption that the way you work is the best way simply because it’s the way you’ve done it before.’
‘Create an environment where you’re free to express what you’re afraid to express.’
‘Failure is the information you need to get where you’re going.’
‘The only way to truly know if any idea works is to test it. And if you’re looking for the best idea, test everything.’
‘Taking a wrong turn allows you to see landscapes you wouldn’t otherwise have seen.’
‘Is it time for the next project because the clock or calendar says it’s time, or because the work itself says it’s time?’
‘There are no bad rules or good rules. Only rules that fit the situation and serve the art.’
‘In the end, the sum total of the essence of our individual works may serve as a reflection. The closer we get to the true essence of each work, the sooner they will somehow, at some point in time, provide clues as to our own.’
‘It is helpful to work as if the project you’re engaged in is bigger than you.’
Source
Rick Rubin (2023). The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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