The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Chapter 70 tells readers that the creation of art may not yield financial success. Artists should choose career fields that give them the money and security to create art in the time not spent working. For most people, their art will not support them materially. Financial gain often comes intermittently. Rubin recommends careers that allow for “mental space to formulate and develop” their creative visions of the world (360). Another approach involves choosing a career in the field to which they aspire to contribute. Internships, part-time, or volunteer work can lead to unexpected opportunities. Likewise, surrounding oneself with a group of like-minded, creative individuals, what Rubin calls a Sangha, can facilitate creativity. Rubin concludes that being a “part of an artistic community can be one of the great joys in life” (361).

Chapter 71 says that no single version of the individual self exists. Selves vary due to environment, ages, communities, and events; at times, the version of oneself changes in one day. The individual lives in “constant negotiation” between the different aspects of the self (364). Rubin compares the self to a prism. When a light is shot through a prism, the full spectrum of color displays on the other side.