The Creative Act: A Way of Being

The Creative Act presents a unifying theme that incorporates the artist, the art, and the universe under single way of being. Creativity as a way of life encapsulates Rubin’s philosophy of creativity as a way of thinking and living. Rubin believes creativity is available to everyone. Importantly, Creativity as a way of life is not just a mindset, but a practice of existence. On this point, The Creative Act embraces the conventions of the self-help genre by giving readers specific activities and ideas that can improve their lives. As stated in the opening chapter, “[c]reativity is a fundamental aspect of being human” (1), and therefore is inherent within everybody, even if they think of themselves as artists or not. Anyone can tap into their creative potential by practicing awareness and paying attention to the world around them. Rubin integrates the accessible and democratic nature of creativity throughout the book. In Chapter 36, “The Abundant Mindset,” Rubin describes artists how artists open themselves to the constant flow of ideas coming from the universe to practice their creativity. The point of cultivating creativity as a way of life is to train the capacity for creating, completing, and releasing art and work.