📚 21 Books mentioned in "Rick Rubin: How to Access Your Creativity" of Huberman Lab

Huberman Lab

Podcast: Huberman Lab

Episode: Rick Rubin: How to Access Your Creativity

Published on January 16, 2023

Here’s a list of all the books mentioned in this episode. Click on the links to watch specific excerpts on YouTube and feel free to purchase the books if they caught your interest!

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

I recall distinctly that in the book, you described how the physical world is constrained by the laws of physics and certain things. The imagination is unconstrained. I think I have this right; you said the work sets somewhere between those—it’s neither one nor the other.

Podcast host, Andrew Huberman, refers back to a discussion point from Rick Rubin's book, in which Rubin distinguished between the physical world and the realm of imagination.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

Please also be sure to check out his new book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.

In this segment, podcast host Andrew Huberman encourages listeners to explore Rick Rubin's new book, *The Creative Act: A Way of Being*, highlighting its relevance to creativity.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

It is one of those books that is so filled with gems, like every chapter. I could take notes on this and take notes on that, and it's assembled in a very digestible way that allows people to extract the meaningful parts in every chapter.

In this segment, Andrew Huberman discusses a book that contains valuable insights in each chapter, highlighting how it is organized in a digestible format that facilitates meaningful note-taking.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

But I've seen a little bit of the evolution of it, and I've seen it now and read through it in its final form twice, as I mentioned. I'm going to continue to read through it again.

Andrew Huberman discusses his experience with a book, observing its evolution and mentioning that he has read it twice. He expresses his intent to continue reading it, highlighting the richness of its subject matter.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

ANDREW HUBERMAN: The chapter on self-doubt was particularly interesting to me. RICK RUBIN: Tell me what it says because I can’t remember.

In this segment, podcast host Andrew Huberman discusses a chapter titled 'self-doubt' from Rick Rubin's book, expressing his interest in its content. He prompts Rubin to elaborate, highlighting that Rubin needs to refresh his memory on the subject.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

One of the things I discovered while working on the book was that we aren't required to treat the different phases of work in the same way, whereas before, I did. In the past, everything was in this state of play.

Rick Rubin discusses that while working on his book, he learned that different phases of a project can be managed in varied ways, particularly in relation to deadlines. This insight reflects a shift in his understanding of the creative process.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

The other thing that I used over time to reset this ability to think in a structured way without it feeling like it was overcoming me, maybe even access the same thing in some ways that you're accessing with wrestling, was I like to stare at aquaria. I like to go to aquariums or I'd build aquariums.

In this segment, Andrew Huberman talks about Rick Rubin's insights related to nature and creativity, particularly mentioning how Rubin's experiences with aquaria have influenced his thinking. This is connected to concepts discussed in Rubin's book, "The Creative Act: A Way of Being."

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

In the book, you talk about this notion of entertaining the idea of the opposite being true. There are not only emerging but established fields of psychology that are making great ground, I think, into the human psyche; Byron Katie's work and others.

Podcast host Andrew Huberman recalls Rick Rubin addressing the concept of considering and even embracing the opposite of what one believes, drawing a parallel with the philosophy that the opposite might also be true.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

ANDREW HUBERMAN: What I want to do is drill into your process a little more deeply; when you approach a project, everyone meets each other, shakes hands, and here are the engineers. We're going to sit down, and everyone knows what they're doing, because you work with professionals.

In this segment, Huberman expresses his intention to explore Rubin's creative process in more detail, particularly how collaboration unfolds when professionals come together for a project. This discussion is rooted in insights from Rubin's book.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

So this relates to an amazing chapter and series of writings in your book that I'm not going to describe because I want people to find it for themselves about disengaging, about disengaging from the process. One question I had as I read that chapter, and as you're saying this now, is even though you're disengaged, do you believe that your subconscious is working it through?

Podcast host Andrew Huberman highlights a chapter from Rick Rubin's book that he does not want to spoil, which discusses themes of disengaging from the creative process. Huberman then poses a question about whether this disengagement allows the subconscious to work through ideas in the background.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

Aside from your daily routines, when it comes to someone going from project to project, and you know you're going to be doing work with somebody, it could be your own work. And we'll talk about the writing of this book and its structure, which is very unique.

In this segment, podcast host Andrew Huberman discusses the writing process of Rick Rubin's book, 'The Creative Act: A Way of Being,' highlighting its unique structure and how it interrelates with Rubin's other projects.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

We also spent some time talking about Rick's new book, which is all about creativity and ways to access creativity. The title of the book is The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin.

In this episode, Andrew Huberman discusses Rick Rubin's new book, 'The Creative Act: A Way of Being,' which focuses on creativity and methods to enhance access to one's creative potential.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

And you said your description of source is something within us. I don't know if I would say that was accurate. It's definitely in us too, but it's not only in us.

In a discussion about creativity, podcast host Andrew Huberman references a concept from Rick Rubin's book, 'The Creative Act: A Way of Being'. He challenges a specific claim made by Rubin about the nature of the 'source' of creativity, suggesting that while it exists within us, it also extends beyond us.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

One of the things I talk about in the book is that, because it is a difficult thing to do, it’s fun to play, and it’s fun to think maybe it’s not the best it could be yet, to use whatever the next project is going to be as motivation to finish the one you’re working on now. I'm working on this.

In this segment, Andrew Huberman discusses a concept from Rick Rubin's book, emphasizing how the prospect of future projects can serve as inspiration and motivation to complete current endeavors.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

And then I think about the biology, the neurobiology of like strategy formation or strategy implementation and then almost by sheer luck or miraculously, I turn a few pages later into the book, and there's a description of how animals that are trying to accomplish something—eat, mate, find water, accomplish the requirements of living—require a narrow visual focus.

In this segment, Andrew Huberman discusses a concept from Rick Rubin's book that illustrates how animals must focus narrowly when strategizing to achieve vital tasks like eating or mating.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

ANDREW HUBERMAN: I was thinking in your book you describe, again, when you're thinking about the creative process as a cloud. For me, again, it serves as such a powerful anchor.

Podcast host, Andrew Huberman, discusses insights from Rick Rubin's book about the creative process being likened to a cloud, which Huberman finds to be a powerful anchor.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

When I was reading your book, I was thinking about there's a set of things to follow, things to pay attention to-- you talk about this-- things to access, that none of the creative process comes from just within us. It can, but it's always being fed by things outside of it.

In this segment, Andrew Huberman discusses his thoughts while reading Rick Rubin's book, emphasizing that the creative process is informed by external influences, not solely internal drives. This reflection sheds light on the insights presented in Rubin's work.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

But as I went into your book, which I've done twice. I've read it twice, and by the way, I feel so blessed and honored to have gotten an early copy from you, or a final copy early that is.

In this segment, Andrew Huberman discusses his experience reading Rick Rubin's book, mentioning that he has read it twice and expresses his gratitude for receiving an early copy.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

And so whether or not you consider yourself somebody creative or not, or whether or not you seek to be more creative, Rick's book and today's conversation sheds light on what I believe to be the fundamental features of what makes us human beings. That is what allows us, unlike other animals,

In this segment, Andrew Huberman discusses how Rick Rubin's book sheds light on the fundamental features of what it means to be human, emphasizing creativity and its relevance to our nature.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

This is a book that I've now read three times from cover to cover, and I'm now reading it a fourth time. Because it is so rich with wisdom and information that I'm applying in multiple domains of my life, not just my work but my everyday life.

In this episode, Andrew Huberman shares that he has read Rick Rubin's book, "The Creative Act: A Way of Being," three times and is currently reading it for the fourth time. He highlights how the book is filled with valuable wisdom and insights that he is applying not only in his professional life but also in his daily activities.

â–º Watch this excerpt

The Creative Act Cover

The Creative Act

by Rick Rubin

Buy The Creative Act by Rick Rubin on Amazon

We also spent some time talking about Rick's new book, which is all about creativity and ways to access creativity. The title of the book is The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin.

In this segment, podcast host Andrew Huberman discusses Rick Rubin's new book, which focuses on creativity and how to tap into it. He clearly states the title and author of the book.

â–º Watch this excerpt