Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2023-06-09
Books mentioned on Rick Rubin on The Creative Act, Overcoming Ego, and Enjoying the Process
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Zen in the Art of Archery
Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel is a classic philosophical text that bridges Zen Buddhism with the mastery of physical discipline and the creative flow state.
Discussed“I don't know if I've ever read that; I know I've had the book, but I don't know if I've ever read it. It's a wonderful, fascinating book.”
Where to get it
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The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time
The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time by Keith Houston examines the fascinating history, material evolution, and cultural impact of the physical book throughout civilization.
Discussed“Then when it's done and there are no more creative decisions to be made, and the book is written, you may not have the final final version of it, but you know exactly what the book is. You've said what you want to say, and you feel good about it; that would be the first time to think about, okay,”
Where to get it
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On Writing
On Writing by Stephen King is part memoir and part masterclass on the craft of writing, detailing the author's personal experiences alongside practical advice for aspiring authors.
Discussed“You're not the same person who wrote your first book, so if you're using exactly the same methods that that guy was using, they might not be optimal. No, it's changed a ton.”
Where to get it
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Gates of Fire
Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire is a historical novel depicting the epic Battle of Thermopylae through the eyes of a Spartan warrior.
Recommended“Like I read—whenever I start a new project, I read one of Steven Pressfield’s writing books again, just from cover to cover. Um, and I feel like there’s something in the way that you did it that, um, you know, is the difference between depth and width, and I think you’ve created something that has a greater depth and value”
Where to get it
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The War of Art
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a practical and influential guide that explores the internal creative blocks and psychological barriers that hinder artistic and professional productivity.
Recommended“When somebody does something I guess—even the War of Art—but when somebody does something that is both timely but also has no place in time, that’s something incredible about what art can do. Where it can be everywhere and nowhere current and timeless at the same time.”
Where to get it
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Meditations
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a collection of personal journals written by the Roman emperor, offering timeless Stoic philosophy and practical guidance on virtue, leadership, and emotional resilience.
Discussed“I think about that; obviously, the book that's influenced my life the most is Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. What I think is so surreal about that book is you have the most powerful person in the world, 2000 years ago, writing a journal to himself, never intending it to be published.”
Where to get it
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Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is an ancient foundational text of Taoism that offers philosophical wisdom on living in harmony with the natural flow of the universe and finding balance in life.
Recommended“they just had uh the book that probably inspired me the most is um the dowdy Jing Lao TSU sure and also to 3000 years old I believe”
Where to get it
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Plutarch's Lives, Volume 2
Plutarch's Lives, Volume 2 by Plutarch is a collection of parallel biographies of famous Greek and Roman leaders, exploring the moral character and political actions of antiquity's most influential figures.
Discussed“Shakespeare is stealing from the writings of Plutarch, who existed roughly around the time of Marcus Aurelius. He quotes other fables and stuff, but you can tell that Shakespeare is stealing from ancient stories—just as like the Renaissance was powered by them falling back in love with the Greeks and the Romans.”
Where to get it
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The Odyssey of Homer
The Odyssey of Homer by Homer is an ancient epic poem recounting Odysseus's arduous journey home from the Trojan War and his encounters with various mythological trials.
Discussed“In the Odyssey, he talks about the 'wine-dark sea.' Who thinks the ocean looks like wine?”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (8) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“You have to find some way to be present and both very committed and also, as you talk about in the book, kind of detached from all of that external stuff. Absolutely, and I recommend that artists engage or re-engage with why they wanted to do it in the first place and really find their love.”
“I would clarify—your book is full of paradoxes, I think much more Eastern than Western, your embrace of paradox instead of singular permanent truth. You tell the story about the man in Calcutta and then you have this wonderful little poem on page 104, and you say, beware of the assumption that the way you work is the best way”
“If we put our—one of the things I recommend in the book is like creating the equivalent of creating office hours, having a schedule to work. Where you say I'm going to sit down for this could be 20 minutes, could be three hours; it's up to you what that window is and how you want to do it.”
“like when somebody does something I guess even the war of art but but when somebody does something and it's both very timely but also without a place in time that's something incredible about what art can do where it can be everywhere and nowhere current and and Timeless at the same time”
“That's when you can start thinking; we call that the crafting phase in the book. The first stage is the seed phase where we're gathering ideas; the second phase is the experimentation phase where we're watering those seeds, seeing what they want to be on their own.”
“But one of the things that I've learned from the book in working on the book is that that last phase, the editing and getting ready to share it, you can do that on a schedule. Whereas you can't really collect the seeds on a schedule, you can't really do the experimentation on a schedule.”
“And, um, I actually—I had to go back through and read some of my earlier books. I’d reread The Obstacle is the Way and what I was struck by, what I noticed there for the first time was that there was a tightness to the writing and the book is shorter.”
“It’s the book I wanted to write; that’s one of the things about it is like—and I think when we did talk about it all those years ago, that was probably what you said. It’s like, why do you want to do that book?”