Our Winter Zoom book discussion series begins next week on Thursday, January 23. Sessions start at 10 AM PT, 11 AM MT, 12 Noon CT, and 1 PM ET, and last about 90 minutes. This season’s book for reflection and discussion is The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.

With this book we are taking a bit of an excursion from our usual topics of religion and spirituality. Yet The Creative Act is full of spiritual insight and does not exclude traditional religion as much as transcend it. The subject of our last book, the medieval mystic Meister Eckhart, and the book’s author, Matthew Fox, both spoke often of the fundamental importance of creativity and viewed it as a divine attribute. This book affirms both those viewpoints.

Rick Rubin (b. 1963), our book’s author, is a world renowned, decades-long music producer. The winner of nine Grammy awards, he’s worked with a wide range of artists, including Tom Petty, Adele, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Strokes, and many more. He was the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and former co-president of Columbia Records.

The Creative Act grows out Rubin’s years of working with artists and creating art himself. Why is this a good book for us? Because of Rubin’s belief, as the subtitle implies, that creativity is fundamental to living a full life. Everyone is an artist, Rubin believes, however we apply our unique gifts and skills.

The word “God” may not appear in the book, but Rubin makes it clear that he believes the creative act requires a connection with the transcendent force that undergirds the universe (“Source” in Rubin’s lexicon). I believe The Creative Act will provide us with many fruitful avenues of reflection and conversation, building on our previous books and discussions.

The book is easily found in stores and online, in print, digitally, and as an audio recording. Everyone is welcome! Contact me if you have any questions and/or if you are interested in participating, so I can email you the Zoom connection information. I look forward to seeing you on the 23rd!