The Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief. . .Creativity is not reserved for a select few!
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Welcome (back) to the Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief! Each week, I share insights and practical strategies to help us cultivate well-being and thrive — both personally and professionally. Live well! Lawyer well!
This week we are looking at Rick Rubin’s Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being. The Creative Act isn’t just a book about making music or art — it’s about how to live. At its core, Rubin reminds us that creativity is not reserved for a select few. It is available to all of us, in the way we cook a meal, solve a problem at work, raise our children, or even in how we choose to spend an afternoon. Creativity is not about perfection — it’s about presence. Learn more about Rick Rubin here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin
Rubin’s The Creative Act reminds us that creativity isn’t just about painting canvases or writing songs — it’s about how we live each day. When we see creativity as a way of being, the small choices we make — what we notice, how we problem-solve, how we connect — become opportunities to shape our lives with intention.
Here are a few ways we can apply Rubin’s wisdom to everyday life:
1. Pay Attention
Creativity begins with awareness. We need to notice the details around us: the colors in a sunrise, the rhythm of footsteps on the sidewalk, the silence between conversations. Inspiration often hides in plain sight. The more present we are, the more raw material wehave to work with.
Action: Each day, lets pause for 60 seconds to notice one small thing we normally overlook.
2. Experiment Without Attachment
Rubin emphasizes process over outcome. Try new things not because they have to succeed, but because the act of trying opens doors. Cook a new dish, rearrange a room, sketch an idea. Some experiments will fail — but failure is data, not defeat.
Action: This week, do one activity where the goal is simply to explore, not to achieve.
3. Create Space for Stillness
Great ideas often arrive in moments of quiet. If our schedule is packed, creativity gets crowded out. Make room for silence, reflection, or even boredom — it’s often in the gaps that sparks appear.
Action: Set aside 10 minutes a day with no phone, no agenda, no distractions. Just be.
4. Bring Play Into Routine
We often treat routines as chores. But Rubin reminds us that everyday acts — cooking, exercising, working — can be creative when approached with playfulness. We should shift our mindset from “getting it done” to “finding what’s possible.”
Action: Pick one routine task today and approach it as if we were an artist experimenting with new materials.
5. Share and Connect
Creativity isn’t just personal — it grows when shared. Whether it’s showing a friend our writing, brainstorming at work, or trying a new recipe with family, sharing sparks feedback, connection, and growth.
Action: Share one small creative act with someone else this week.
Final Thought
Creativity isn’t about being an artist in the traditional sense. It’s about how we engage with life. By paying attention, experimenting, creating space, playing with routines, and sharing with others, we transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
Forward Always!
