A New York Times Best Seller, The Creative Act: A Way Of Being written by Rick Rubin, who is a multiple-Grammy-winning record producer is not exactly a business book. But entrepreneurs are creators too or at least need to be creative in their thinking and outlook, as must be all leaders. So this is a book worthy of our attention. Because creativity in problem solving is the engine that drives businesses forward.
Reading this book didn’t just make me think about “creativity” in the usual sense—it made me think about what I’ve always believed about human potential. The biggest thing it reinforced for me is that creativity isn’t the privilege of a rare few. We’re not all equally tall, and we’re not all equally creative, but every human being is born with enough creativity to live fully—if we let it flow through us. I’ve long felt that we are simply vehicles for a kind of universal intelligence, and this book pushed me to sit with that idea more deeply.
For me, creativity is tied directly to freedom. One of the deepest currents running through human life is the desire to be free—to express who we are and live as we choose. That freedom is not just about doing whatever we want; it’s about freeing ourselves from the habits, conditioning, and “programming” that narrow our awareness and shut down possibility. Choosing to be creative is, in my view, choosing freedom.
It also made me think about how easily we give up creativity as we grow older. As children, curiosity is natural. Over time, we trade it for safety, conformity, and efficiency. In leadership, curiosity is foundational, and it’s also at the root of creativity. For me, curiosity begins with awareness—of ourselves, our environment, and the raw material of our experiences. That awareness allows us to see patterns, make connections, and notice what others miss. I think of Newton and the apple: countless people had seen an apple fall, but he noticed.
I also came away reflecting on the role of the self, the ego, and the shadow in my own creative process. I believe the self is the source of creativity, but it’s often blocked by ego (self-importance, fear of judgment) and shadow (buried fears, conditioning). The more I can strip those away, the more space I create for ideas to emerge.
The book also reminded me that while creativity can’t be forced, it can be nurtured—through new experiences, diverse knowledge, and openness to perspectives outside my normal circle. That means taking time to pause, making deliberate choices about what I take in, and not letting the environment “force-feed” my mind.
It confirmed something I’ve seen in both art and business: cross-pollination and experimentation are essential, yet they’re often avoided in the name of productivity. In my experience, those are exactly the conditions that lead to breakthroughs. This is as true for entrepreneurship and leadership as it is for painting or music.
And finally, I came back to a truth I’ve learned many times: creativity only matters if you bring ideas to life. That’s the hard, unglamorous part—execution—but without it, nothing changes.
For me, The Creative Act wasn’t just about artistic creation; it was a mirror for thinking about how I live, lead, and choose. It reminded me that creativity is less about making art and more about making a life that reflects who you really are.
Author:
Nick Vaidya, MS, MBA, PhD (c)
Email:
nick@8020strategy.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/nickvaidya
YouTube:
youtube.com/channel/UC9OPMJeujF-ImmsFV1OfrHg
Nick Vaidya is a Wiley Best-Selling author and a regular columnist for Forbes India and The CEO Magazine. He has worn many hats — from University Faculty to CEO/CXO roles across startups, SMBs, and a unicorn — and has also led Strategy and Pricing teams for $8B product line at a Fortune 10 company. Today, Nick helps SME CEOs scale their businesses using his proprietary framework, which focuses on transforming the way meetings are conducted — driving cultural shifts and accelerating organizational growth.