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In this episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan speaks with Rick Rubin about his new book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, the importance of allowing creativity to happen rather than willing it into existence, working with the unique facets of the artist’s ego, the importance of changing up the way that you do things, the phases of the creative process, and more.

Nicholas Gurewitch’s whimsical humour has been featured in many editorial publications, but it lives online at The Perry Bible Fellowship.

The cartoonist’s most recent venture —titled “Notes on a Chase of Melancholia, or: A Little Death”— is a grim and humorous graphic novel about the dysfunctional relationship between Death and his child.

Roughly ten years have passed since Gurewitch started to develop the initial story until the definitive graphic novel was finally published. The laborious technique chosen for the project —inspired by the style of artist Edward Gorey— consists in tracing each panel entirely by hand on scratchboards, with no margin for error.

If I did this another way, if I’d just use a god damned pen, I could’ve been done like a year ago. Sometimes I regret having undertaken a technique that has cost me so much, but I do love what comes out of it. I get happiness deep down in the foot of my soul that I don’t get from doing stuff that’s easy.

Gurewitch’s commitment to his art is an example that many creatives in this readership can, not only appreciate, but also relate to. A thrilling feeling of fulfilment which arises from creating something new and unique that far outweighs the overwhelming nature of long-term projects.

I can’t really live with myself if I make something common. There’s just no limit to how good art can be. And if are not a little bit intrepid about it, we are never gonna find out.

The book can be ordered at the Perry Bible Shop.