«I Like Things That Are Unique and Extreme»
An elaboration on why Rick Rubin is the living proof that artificial intelligence will not displace the creative industry.
Good morning,
I hope you still know who I am. Or you can remember the last time you read Garms & Yarns. And to all of you who are now thinking, finally something again: Apologies. I was on my annual winter break. Sounds relaxing. Hasn't been so pleasant at all, thanks to the lovely exam period and wave of flu.
So I'm all the more glad to be back. To discuss, thematise and elaborate with you here on a regular basis again. For today I've had an idea in my head for a long time. Actually, I've been planning the article in my head for the whole week and I'm glad — as well as strengthened by my morning Americano, obviously — to finally put my thoughts down on paper.
Today we're going to focus on two things that have made a big noise in the last few weeks. Rick Rubin and ChatGPT. Somehow they both have a lot in common. But they couldn't be more different.
An Odd Couple
Perhaps I don't need to talk much about ChatGPT here. Everyone knows it. If you're frowning now, you need to catch up. Go google it, now. But Rick Rubin probably deserves a few words. For those who don't know him — Rubin is something like the Lionel Messi of the creative industry.
By Wikipedia definition, he's a music producer who co-founded Def Jam Records and played a crucial role in introducing hip-hop music to pop culture. All of you have danced to songs by him. Trust me. Your favourite hits by LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Johnny Cash or Eminem, all came to life through Rubin's help. Not undeservedly, Dr. Dre calls him the «dopest producer ever».
But it is not only his successes that distinguish Rick Rubin: He is unique thanks to his minimalist approach to production. He sees himself as a facilitator who helps artists bring their vision to life, rather than someone who creates the music.
Now if you're one of those people hearing the name Rick Rubin for the first time — don't worry. Totally Niché. But I urge you to tell your boss that you're taking a break. Get a coffee and a snack and watch the following video in a cosy corner.
Rick Rubin’s Process of Creative Work
Anyone who works in the creative industry knows the process all too well. No matter who you are, what your idea is or how you came up with it, it will go through a big scrutiny: the editor, the creative director, the gatekeeper. He is the one who determines the final expression of the work, no matter how many I's were involved in its creation.
His task is not to design, to invent. He collects and sifts. He is there to amplify what is essential and to cut away what is superfluous. Ultimately, he reduces the work to the best version of himself. Sometimes he finds a gap and sends his creative partners to fill it. In other cases he creates gaps, to exhale, unfold, grow big. He removes the unnecessary to reveal the finished work.
Exactly, this is the work of Rick Rubin. The demonstration of his taste. And this does not show in films, music, fashion or books he likes. But in the way he curates works. What is included, what is not, and how the pieces need to be put together.
Thus we can divide the creative work into an additive and subtractive part of a project. Additive is the bulk of the creative work. Creating, trying out, brainstorming, collecting. But, the essence of an extraordinary creative process lies in the selective part of the work. The professional who does the selective part, the editor, must leave the ego aside. The ego proudly clings to individual elements of a work. The editor's task is to remain unattached and look past these passions to find unity and balance. Talented artists can be lousy editors. Ergo, most of the time, the best editors are below average artists.
The editor is the professional in the poet - Rick Rubin.
Therefore, creative work is a combination of many different things. Ego, morality, empathy, taste. The latter has been the subject of Rick Rubin's recent book — which has caused a huge hullabaloo around the music producer. In recent decades, Rubin's blithe reductionism has mellowed into something more reminiscent of a wise gravitas. The Creative Act, then, is a distillation of the wisdom Rubin has accumulated over the decades he has been putting out records. A series of the creative challenges he overcame in his years. An explanation of how to let your own tastes run wild to produce a consummate creative project. A handbook for editors, and all those who wish to be.
The ChatGPT Dilemma
As we now understand the creative process, we can go back to our elaboration.
Since the release of ChatGPT, creatives have been in a dilemma. On the one hand, one enjoys the support of artificial intelligence, almost like a little Oompah Loompah on the computer. If you have a little mental block, don't know where to look or are in need of an impulse, it is relentlessly at your side. It delivers well-founded and useful work, helps where it can, and is a loyal companion.
But then there are the exclamations from the society. Especially for people like me, who locate themselves in the creative field and mainly work with words, sentences and texts, it has been tough. «It can also write headlines». «Why do we still need journalists». The list is endless. Arguments without much foundation. But without an understanding of the creative process, or knowledge of Rick Rubin's extraordinary gift, these arguments sound very plausible. This is precisely why a dilemma arises. Customers, friends, teachers, family, must first understand what truly creative work is before they can put into perspective what an impact ChatGPT will have on this industry. Because ego, morality, empathy or taste are things that are created through experience. Not through artificial intelligence.
Finally, the editor is the professional in the poet, not ChatGPT.
Love,
Pascal