Rick Rubin: Your Whole Personality Is NOT True

Summary

Rick Rubin and Jay Shetty discuss authenticity, creativity, and how to make work without letting other people’s expectations take over.

• Authenticity is more meaningful than trying to be liked. Rubin says people want acceptance, but changing yourself to match what you imagine others want can leave you presenting a mask rather than something genuine. Personal differences—including imperfections—make people and their work interesting.
• Creativity is something everyone uses. It is not limited to artists: choosing a different route around traffic or adjusting a recipe are everyday creative decisions.
• The biggest creative obstacle is worrying about other people’s reactions. Rubin argues that an artist’s task is to make the work as well as they can and decide whether they believe in it—not to guess what an audience will like. He describes making work as an offering, guided by love and devotion rather than market calculations.
• The same idea can be expressed in endlessly different ways. People bring distinct histories and perspectives to what they make, so familiar ingredients can still produce original work. The goal is not to create something unlike everything else by force, but to express one’s own way of seeing.
• Feedback is subjective. People respond to work through their own perspectives, so reviews and awards cannot provide a universal measure of which work is “better.” Rubin suggests comparing your work with your own past efforts: Is this the best you can make now, and are you continuing to grow?
• Creative focus can be strengthened by changing conditions. A new environment, a different audience, or a different way of performing can break habitual patterns and bring out a new response. Rubin gives examples including recording in darkness and having the Red Hot Chili Peppers record in a rented mansion rather than a conventional studio.
• Distraction and procrastination are not the same. Rubin says procrastination is unhelpful, but a purposeful change of activity—such as walking, swimming, or driving while holding a creative question in mind—can let the mind make new connections. Movement and external surroundings can also make conversations more open and productive.
• Deep creative work often requires immersion and persistence. Rubin describes artists who devote substantial time to their craft, including years of imperfect performances. He also emphasizes that a person’s purpose does not have to be their paid job; earning a living can support the time and freedom to pursue what matters.
• Dream journaling can reveal patterns over time. Dreams may initially seem disconnected or abstract, but reviewing them later can make recurring themes clearer.

Practical Approaches Discussed

• Change the context of a piece of work. Give a song or project a different imagined meaning or backstory. Rubin recounts suggesting that Johnny Cash sing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as a devotional song to God, which helped Cash connect with it.
• Change the environment or performance conditions. Try a different space, lighting, time of day, or physical setup. A shift can make a repeated attempt feel like a fresh one rather than another version of the same take.
• Bring in an observer or small audience. Having someone present can alter performance and attention. Find the audience size and setting that help the work, rather than assuming every artist responds the same way.
• Share work with a trusted creative community. Choose people whose taste you respect and exchange work with them. They do not need to make the same kind of art.
• When stuck, hold the question and change activities. Take a walk, go for a swim, or drive while paying attention to the world around you. Let the activity provide a break from staring at the problem directly.
• Practice dream journaling. Keep pen and paper by the bed. On waking, move as little as possible and write down whatever fragments you remember; writing may help bring back more details. Rubin says that, in his experience, looking back after time has passed helped him notice patterns he could not see at the time.
• Follow what genuinely interests you. Rubin cautions against doing things only for a hoped-for benefit or outcome.

Speakers and Sources Mentioned

Speakers

• Rick Rubin — producer and author; shares views and examples from his creative work.
• Jay Shetty — host and interviewer.

Other People, Works, or Sources Referenced

• Johnny Cash — example involving a reinterpretation of a song’s emotional meaning.
• Slayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers — examples from Rubin’s work with artists.
• The Beatles — discussed in an anecdote Jay says he heard on a podcast; the podcast is not identified.
• Bob Iger’s book — cited by Jay for an account of filmmakers sharing work with one another.
• George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino — mentioned in connection with that filmmakers’ group.
• An MIT study — described by Jay as examining how people with different professional connections may contribute to creativity and innovation; the study is not named.
• A Japanese saying about “three faces” and a saying attributed to Mark Twain — both introduced by Jay.
• Andrew Huberman — mentioned by Jay as a mutual friend and podcast guest.
• Rick Rubin’s book — discussed throughout, but its title is not stated in the subtitles.