In the book "The Creative Act: A Way of Being," Rick Rubin, a Grammy-winning music produce describes creativity as not only an act but a way of life. He also discusses many realistic techniques to tap into and embrace one's creativity. He also discusses the importance of intuition and experimentation in relation to creativity.
An example of a musician who embodies these concepts is Björk. Rubin specifically states that in "exploring new horizons, you may very well lose some fans. New fans may also appear" and that the "decision to limit your work to the familiar is a disservice to both yourself and the audience" (Rubin 211). Björk is the embodiment of this idea, and instead of following trends of the industry, she trusts her gut and intuition to create something new and unique. In 1993 she released her album "Debut" which received widespread critical acclaim from music critics, mixing experimental techno and house sounds with jazz and orchestral strings (qtd. in Sodomsky). In the UK, it reacher No.3 on the pop charts, but in the United States many were not thrilled with the electronic direction, complaining that her music was now filled with "cheap electronic gimmickry" and that she traded "genuine band chemistry" for "Euro art-school schlock" (qtd. in Sodomsky). This is a perfect example of an artist experimenting and intuitively breaking boundaries creatively with no regard for pleasing every listener, something that Rubin emphasizes.
In spite of the criticism, she still intuitively created experimental electronic music, and eventually moved to London, collaborating with Howie B, Tricky, and 808 State's Graham Massey, all famous UK dance artists (qtd. in Sodomsky). Her background was not in electronic music, and critics disagreed with her transition to this genre, but she followed her gut. She utilized her background as a classical musician to view remixes in a different light, and did not see them as a "marketing gimic" (qtd. in Sodomsky). She saw them as simply another musical iteration, even comparing the production of remixes to Bach's performance of symphonies stating that "his symphonies were not completely written out every time he played them, so they would be different" (qtd. in Sodomsky). This intuitive approach to understanding music, as well as understanding the link between classical and electronic music, two seemingly opposite genres, is a perfect example of intuitively creation and experimentation without caring about the opinions of others.
Interestingly, she chose to compromise between discipline and freedom in her 1997 album Homogenic, saying the following: “Even though my arrangements are quite experimental, I’m very conservative when it comes to song structure,” she told SPIN. “So it’s this beautiful relationship between complete discipline and complete freedom" (qtd. in Sodomsky). This is a perfect example of how creativity and the creative process, according to Rubin, exists between discipline and freedom (Rubin 135). They are partners in creativity.
In conclusion, Björk is a perfect example of how musicians and artists generally can embrace creativity as not only an act but a way of being. Her use of intuition when experimenting with different styles and her instinct when it comes to utilizing a mix of discipline and freedom in the creative process is specifically what Rubin discusses when providing techniques on how to embrace one's creativity.
Works Cited:
Rubin, Rick. The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Penguin Press, 2023.
Sodomsky, Sam. “Björk: Homogenic Album Review.” Pitchfork, 21 July 2019, https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22835-homogenic/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Hi Emilia! I really enjoyed reading your blog post! I'm a big fan of Björk's music, especially her album "Debut," you gave me an entirely new perspective on her creative process, especially by relating it to Rick Rubin. When I think of a musician who fully embodies his definition of creativity, it's Björk, and I feel that you described that perfectly in your post!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you mentioned the critic's response to Björk's experimentation. I never realized how many people dismissed her creativity when she released more experimental music, calling it gimmicky, as her music has always felt the opposite of gimmicky to me, instead seeming that it's coming from a genuinely creative mind. It's impressive that despite all of the criticism for trying new things, Björk kept with her intuition to keep making music the way she wanted, rather than what people were expecting of her.
I also never realized how much of Björk's creative process is grounded in intuition, but it makes complete sense considering the uniqueness and diversity of her music. I agree that Björk genuinely represents creative intuition and experimentation, embodying creativity as a way of life and opening herself to what's new and different. I feel that Björk's openness to being different from the mainstream critic's taste makes her so appealing, and it leads me to want to live more aligned with my creative intuition. It's inspirational to see how Björk freely creates such impactful work, and I aim to mirror her creative process in my own life.
I really enjoyed reading this post! It made me appreciate Björk’s artistry on a whole new level. I have always admired artists who are not afraid to take creative risks, but I never thought about how intuition and experimentation work together in that process. The way Björk trusted her instincts, even when critics dismissed her electronic direction, is honestly so inspiring. I also really love the comparison between Bach’s symphonies and remixes -- it really reframes how I think about creativity across different genres. The idea of balancing discipline and freedom also really hit home for me! I tend to either overthink creative projects or go completely off the rails, so finding that balance is something I want to work on. This post gave me a lot to think about -- really great analysis!
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