I was drawn to the concept of this book, and the fact that it was topping the bestseller charts, but knew nothing about the author. Apparently, he's a well known, much sought after and successful music producer based in California. He has a reputation for his unorthodox ways of working and for getting the best out of the musicians and performers who come alongside him.

Rick Rubin is known for creating a space where artists of a variety of genres and traditions can step away from pressures and distractions and focus on what they really offer. He helps people 'transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable'.

Hmm. But the book is amazing. It's written very simply but is packed full of fascinating observations on the creative process, with practical suggestions for how we all might tap into our innate creativity and gain huge benefits from doing so.

In a nutshell, he believes that we are all creative - whether that's in painting a picture or starting a conversation, writing a book or cooking a meal. And being an artist isn't about your specific output, it's about your relationship to the world.

I was making notes throughout and it's a book to return to time and again - if you want to know more about the creative act.