Rick Rubin's Audience Paradox

Mike Posner shares insights about artistic authenticity and creative success, centered around Rick Rubin's philosophy that the best way to serve your audience is to ignore them. This approach emphasizes creating what genuinely resonates with the artist rather than trying to predict or cater to audience preferences.

Key Points:

• True Art Comes From Authenticity:

  • Don't try to make a hit song, make something that's cool to you
  • Sometimes the whole world agrees with what you find cool
  • The best way to serve your audience is to ignore them and make what you want

• Personal Experience with Commercial Success:

  • Tried to replicate initial success by making what others might like
  • When creating for others' approval, only succeeded in making things he hated
  • Even if something "checks all the boxes," it fails without authentic connection

• Creative Process:

  • Focus on connecting with yourself rather than trying to connect with others
  • The relationship to music/art deepens over your whole life
  • Art isn't like sports - you don't peak at a certain age, you can always get deeper

• Connection with Audience:

  • Music isn't about hitting perfect notes or technical excellence
  • It's about connecting one human experience to another
  • "Does this part of my humanity speak to that part of your humanity?"

• Growth Through Authenticity:

  • Being an artist is about growing
  • Goal is to be a better artist than you were a year ago
  • True success comes from following your own curiosity and creativity