I am a fan of both Rick Rubin’s and Quentin Tarantino’s work.
Both are regarded as geniuses and have enjoyed tremendous commercial and critical success in their respective arts.
As someone interested in both the creative process and success principles, I’ve listened to many interviews with each. Each comes across very different from the other.
I heard Rubin on a podcast with clairvoyant self-awareness say (paraphrased),
“I’m very lucky. I’ve learned that when I like something, the public will also, and it will sell. When I’m brought into a project, it’s for my taste. My job is to help the artist make something that I like.”
I’ve listened to many interviews with Tarantino. Never have I heard him say anything like this. Most of the time, he seems pretty excited about himself and how good he is.
I don’t know if he’s aware that his magic dust is the same as Rubin’s — the luck of the public liking what he likes.
There’s a lesson for me here. A million success coaches talk about purpose, hard work, and perseverance. All of these are necessary, of course. You’ll need these to be successful.
You can’t, however, ultimately control success that depends on others. you can only control what you do — your effort, your skill development, etc.
Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good.
