I’ve recently finished reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, a novel by Gabrielle Zevin. A great read. It’s set in the 1990s and focuses on the relationship between Sam and Sadie as they create a series of computer games. Whilst the Rick Rubin book teaches you about creativity, this book shows you creativity in action.

This is what I learnt and some of the questions it raised for me.

1 Creativity is Hard Work

Sam and Sadie work incredibly hard. They’re fully committed to the creation of their games, to the point of obsession. Their standards are high. They strive for excellence. It’s the only thing that’s important to them. They don’t sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. They keep showing up. They keep producing.

What’s clear is that there are no shortcuts in the pursuit of creative excellence. It takes dedication, practice, and consistency.

2 You Need Complementary Skills

They work as a creative team, but bring different perspectives to the table. They work as a true team by sharing feedback and adding to each other’s thoughts. Conflict is inevitable but they work through them. Other people are involved in some of the decisions, but they do the heavy lifting on the creative front. They trust each other. They believe in each other.

There are other creative partnerships in the book beyond Sadie and Sam. Is this the way creativity always works? Two people working seamlessly? We see this a lot in other fields. Advertising, comedy, music, and film-making. If you have a third person involved, does it feel imbalanced?

3 You’ve Got to Be Selfish

Not only did they work hard, they were focused. They excluded all distractions. They made sacrifices. Their personal lives suffered. They found little time for their families. They didn’t socialise very much. All the decisions they made were about getting a better outcome - despite the negative impact it may have had on others. Even those that they loved.

Is this evitable? Does all creative work come at a personal cost?

4 Failure is Inevitable

Despite their successes, there were failures. Sometimes public, sometimes private, but not everything they did turned to gold.

You have to accept this, but it can be hard to take. Feedback can be brutal and sometimes humiliating. However, it didn’t put the protagonists off. They continued to work on new ideas and move forward. It’s part and parcel of leading a creative life. You have to put your work out there, You cannot control how people will react to it. You can’t always predict what the response will be.

5 You have to put your whole self into your work

All the ideas and quirks that went into their games were drawn from their personal experiences. Their work revealed who they were. You have to expose yourself, bare your soul, and include it within your creative work. If you hide behind a facade or pretend to be someone else, then your work will feel inauthentic.

Clearly, the author had a deep knowledge of the computer game industry in the 1990s. A friend of mine, who also worked in computer gaming, verified the accuracy and truthfulness within the book. I certainly felt immersed in that world she created.

All the main characters in the book had a troubled background or had suffered some kind of traumatic childhood experience. I see this a lot in artists, writers, and performers. Is this always the case with creative people? Is the best work born from suffering?

Summary

If you’re interested in the creative process and want to get transported on a creative journey then I’d recommend you read this book. I felt a little sad when it finished, as I often do when a good book is completed.

It reminded me a little of the Beatles docuseries ‘Get Back’. Where we see the real-life, behind-the-scenes creative process of the Beatles.

Even if you’re not into computer games, you can still get a lot out of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. It’s not just about creativity. It’s about love, loss, friendships, and grief. All the big stuff. I loved it.