DeepSummary
This episode features segments from two previous episodes - an interview with Rick Rubin, a renowned music producer who discusses his physical transformation and insights on the creative process, and an interview with Mary Karr, an award-winning memoirist who delves into her traumatic childhood, the importance of prayer and spirituality in her life, and the craft of writing memoirs.
Rick Rubin shares how he lost over 135 pounds by changing his diet, sleep patterns, and adopting an exercise routine under the guidance of Dr. Phil Maffetone. He also offers advice on helping artists overcome creative blocks and self-doubt, drawing inspiration from great works of art, and developing self-compassion.
Mary Karr recounts her difficult upbringing in East Texas, marked by poverty, violence, and a dysfunctional family. She explains how reading and writing poetry provided solace, eventually leading her to publish her acclaimed memoirs. Karr also discusses the role of prayer, gratitude practices, and Ignatian spirituality in her life and writing process.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Nurture creativity by focusing on continuous self-improvement rather than comparing yourself to others.
- Writing and artistic expression can provide solace and healing, especially for those who have experienced trauma.
- Embracing spirituality, gratitude practices, and being present can help navigate life's challenges and find meaning.
- Self-compassion and kindness towards oneself are essential for personal growth and well-being.
- Confronting painful memories and experiences can be difficult but ultimately lead to healing and transformation.
- Surrounding oneself with great works of art and literature can inspire and inform one's own creative pursuits.
- Physical health and self-care practices are integral to overall well-being and creative productivity.
- Finding the extraordinary in ordinary moments and embracing curiosity can shift one's perspective and alleviate suffering.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I was a haunted little girl. I tried to kill myself when I was a kid. When I was still in grade school, I took a bunch of aspirin. It said pain relief. And I thought, okay, this is what I want.“ by Mary Karr
- “I remember one particular day, our little shitty car broke down. My kid was a toddler, and he was. I had to pee. We were on the road. I didn't break down. I had a flat and didn't have a spare, a working spare. It was rush hour. We were on memorial. Driver trying to get home, and I just. In that moment, what I normally would have done, you know, I would have been there, you know, like, throwing the jack around and trying to get the car jacked up, and in a state of indignant fury that I didn't believe in God, but I believed that there was fate that had doomed me to misery, and that the guy with the jaguar would always get my parking place right before I pulled in. And I believed I had a head that had memorized the bad news, spewed it out all day. And I remember that day. It was. The sun was setting. I just got out on the side of the road. I got Deb out of his car seat, and the sun was going down, and he was looking at me, afraid that I was going to be, like, angry. And I just sat there, and he said he was hungry, and I didn't have anything to eat in the car. And I'm sitting there, and I said, let's just look at the sunset a minute, and then we'll. We'll go. We'll walk, and we'll get some help. And we were just sitting there looking at the sunset. And this truck pulls up with these goomba guys from this twelve step meeting, and they have ginger ale, they have a jack, they have a way to tow my car. They give deb potato chips. And it was just like, you know, all I have to do is just find some space in my body and just wait for a minute.“ by Mary Karr
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Episode Information
The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
6/11/24
This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #76 “Rick Rubin on Cultivating World-Class Artists (Jay Z, Johnny Cash, etc.), Losing 100+ Pounds, and Breaking Down the Complex” and episode #479 “Mary Karr — The Master of Memoir on Creative Process and Finding Gifts in the Suffering.”
Please enjoy!
Bios of guests may be found at tim.blog/combo.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, or on your favorite podcast platform.
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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SHOW NOTES
- [05:11] Notes about this supercombo format.
- [06:15] Enter Rick Rubin.
- [07:58] How Rick lost over 135 pounds in his late 30s.
- [16:03] How artists can hurdle the obstacles that hinder their best work.
- [19:31] Where to find world-class contemporary music.
- [20:24] Approaching music production with a fan’s-eye view.
- [22:53] Recommended reading.
- [24:22] Helping artists break their creative blocks.
- [26:54] Rick’s advice for his younger selves.
- [29:06] Why practicing self-kindness isn’t just nice — it’s a necessity.
- [32:01] Enter Mary Karr.
- [32:25] Growing up in “The Ringworm Belt.”
- [34:44] The catalyst for Mary expressing herself and publishing to the world.
- [37:47] The role reading played for young Mary.
- [40:31] The feeling that inspired Mary’s desire to become a poet at a young age.
- [44:27] “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
- [45:17] How Mary, a high school dropout, got into college and became an A student.
- [49:13] Mary’s struggle with bringing darkness with her even after leaving her traumatic past.
- [53:23] The highly selective process for getting into Mary’s graduate seminar at Syracuse University.
- [54:33] The first day of Mary’s class and what it illustrates about processing memoir-building memories.
- [1:00:20] The value of a commonplace book and helping others find alternative perspectives.
- [1:04:19] The importance and utility of prayer in Mary’s life and sobriety.
- [1:17:09] The significance of Ignatian exercises in Mary’s Catholic faith and gratitude practice.
- [1:23:10] Obligatory Texas talk about weaponry and hunting.
- [1:26:41] The origins of Mary’s unique wordsmithing.
- [1:34:24] Mary’s process of rough drafts, revision, and using past memories for storytelling.
- [1:42:34] How Mary copes with the pain of dredging up memories through writing.
- [1:46:09] Why Mary feels the happiest at 65 and her advice to her younger self about therapy.
- [1:49:26] The most and least effective types of therapy for Mary.
- [1:53:25] Mary’s solution to fear and getting through uncomfortable times.
- [1:58:14] Recognizing the gifts from suffering through difficult times in retrospect.
- [2:06:28] Mary’s billboard.
- [2:07:35] Parting thoughts.
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Rick Rubin:
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin | Amazon
- Barrel Saunas | Amazon
- Slow Burn: Burn Fat Faster By Exercising Slower by Stu Mittleman | Amazon
- Safe. Scientific. Sustainable. | MAF Method
- What Is Circadian Rhythm? | Sleep Foundation
- Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: Which Benefits Me More? | GoodRx
- A High-Protein Diet Plan to Lose Weight and Improve Health | Healthline
- Calorie Tracker & BMR Calculator to Reach Your Goals | MyFitnessPal
- Why Ego is The Greatest Opponent to Your Creativity and Success (And How to Fight Back) | Ryan Holiday
- The Mojo List | Mojo
- Mojo: 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made Playlist | Spotify
- The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | Rolling Stone
- Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Podcast | Spotify
- Reign In Blood by Slayer | Amazon Music
- Tao Te Ching: A New English Version by Lao Tzu and Stephen Mitchell | Amazon
- Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn | Amazon
- Meditation, Mindset, and Mastery | The Tim Ferriss Show #201
- 10 Years of Slackline Progression | Justin Wagers
- Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 | The University of the Arts
- How to Develop Self-Compassion and Be Nicer to Yourself | Tiny Buddha
- La Futura by ZZ Top | Amazon Music
Connect with Mary Karr:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
- Tropic of Squalor: Poems by Mary Karr | Amazon
- The Liars’ Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr | Amazon
- Cherry by Mary Karr | Amazon
- Lit: A Memoir (P.S.) by Mary Karr | Amazon
- The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr | Amazon
- Nonna (Grandma) | Daily Italian Words
- East Texas Cities, Towns, and Ghost Towns | East Texas Travel Guide
- Ringworm | CDC
- Memento | Prime Video
- Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne | Amazon
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White | Amazon
- Christianity: Eucharist | BBC
- The Riverside Shakespeare by William Shakespeare | Amazon
- [in Just-] by E. E. Cummings | Poetry Foundation
- The Duty of Newspapers Is to Comfort the Afflicted and to Afflict the Comfortable | Quote Investigator
- To Comfort The Disturbed, and to Disturb the Comfortable: Onward Children of the Sun by Cesar A. Cruz
- When Exactly Did Bansky Say “Art Should Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable?” | Reddit
- Macalester College
- Syracuse University
- How I Teach My Students Not to Trust Their Memories | Mary Karr, the Washington Post
- Difference Between Eidetic Memory and Photographic Memory | Better Help
- The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
- The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
- Sobriety Coin | Wikipedia
- Mary Karr Thought Her Whiting Award Call Was a Prank and Hung Up | Literary Hub
- What Are the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius? | Loyola Press
- The Jesuit Mission: Seeking God in All Things | Georgetown University
- Electile Dysfunction: The GOP’s Incredible Shrinking Boehner | Slate
- US Results: How Will This Endless Election End? | BBC News
- 99 Questions to Complete Your Examination of Conscience | The Catholic Company
- Steve Kornacki and John King Are the Election Coverage MVPs We Need Right Now | For the Win
- “Most Likely to Secede” | Tim Ferriss, Instagram
- Rifle Build: 7mm Remington Magnum | Guns and Ammo
- Glock 34 | Glock
- M&P 45 M2.0 | Smith & Wesson
- The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
- Steven Rinella on Hunting (and Why You Should Care), Reconnecting with Nature, Favorite Trips, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #470
- Boar Hunting with a Knife is Not for the Faint of Heart | Wide Open Spaces
- ‘Lit’ by Mary Karr: The Top 10 Everything of 2009 | Time
- Raining Like a Cow Pissing on a Flat Rock | Tony Goff
- More Colorful Texas Sayings Than You Can Shake a Stick At | Texas Monthly
- Iambic Pentameter Made Easy | Shakespeare Coach
- Mary Karr Interview: Boss of Memoir | The Writer
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez | Amazon
- My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse (Includes Extensive Resource List) | The Tim Ferriss Show #464
- D-Day: The Allies Invade Europe | The National WWII Museum
- Battle of the Bulge | The US Army
- US Forces Liberate Buchenwald | United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Why Is Quitting Smoking So Difficult? The Science Behind Addiction | American Lung Association
- Commencement Address by Poet Mary Karr | Syracuse University News
- ‘Honeydew’ Turns Road Trip into Bizarre, Hallucinatory Backwoods Nightmare | Bloody Disgusting
PEOPLE MENTIONED
- Stu Mittleman
- Philip Maffetone
- Mo Ostin
- David Heber
- The Beatles
- Neil Strauss
- Slayer
- Stephen Mitchell
- Lao Tzu
- Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Laird Hamilton
- Neil Gaiman
- Stephen King
- ZZ Top
- Charlie Marie Moore Karr
- Pete Karr
- William Shakespeare
- Prince Hamlet
- Romeo and Juliet
- Macbeth
- Richard III
- Lady Macbeth
- Janis Joplin
- Michael Joplin
- E.E. Cummings
- Banksy
- Cesar A. Cruz
- Finley Peter Dunne
- Colin Kaepernick
- Doonie
- George Saunders
- Arthur Flowers
- Juno Diaz
- Stanley Kunitz
- Devereux Milburn
- Steve Kornacki
- Steven Rinella
- Phil LaMarche
- Lev Grossman
- Mark Twain
- Dr. Phil
- Don DeLillo
- Leo Tolstoy
- Dana Spiotta
- Lecia Karr
The post Rick Rubin and Mary Karr (#745) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.