#745: Rick Rubin and Mary Karr

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!

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Timestamps:

[00:00] Start

[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.

*

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