#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! Sponsors: AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://drinkag1.com/tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.) Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: https://eightsleep.com/tim (save $350 on the Pod 4 Ultra) LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 1B+ users: https://linkedin.com/tim (post your job for free) 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. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss  Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jami