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Craig Mod Returns — Epic Walks in Japan, The Art of Slowness, Digital Detox, Publishing “Impossible” Books, and Choosing Beauty Over Scale (#803)

“I would finish every day on these walks, get in bed, and just feel that was the fullest possible way I could have experienced that day. Given the cards dealt to me of this day, there was no fuller version of this day.”
— Craig Mod

As promised, welcome to round 2 with Craig Mod!

Craig Mod is a writer, photographer, and walker living in Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan. He is the author of Things Become Other Things and Kissa by Kissa. He also writes the newsletters Roden and Ridgeline and has contributed to The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and more.

He’s walked thousands of miles across Japan, and since 2016, he has been co-running “Walk and Talks” with Kevin Kelly in various places around the world: the Cotswolds, Northern Thailand, walking across Bali, Southern China, Japan, Spain (Portuguese and French Caminos), and more. He’s a MacDowell fellow, Virginia Center for Creative Arts fellow, and Ragdale fellow.

In 2023 he wrote an impassioned recommendation of Morioka, Japan, to The New York Times, prompting the paper to rank the city number two (behind London) for “Places to Visit in 2023,” turning Mod into a minor celebrity. He sat for interviews with some forty or fifty newspapers and TV shows, trying to explain the goodness of a city like Morioka to people for whom the goodness is so self-evident that it has become invisible. This whole media dance culminated in his going on a two-day walk around Morioka with one of Japan’s biggest TV stars: the seventy-nine-year-old, sunglasses-wearing Tamori -san, who was lovely (and very tiny!). The response—a total heartfelt reverence for the avuncular Tamori—from people on the street (“Good morning, Tamori -san!,” yelled construction workers from atop their scaffolding) made Mod feel like he was walking with John Lennon. Mod’s moment of celebrity was mercifully short-lived. Nobody recognizes him anymore when he walks around town.

Please enjoy!

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.

This episode is brought to you by Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business; Momentous high-quality supplements; and Helix Sleep premium mattresses.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercastCraig Mod Returns — Epic Walks in Japan, The Art of Slowness, Digital Detox, Publishing “Impossible” Books, and Choosing Beauty Over Scale

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Want to hear round one of this conversation with Craig Mod? Listen here as we discuss Craig’s journey from a post-industrial Connecticut town to Japan, advice for adults who want to pick up the Japanese language, bizarre homestay stories, struggles with spirits of sauce and the supernatural, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Craig Mod:

Books and Written WorksThings Become Other Things: A Walking Memoir by Craig ModKissa by Kissa: A 1,000 km Walk Along the Nakasendo by Craig ModRoden: A Monthly Newsletter by Craig ModRidgeline: A Weekly Newsletter on Walking, Japan, Literature, and Photography by Craig ModArt Space Tokyo: An Intimate Guide to the Tokyo Art World by Ashley Rawlings, Craig Mod, and Nobumasa TakahashiWalking Across Japan, Disconnected and Bored by Craig ModMy ‘Rules’ for Running My Membership Program by Craig ModThe Walk and Talk: Everything We Know by Craig ModThe End of Children by Gideon Lewis-Kraus | The New Yorker52 Places to Go (2025 | 2024 | 2023) | The New York TimesNew York Times Pick 2025: Toyama and Noto by Craig ModYamaguchi City — My ‘New York Times’ Pick This Year by Craig ModThe Morioka Experience by Craig ModOku No Hosomichi by Matsuo BashōSilo Series by Hugh HoweyBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne LamottCloud Atlas: A Novel by David MitchellNumber9Dream: A Novel by David MitchellGhostwritten by David MitchellBlack Swan Green by David MitchellThe Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel by David MitchellMovies and TV ShowsPerfect Days Tokyo-Ga Seven SamuraiSanma No Aji (aka An Autumn Afternoon)Silo Blade Runner Black Mirror Bura Tamori E.T. The Extra-TerrestrialPeopleWim Wenders: German filmmaker (Perfect Days, Tokyo-Ga).Yasujirō Ozu: Influential Japanese filmmaker known for quiet family dramas, contemporary of Kurosawa.Akira Kurosawa: Famous Japanese filmmaker (Seven Samurai).Matsuo Bashō: Most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan, known for haiku and his travelogue Oku no Hosomichi.John McBride: Craig Mod’s older mentor, former Monbukagakusho scholar, CEO of Sky TV, tea ceremony expert, accomplished walker, fluent in high-level Japanese. Huge influence on Craig’s walking and interaction style.Brad Towle: Canadian man on the JET program in Tanabe City, key figure in promoting the Nakahechi trail in English.Rupert Murdoch: Mentioned as founder connected to Sky TV.Masayoshi Son: CEO of SoftBank, mentioned as an acquaintance of John McBride.David Spector: Mentioned as an example of a gaijin tarento (foreign celebrity) in Japan during the ’90s.Kevin Kelly: Writer, co-founder of Wired, friend and walking partner of Craig Mod (Walk & Talks). Encouraged Craig in various ventures.Dan Rubin: Photographer friend who walked Kumano Kodo with Craig and co-created a photo book.Hugh Howey: Author (Silo series/Wool), walked Kumano Kodo with Craig and Kevin Kelly.Anne Lamott: Author of Bird by Bird.Noah Kagan: Friend of Tim Ferriss, mentioned regarding skepticism about chasing scale.gray318 (Jon Gray): Designer (known for Zadie Smith covers) who provided feedback to Craig.Zadie Smith: Author whose book covers Jon Gray designed.Bryan: Craig Mod’s childhood best friend who was murdered; a central figure in the book Things Become Other Things.Terry Gross: Host of NPR’s “Fresh Air,” mentioned as a platform often requiring traditional publisher backing.Andy Ward: Publisher/President of Random House, editor of George Saunders, involved in acquiring Craig’s book.George Saunders: Author admired by Craig Mod, edited by Andy Ward.Molly Turpin: Craig Mod’s editor at Random House for Things Become Other Things.Brandon Sanderson: Author mentioned regarding securing specific book rights (leather-bound editions).Gideon Lewis-Kraus: Writer mentioned for an article on Korea’s declining birthrate.Tamori (Tamori-san): Extremely famous, long-running Japanese TV celebrity who did a walking special in Morioka with Craig Mod.Neil Strauss: Writer, mentioned as a user of the Freedom software.Jack Kornfield: Meditation teacher and author who knows a thing or two about self-compassion.David Mitchell: Author (Cloud Atlas, etc.), admired Craig’s book Things Become Other Things and provided a blurb/email.PlacesTokyo: Capital city. Mentioned contexts: Shinjuku, Kabukichō, Golden Gai, starting point for walks, setting for films.Kii Peninsula: Location of Kumano Kodo, Koyasan.Koyasan: Shingon Buddhist center on Kii Peninsula, location of significant graveyard (Okunoin).Nara Prefecture: The cradle of Japanese civilization.Wakayama Prefecture: Prefecture that invested heavily in promoting the Nakahechi trail.Tanabe City: City in Wakayama Prefecture involved in Nakahechi promotion.Yamagata: Prefecture containing Dewa Sanzan.Dewa Sanzan: Three sacred mountains in Yamagata, known for syncretism.Edo: Former name for Tokyo.Palo Alto: Where Craig lived briefly.Pacifica: A place where Craig walked with Kevin Kelly.Kyoto: Historic city, destination of Nakasendo/Tōkaidō, location of Vipassana retreat Craig attended.Saitama, Nagano, Gifu: Prefectures along the Nakasendo route.Korea: Mentioned for its extremely low birthrate.Midsize Japanese Cities (from “Tiny Barber Post Office” Tour): Hakodate, Morioka, Sakata, Matsumoto, Tsuruga, Onomichi, Yamaguchi, Karatsu, Kagoshima, Matsuyama.Morioka: City in Iwate Prefecture (Tohoku region), recommended by Craig, ranked #2 on NYT 52 Places list (2023), leading to media attention and walk with Tamori.Iwate Prefecture: Location of Morioka.Tohoku: Northern region of Japan.Sendai, Fukushima: Other cities on the Tohoku Shinkansen line.Asheville: US city used as a comparison point for Morioka.Yamaguchi City: Recommended by Craig, ranked #3 on NYT list (2024). Contains Yuda Onsen (Sansuien Inn). Starting point for Hagi Ōkan walk.Hagi City: Destination of Hagi Ōkan walk.Yuda Onsen: Onsen town within Yamaguchi City.Sansuien Inn: Specific recommended inn in Yuda Onsen.Mount Hiei: Location associated with the Marathon Monks.Toyama City: Recommended by Craig for NYT list (2025).Osaka: Mentioned relative to Toyama’s ranking, hosting Expo.Southern China, Thailand, Bali, England (Cotswold Way, Lake District), Spain (Camino de Santiago): Locations of Craig’s walks outside Japan, often with Kevin Kelly.Nagasaki (Dejima): Historical trading post, setting for David Mitchell’s book.Hiroshima: City where David Mitchell lived.Walks, Routes, and TrailsOku no Hosomichi: Famous trail/journey undertaken by Bashō, later walked by John McBride.Tōkaidō: Major historical road connecting Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto along the coast. Also the name of a Shinkansen line. Walked by John McBride, Craig Mod.Shikoku Pilgrimage: Route around Shikoku island, walked by John McBride.Kumano Kodo: Network of pilgrimage trails on the Kii Peninsula, UNESCO World Heritage site. Includes specific trails: Kohechi, Nakahechi, Ohechi, Iseji, Omine Okugake Michi.Camino de Santiago: Famous pilgrimage trail in Spain, sister trail to Kumano Kodo, UNESCO site. Walked by Craig.Dewa Sanzan: Pilgrimage route involving three mountains in Yamagata.Nakasendo: Major historical inland road connecting Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto through the mountains. Walked extensively by Craig.Hime Kaidō: “Princess Route,” a detour on the Tōkaidō.Hagi Ōkan: Two-day walk connecting Yamaguchi City and Hagi City.Wainwright Coast to Coast: Walk across Northern England from the Lake District.Cotswold Way: Walk in England, done twice by Craig with Kevin Kelly’s groups.Institutions, Organizations, Companies, Software, and PlatformsTokyo Toilet: Public art/infrastructure project in Tokyo, possible inspiration for Perfect Days.Monbukagakusho (MEXT): Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; offered scholarships (John McBride was a recipient).UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Designated Kumano Kodo and Camino de Santiago as World Heritage Pilgrimage trails.(Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET): Program placing foreign nationals (often as English teachers) in Japan, usually outside major cities. Brad participated.Sky TV: Satellite television network; John McBride was CEO in Japan.SoftBank: Japanese multinational conglomerate; John McBride knew CEO Son-san.Kickstarter: Crowdfunding platform used for Art Space Tokyo reprint.Apple TV: Streaming platform airing the Silo adaptation.Craig Mod Membership Program: Craig’s community funding his work, discussed extensively regarding its rules and philosophy.Wired Magazine: Publication that published Craig’s essay.Freedom (.to): Website blocking software used by Craig and Neil Strauss.Penguin Random House: Major publishing house that published Things Become Other Things.Mack Press: UK-based photo book publisher mentioned for context on typical art book print runs.Ancestry.com: DNA testing and genealogy company where Craig matched with his birth mother.23andMe: DNA testing company Craig initially used.Instagram: Social media platform mentioned re: Teemus Photo.Teemusphoto.com: Website recommended for nighttime Japan photography.YouTube: Video platform.Substack: Newsletter/publishing platform.Memberful: Membership software platform.Patreon: Membership/creator funding platform.SMS Experiment Tool: Custom one-to-many SMS tool Craig built for his walk.iOS Shortcuts / Siri: Apple features used by Craig for voice dictation while walking.Shopify: E-commerce platform used by Craig for Craigstarter.Craigstarter: Craig’s self-built Kickstarter clone.Google Translate: Mentioned by Tim Ferriss as helpful for non-Japanese speakers.ConceptsSix-Tatami-Mat Room: A small traditional Japanese room size, Craig lived in one for years. Used as a visual reference via Perfect Days.Tatami Mat: Traditional Japanese flooring mat, used historically as a unit for room size.Syncretism: The blending or coexistence of different religions/beliefs, specifically Shinto and Buddhism in Japan.Meiji Restoration: Historical period (~1868 onward) marking the end of the Shogunate, restoration of imperial rule, modernization, and forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism.Shukubo: The practice of staying overnight at a Buddhist temple.Shogunate / Daimyo: Feudal military government / feudal lords in Japan.Tea Ceremony (Chanoyu): Traditional Japanese cultural activity involving the preparation and presentation of matcha; practiced extensively by John McBride.Keigo: Japanese polite language, involving different levels of respect and humility.Gaijin Tarento: Foreign celebrities or personalities featured in Japanese media.Craig’s Walking Rules: Craig’s personal rules for his long walks (no news/social media, cultivate boredom, don’t teleport/distract, say hello, arbitrary photo goals, pre-book logistics).Vipassana Retreat: Silent meditation retreat focused on observing reality as it is; Craig attended a 10-day retreat.Shugyo: Ascetic spiritual training, often involving physical hardship.Yamabushi: Japanese mountain ascetics.Bobbing Consciousness: Craig’s term for the feeling achieved after many days of walking long distances.Sankin-kōtai: Edo-period policy requiring daimyo to spend alternate years in Edo, necessitating road infrastructure like the Nakasendo and Tōkaidō.Shōshika Mondai: Societal issue of declining birthrates in Japan.Kōreika Shakai: Societal issue of an aging population in Japan.Kissaten: Traditional, often Showa-era, Japanese coffee shops/cafes.Shōwa Era: Period of Japanese history from 1926-1989.Pizza Toast: Simple dish often served in kissaten (toast with tomato sauce, cheese, etc.).Napolitan Spaghetti: Simple pasta dish often served in kissaten (spaghetti with ketchup-based sauce).Product-Market Fit (PMF): Business concept regarding a product satisfying market demand.Jeffersonian Dinner: Dinner format with a single group conversation, used on the Walk & Talks.Shinto: Indigenous Japanese religion/spirituality.Buddhism: Religion practiced widely in Japan.Konbini: Japanese convenience store.Haiku: Japanese poetic form associated with Bashō.SHOW NOTES[00:00:00] Start.[00:07:25] More than a decade of Perfect Days in a six-tatami mat room.[00:10:44] The first steps of Craig’s huge walks: exploring Tokyo’s nightlife.[00:17:33] Discovering pilgrimage trails with John McBride.[00:22:49] What’s so appealing about pilgrimage trails?[00:31:25] Learning politeness and language in Japan.[00:40:09] An invitation from Kevin Kelly.[00:41:23] The birth of a photo book.[00:42:50] The big solo walks begin.[00:43:53] Launching a membership program.[00:44:58] The Nakasendō experience.[00:50:01] Craig’s rules for walking.[00:51:04] The Vipassana influence.[01:00:43] Logistics of walking in Japan.[01:09:03] Depopulation and pizza toast.[01:13:42] How Kissa by Kissa came to be (and its unexpected success).[01:16:34] Kicking off Craigstarter.[01:17:47] The pièce de résistance membership strategy.[01:18:41] Finding product-market fit.[01:19:12] The importance of sustainable scale.[01:19:50] Membership community rules.[01:27:15] Navigating the publishing world.[01:38:37] Promoting midsize cities in Japan as a wild and strange celebrity.[01:52:50] The economic and cultural effects of this promotion.[01:54:46] Hidden gems and walks in Japan.[01:56:56] Walking beyond Japan.[01:59:47] Craig was a Mod before you was a mod.[02:00:47] How Craig reconnected with his birth family.[02:19:32] Reflections and future plans.[02:23:00] Parting thoughts.MORE CRAIG MOD QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“I would finish every day on these walks, get in bed, and just feel that was the fullest possible way I could have experienced that day. Given the cards dealt to me of this day, there was no fuller version of this day.”
— Craig Mod

“I love my scale because it’s sustainable. It gives me total creative freedom.”
— Craig Mod

“If you spend 30 days doing that physical activity every day to that degree, your body changes. You become what I call a bobbing consciousness. By day 20, 25 on the road where you’re walking 20, 30, 40k, your legs are just so powerful.”
— Craig Mod

“One of the weirdest things about being a contemporary human is, first of all, we’re never bored because we always have this stupid Black Mirror slab in our pocket that’s always distracting us with some other dopamine hit.”
— Craig Mod

The post Craig Mod Returns — Epic Walks in Japan, The Art of Slowness, Digital Detox, Publishing “Impossible” Books, and Choosing Beauty Over Scale (#803) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on March 28, 2025 08:17

Craig Mod — The Real Japan, Cheap Apartments in Tokyo, Productive Side Quests, Creative Retreats, Buying Future Freedom, and Being Possessed by Spirits (#802)

“Part of what was great about Japan was that as soon as I landed, I felt a few things. One was society was taking care of people. I was walking past so many people every day in the street who were so much better taken care of than where I came from.”

— Craig Mod

Craig Mod is a writer, photographer, and walker living in Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan. He is the author of Things Become Other Things and Kissa by Kissa. He also writes the newsletters Roden and Ridgeline and has contributed to The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and more.

He’s walked thousands of miles across Japan, and since 2016, he has been co-running “Walk and Talks” with Kevin Kelly in various places around the world: the Cotswolds, Northern Thailand, walking across Bali, Southern China, Japan, Spain (Portuguese and French Caminos), and more. He’s a MacDowell fellow, Virginia Center for Creative Arts fellow, and Ragdale fellow.

In 2023 he wrote an impassioned recommendation of Morioka, Japan, to The New York Times, prompting the paper to rank the city number two (behind London) for “Places to Visit in 2023,” turning Mod into a minor celebrity. He sat for interviews with some forty or fifty newspapers and TV shows, trying to explain the goodness of a city like Morioka to people for whom the goodness is so self-evident that it has become invisible. This whole media dance culminated in his going on a two-day walk around Morioka with one of Japan’s biggest TV stars: the seventy-nine-year-old, sunglasses-wearing Tamori -san, who was lovely (and very tiny!). The response—a total heartfelt reverence for the avuncular Tamori—from people on the street (“Good morning, Tamori -san!,” yelled construction workers from atop their scaffolding) made Mod feel like he was walking with John Lennon. Mod’s moment of celebrity was mercifully short-lived. Nobody recognizes him anymore when he walks around town.

Please enjoy!

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.

This episode is brought to you by David Protein Bars with 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar; Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating; and AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercastCraig Mod — The Real Japan, Cheap Apartments in Tokyo, Productive Side Quests, Creative Retreats, Buying Future Freedom, and Being Possessed by Spirits

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Want to hear another podcast episode with a dedicated literary champion? Listen to my conversation with Brandon Sanderson in which we discussed building a fiction empire, creating $40M+ Kickstarter campaigns, unbreakable habits, the art of world-building, the science of magic systems, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Craig Mod:

Website | Bluesky | Instagram | Roden (Monthly Newsletter) | Ridgeline (Weekly Newsletter)

Books and Written WorksThings Become Other Things: A Walking Memoir by Craig ModKissa by Kissa: A 1,000 km Walk Along the Nakasendo by Craig ModRoden: A Monthly Newsletter by Craig ModRidgeline: A Weekly Newsletter on Walking, Japan, Literature, and Photography by Craig ModUlysses by James JoyceWhere’s Waldo? by Martin HandfordThe Sun Also Rises by Ernest HemingwayA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: A Memoir Based on a True Story by Dave EggersThe Stranger by Albert CamusAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James ClearGF1 Field Test: 16 Days In the Himalayas by Craig ModBooks in the Age of the iPad by Craig ModThe Elements of Typographic Style by Robert BringhurstTrain Dreams: A Novella by Denis JohnsonComing Through Slaughter by Michael OndaatjeLittle, Big by John CrowleyPilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie DillardThrilled to Death by Lynne TillmanWhat I Found on the 365-Mile Trail of a Lost Folk Hero by Sam AndersonAn Endless, Gritty, Very Spitty Walk by Craig ModNeuromancer by William GibsonPattern Recognition by William GibsonPeopleKevin Kelly Matt Mullenweg Evan Williams Bill Gates Kenny McCormick John Maeda Ben Fry Casey Reas Joshua Mosley Sharka Hyland Ernest Hemingway Dave Eggers John Updike Dalai Lama Brandon Sanderson Jiro Ono Rich Roll Jeffrey Zeldman Jason Santa Maria Liz Danzico Oliver Reichenstein Stephen King Mike McCue Marcos Weskamp Mike Matas Steve Jobs Enrique Allen Ben Henretig Stewart Brand Forrest Gump Rob Giampietro Frank Chimero John D. Rockefeller Lynne Tillman Denis Johnson Ocean Vuong Michael Ondaatje John Crowley Maya Angelou Annie Dillard Sam Anderson Leatherman Bryan Betsy DeVos Amaterasu William Gibson Sally MannMovies and TV ShowsSliding Doors Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous South Park Sin City Paranormal Activity The Matrix Jiro Dreams of Sushi Forrest Gump Coming to America I Am Legend Memento The Wire What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally MannInstitutions, Organizations, and CompaniesCarnegie Hall Flipboard Power Exchange Discord E-Trade Blogger Waseda University School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at University of London Berg Group Kinokuniya Digital Media Design (DMD) Program at UPenn MIT Media Lab New York University (NYU)Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)McSweeney’s Internet Tendency Razorfish Kinko’s K10k CSS Zen Garden Art Directors Club Winterhouse South by Southwest (SXSW)Information Architects (iA)Stanford d.school Sally’s Apizza Wired MacDowell Colony School for Visual Arts (SVA)Interaction Design Program (at SVA)Penguin Random House Kissaten Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA)Tin House RagdaleConcepts and TechnologiesInternet Relay Chat (IRC)Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)NCSA Mosaic ANSI Art Internet Service Provider (ISP)’93 Honda Civic Kotatsu Panasonic GF1 Micro Four Thirds (MFT)Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)Asceticism Freedom AppPlacesSan Francisco Silicon Valley Connecticut New Zealand Shinjuku Fukuoka Lhasa Annapurna Base Camp Pokhara Annapurna Machapuchare Ginza Kii Peninsula Kyoto Honshu Shikoku Kyushu Okinawa Osaka Ise Jingu Shrine Kumano Kodo Mie Prefecture Wakayama Prefecture Nara Prefecture Kamikura Jinja ShrineRelevant ResourcesThe Dot-Com Bubble: A Historical Perspective And A Cautionary Tale For The Age Of AI | IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social ScienceDo Musicians Make Better Language Learners? | Psychology TodayUdon vs. Soba Noodles: What’s the Difference? | All Recipes‘Getting Help’ Is Not Un-Japanese; It’s Expensive | Japan TodayHow to Deal with Cockroaches in Japanese Housing | Japan MobilityJapan’s Cockroach Girl Situation is Crazy | PaahtisLevels of Formality in Japanese (How to Know When to Use Which) | Argos MultilingualColor Blindness | National Eye InstituteDemon Directories: On Listing and Living with Tibetan Worldly Spirits | A Perfumed SkullHow Rich Roll Overcame Addiction to Become a World-Class Endurance Athlete | Next Big Idea ClubMoraine Types | AntarcticGlaciers.orgBrandon Sanderson on Building a Fiction Empire, Creating $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, Unbreakable Habits, The Art of World-Building, and The Science of Magic Systems | The Tim Ferriss Show #794Stab a Book, the Book Won’t Die | Craig ModWhat Does It Mean to Be Touch Starved? | HealthlineA Need to Walk | Craig ModHow to Find the Perfect Kissaten | Tokyo WeekenderWilliam Gibson’s Future Is Now | The New York TimesSpecial Projects Membership | Craig ModSHOW NOTES[00:00:00] Start.[00:06:49] What would make this a worthwhile conversation?[00:09:14] How Craig and I first met.[00:11:06] Growing up in a post-industrial Connecticut town.[00:13:10] The kindness of a tech-savvy stranger.[00:14:02] IRC, ANSI art scene, and making connections in the Internet’s early days.[00:15:48] From adoption to exploring hometown escape options.[00:18:28] Driving cross-country to a Silicon Valley internship.[00:20:05] Pursuing the desire to live abroad.[00:22:14] Attending Waseda University in Japan at age 19.[00:23:34] Seduced by the Ivy League: A momentary return to the States for a UPenn education.[00:24:52] Craig’s advice for adults who want to pick up the Japanese language.[00:29:04] Bizarre homestay experiences.[00:41:04] How Craig wound up back in Japan to work in publishing.[00:42:55] Developing design sensibilities at UPenn with Sharka Hyland and Joshua Mosley.[00:47:30] Craig’s color blindness and its influence on his design aesthetic.[00:49:54] Without a time machine, Craig lives vicariously through his daughter’s opportunities.[00:51:36] Struggling with spirits of sauce and the supernatural .[00:56:02] A Tibetan dream reader and lost love.[00:59:53] Craig’s journey to self-worth: Running, charging more for work, and building confidence.[01:01:51] The transformative experience of climbing to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal.[01:04:40] Writing a camera review that went viral and paid rent for two years.[01:10:33] The article that changed Craig’s life.[01:16:39] The enduring power of physical books in the digital age.[01:21:06] How being adopted prepared Craig for life as an outsider no matter where he hangs his hat.[01:25:25] Craig’s time at Flipboard.[01:29:24] Writing in hotel rooms on weekends.[01:30:14] Meeting Kevin Kelly and landing a MacDowell writing residency.[01:32:51] Bridges burned and discoveries made at MacDowell.[01:40:16] Justifying a round two.[01:41:17] Craig’s advice for aspiring creatives.[01:45:12] Books Craig has reread multiple times.[01:49:43] The story behind Craig’s new book, Things Become Other Things.[02:01:47] Craig’s Special Projects membership program.[02:04:08] In praise of unexpected corners.[02:06:25] Lessons learned from the Sally Mann documentary.[02:07:34] Parting thoughts and a preview of round two (coming later this week).MORE CRAIG MOD QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“As an adopted person, I think my entire life is defined by that flailing. You just don’t feel like you belong anywhere.”
— Craig Mod

“In general, language learning is easier if you have a musical background. And I grew up all through my teens obsessively playing drums, just drumming, drumming, drumming, playing jazz, playing classical, playing in big band orchestras, playing everything.”
— Craig Mod

“Part of what was great about Japan was that as soon as I landed, I felt a few things. One was society was taking care of people. I was walking past so many people every day in the street who were so much better taken care of than where I came from.”
— Craig Mod

“The amount of scarcity I felt as an adult in my twenties is just shocking. It was this fathomless sense of scarcity, like the money’s not going to be there, the love isn’t going to be there, the support isn’t going to be there. And then when I lost her, I was like, I’m never going to have anyone who will ever love me like this person loved me, and I’m never going to be able to create like I created with this person. And I had to start proving to myself that that wasn’t true.”
— Craig Mod

“There’s a huge safety of being in a place that can never throw you away because you’re never going to be part of the thing.”
— Craig Mod

“It is just undeniable that a fullness of life that I find is found through the writing and who that connects me with and the adventures it brings me on.”
— Craig Mod

The post Craig Mod — The Real Japan, Cheap Apartments in Tokyo, Productive Side Quests, Creative Retreats, Buying Future Freedom, and Being Possessed by Spirits (#802) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on March 27, 2025 07:00

Ev Williams — The Art of Pivoting (e.g., Odeo to Twitter), Strategic Quitting, The Dangers of Premature Scaling, Must-Read Books, and More (#800)

“You can set a goal to run a marathon, and you can download a training regime, and you can go run the marathon. You can’t do that to invent the computer or Twitter or create amazing art. You can’t plot it. And to the extent you try to plot it, you shoot yourself in the foot because you cut off the possibilities that lie before you.”

— Ev Williams

Ev Williams (@ev) is the co-founder and chairman of Mozi, a new social network that helps you connect in person with the people you care about. Over the past 25 years, Ev has co-founded several companies that have helped shape the modern internet—including Blogger, Medium, and Twitter. Ev is also the co-founder of Obvious Ventures, an investment firm that focuses on world-positive companies addressing major systemic problems. Ev grew up on a farm in Clarks, Nebraska, has two sons, and lives mostly in the Bay Area.

This episode was recorded live at Diggnation (diggnation.show), where digg.com was relaunched. Digg was recently acquired by its original founder, my friend Kevin Rose, and reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and they invited me along for all the fun and surprises as they celebrated the relaunch. Go to digg.com and sign up to get early access when invites go out.

Please enjoy!

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.

This episode is brought to you by David Protein Bars with 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar; Sundays for Dogs ultra-high-quality dog food; and Wealthfront high-yield cash account.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercastEv Williams — The Art of Pivoting (e.g., Odeo to Twitter), Strategic Quitting, The Dangers of Premature Scaling, Must-Read Books, and More

This episode is brought to you by David Protein Bars! I’m always on the hunt for protein sources that don’t require sacrifices in taste or nutrition. That’s why I love the protein bars from this episode’s sponsor, David. With David protein bars, you get the fewest calories for the most protein, ever. David has 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar. I was first introduced to David by my friend Peter Attia, MD, who is their Chief Science Officer. Many of you know of Peter, and he does his due diligence. And David tastes great. Their bars come in six delicious flavors, all worth trying, and I’ll often throw them in my bag for protein on the go. And now, listeners of The Tim Ferriss Show who buy four boxes get a fifth box for free. Try them for yourself at DavidProtein.com/Tim.

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This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront is a financial services platform that offers services to help you save and invest your money. Right now, you can earn 4.00% APY—that’s the Annual Percentage Yield—with the Wealthfront Brokerage Cash Account from its network of partner banks. That’s nearly ten times more interest than a savings account at a bank, according to FDIC.gov as of 03/17/2025 (Wealthfront’s 4.00% APY vs. 0.41% average savings rate). It takes just a few minutes to sign up, and then you’ll immediately start earning 4.00% APY interest on your short term cash until you’re ready to invest. And when new clients open an account today, they can get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more. Terms & Conditions apply. Visit Wealthfront.com/Tim to get started.

APY as of 03/17/2025 and is subject to change. Tim Ferriss receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage. See full disclosures here.

Want to hear another fun live recording from Austin, TX? Check out my conversation with Kevin Rose:

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Ev Williams:

ConceptsHackathon The Sunk Cost Fallacy Opportunity Cost Social Emotional Learning (SEL)Buddhism The Hoffman Process Mindfulness Transcendental Meditation (TM)Quantum Physics Monism Materialism Crossing the RubiconCompanies & InstitutionsMozi Blogger Medium Twitter Obvious Ventures Digg Facebook Odeo Google Uber Y Combinator OpenAI Plaxo Hoffman InstituteTechnologiesText Messaging (40404 for Twitter)Video Home System (VHS)File Transfer Protocol (FTP)Terminal The World Wide Web (WWW)Usenet Gopher Blog Podcasts Flash Smartphones AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)The Way (Meditation App)Application Programming Interface (API)Really Simple Syndication (RSS)BooksQuit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie DukeThinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by Annie DukeThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy FerrissZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. PirsigThe Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. DruckerWhy Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective by Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel LehmanFight ClubThe One: How an Ancient Idea Holds the Future of Physics by Heinrich PäsWhat’s Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for Societies by Tim UrbanLittle, Big: or, The Fairies’ Parliament by John CrowleyAll Fours: A Novel by Miranda JulyMovies & ShowsAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Fight ClubEvents & VenuesSouth by Southwest (SXSW)Diggnation Mohawk Stubb’s BBQPeopleKevin Rose Alexis Ohanian Biz Stone Annie Duke Jack Dorsey Hugh Forrest Robert Pirsig Peter Drucker Ken Stanley Joel Lehman Henry Shukman Dick Costolo Heinrich Päs James Joaquin Tim Urban John Crowley Miranda JulyRelevant ResourcesA Journey on the Information Highway by Evan Williams (Speech) | James ClearEv Williams’s Favorite Books | One Grand (Later republished in The New York Times as referenced in the conversation, but this version doesn’t have a paywall!)25% of YC’s Latest Startups Are Letting AI Write 95% of Their Code — Here’s Why Devs Aren’t Obsolete Yet | TrendooThe Past, Present, and Future of Using Ketamine to Treat Depression | Smithsonian MagazineKetamine Revealed as Matthew Perry’s Cause of Death — Here’s What to Know about the Drug | ForbesBlake Mycoskie — TOMS, The Hoffman Process, Conscious Uncoupling, and Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #446Ev Williams Is Finally Moving on from Twitter | VoxEv Williams Was Lonely. He Doesn’t Want You to Be. | The New York TimesThe Tail End | Wait But WhyEvan Williams Is Stepping Down as CEO of Medium | The New York TimesMaking “Social” Social Again by Ev Williams | MediumThe Way App from Henry ShukmanSHOW NOTES[00:05:35] Kevin Rose starts the party like it’s 2004.[00:07:27] Ev’s first internet product.[00:08:54] How technology became social for Ev.[00:10:52] The simple idea behind Mozi.[00:12:05] Strategic quitting vs. sunk-cost perseverance.[00:18:36] How Odeo begat Twitter.[00:22:01] Twitter’s $11,000 SXSW 2007 inflection point.[00:23:45] Ev’s hopes for Mozi’s evolution.[00:25:02] Favorite books and information inputs.[00:30:45] Raising a generation to co-exist with AI.[00:33:12] Ev’s billboard.[00:35:56] How Ev learned to manage his feelings.[00:37:16] Facing strangers as an introvert with the Hoffman Process.[00:39:57] Recently adopted habits that have galvanized positive change.[00:42:44] The silver lining of being fired from Twitter.[00:45:18] Contemplating how the universe works with The One by Heinrich Päs.[00:47:04] How Ev stocks his reading list arsenal.[00:50:26] Big thoughts on a Medium regret.[00:52:47] Resisting the urge to bloat Mozi with superfluous features.[00:55:40] How Mozi balances privacy with utility.[00:57:40] Parting thoughts.MORE EV WILLIAMS QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“You can set a goal to run a marathon, and you can download a training regime, and you can go run the marathon. You can’t do that to invent the computer or Twitter or create amazing art. You can’t plot it. And to the extent you try to plot it, you shoot yourself in the foot because you cut off the possibilities that lie before you.”
— Ev Williams

“The most creative force in the world is clearly nature, and it has no plan. It just tries shit.”
— Ev Williams

“I saw companies—in particular, products—as a creative process. It’s like writing a book or painting a painting: you have to figure it out as you go. You don’t have it fully baked in your head from day one.”
— Ev Williams

“Remember when social used to mean getting together in real life, getting to know people? And now social is just this catchall word that kind of just means the internet.”
— Ev Williams

“I think humans, fundamentally, were wired to be deeply social, but that wiring was way before screens. And that wiring to be social, it didn’t happen in public. So Mozi is a very simple idea where we said, ‘Well, what would an actual social network look like?’ That’s what we’re building.”
— Ev Williams

“I think this idea of it’s okay to quit is underappreciated.”
— Ev Williams

“You don’t know what else there is until you clear your attention away from the thing that you’ve been struggling with.”
— Ev Williams

“Creative ideation is useful no matter what you do, ever.”
— Ev Williams

The post Ev Williams — The Art of Pivoting (e.g., Odeo to Twitter), Strategic Quitting, The Dangers of Premature Scaling, Must-Read Books, and More (#800) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on March 20, 2025 06:37

Richard Taylor and Greg Broadmore, Wētā Workshop — Untapping Creativity, Stories from The Lord of the Rings, The Magic of New Zealand, Four Tenets to Live By, and The Only Sentence of Self-Help You Need (#799)

“The thing we love to make today is other makers. We’ve had a lovely and amazing career, and we are continuing to do fun and wonderful things every day. But it’s an imperative, and I actually feel that it’s beholden on us to try and introduce as many people as possible, specifically children, into the love of making and creating because it is slipping out of our fingers.”
— Richard Taylor

“What is art about? It is more than just drawing pictures and making stories — it is finding truth.”
— Greg Broadmore

Richard Taylor is the co-founder and creative lead at Wētā Workshop, which he runs with his wife and co-founder Tania Rodger. Wētā Workshop is a concept design studio and manufacturing facility that services the world’s creative and entertainment industries. Their practical and special effects have helped define the visual identities of some of the most recognizable franchises in film and television, including The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Superman, Mad Max, Thor, M3gan, and Love, Death, and Robots.

Greg Broadmore is an artist and writer who has been part of the team at Wētā Workshop for more than 20 years. His design and special-effects credits include District 9, King Kong, Godzilla, The Adventures of Tintin, and Avatar, and he is the creator of the satirical, retro-sci-fi world of Dr. Grordbort’s. He is currently working on the graphic novel series One Path, set in a brutal prehistoric world where dinosaurs and cavewomen are locked in a grim battle for supremacy.

Please enjoy!

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. The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

This episode is brought to you by Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic broad spectrum 24-strain probiotic + prebiotic; Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “Forever Chemicals”; and AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercastRichard Taylor and Greg Broadmore, Wētā Workshop — Untapping Creativity, Stories from The Lord of the Rings, The Magic of New Zealand, Four Tenets to Live By, and The Only Sentence of Self-Help You Need

This episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG1 further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

Right now, you’ll get a 1-year supply of Vitamin D free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit DrinkAG1.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive daily, foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole-body health.

This episode is brought to you by Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro. Many nonstick pans can release harmful “forever chemicals”—PFAS—into your food, your home, and, ultimately, your body. Teflon is a prime example—it *is* the forever chemical that most companies are still using. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to major health issues like gut microbiome disruption, testosterone dysregulation, and more, which have been correlated to chronic disease in the long term. This is why I use the Titanium Always Pan Pro from today’s sponsor, Our Place. It’s the first nonstick pan with zero coating. This means zero “forever chemicals” and a durability that will last a lifetime. That’s right—no degradation over time like traditional nonstick pans.

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This episode is brought to you by Seed’s DS-01 Daily Synbiotic! Seed’s DS-01 was recommended to me months ago by a PhD microbiologist, so I started using it well before their team ever reached out to me. Since then, it’s become a daily staple and one of the few supplements I travel with. I’ve always been highly skeptical of most probiotics due to the lack of science and the fact that many do not survive digestion. But after incorporating two capsules of Seed’s DS-01 into my morning routine, I have noticed improved digestion, skin tone, and overall health. Why is it so effective? For one, it’s a 2-in-1 probiotic and prebiotic formulated with 24 clinically and scientifically studied strains that have systemic benefits in and beyond the gut. And now, you can get 25% off your first month of DS-01 with code 25TIM.

Want to hear another podcast episode with a prolific artist? Listen to my first conversation with Todd McFarlane, in which we discussed the art of compelling storytelling, meeting deadlines, Todd’s voluminous library of rejection letters, how the industry status quo led to the founding of Image Comic Books, the happy accident that brought Venom to life, spaghetti webbing, competitive bladdering, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Richard Taylor:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Connect with Greg Broadmore:

Website | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Richard Taylor’s Four TenetsLove of oneself.Love of what you do.Love of who you do it with.Love of who you do it for.(Unofficial bonus tenet) Don’t be a dickhead.Institutions, Companies, and PlacesWētā Workshop: Special effects and design company founded by Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger.Wētā Caves: Retail stores associated with Wētā Workshop.Wellington, New Zealand: Where Wētā was founded and is headquartered.Sichuan Earthquake Relief Fund: Fund to support earthquake victims.Gibson Group: Production company, Public Eye.Procreate: Australian art app company.Nintendo: Video game company, creator of the DS.Colors!: The DS art app created by Jens Andersson.Auckland, New Zealand: Where Weta Unleashed! is based.Mad Cave Studios: Publisher of Greg Broadmore’s One Path.Magic Leap: Augmented reality company, collaborated with Weta Workshop on games.Photoshop: Adobe’s classic raster graphics editor.Dungeons & Dragons: The fantasy tabletop role-playing game by which all others are measured.Magic: The Gathering: The world’s premier trading card game.National Geographic: A global non-profit organization committed to exploring, illuminating, and protecting the wonder of our world.Movies and Entertainment MediaThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Rise of the Planet of the Apes Dawn of the Planet of the Apes War for the Planet of the Apes Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Superman Mad Max: Fury Road Thor: Love and Thunder M3GAN Love Death + Robots King Kong Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire The Adventures of Tintin Avatar: The Way of Water Thunderbirds Are Go Gremlins 2 Harry and the Hendersons The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad The Golden Voyage of Sinbad Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger Jason and the Argonauts Public Eye Spitting Image Heavenly Creatures Evangelion Meet the Feebles Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Xena: Warrior Princess American Beauty Star Wars Flash Gordon (Serials)Buck Rogers (Serials)District 9 Alive in Joburg Halo Sin City Alita: Battle Angel The Manchurian CandidateBooks and Recommended ReadingThe Rent Collection Courtyard: Sculptures of Oppression and Revolt by Foreign Languages PressOne Path Book One by Greg Broadmore, Andy Lanning, and Nick BoshierBooks by David DeutschDungeons & Dragons Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond by Adam Lee2000 AD Judge Dredd Sláine: The Horned God A.B.C. Warriors The Art of Simon Bisley by Simon BisleyHeavy Metal Lobo Simon Bisley’s Illustrations From The Bible: A Work in Progress by Simon BisleyThe Coming of Conan the Cimmerian: The Original Adventures of the Greatest Sword and Sorcery Hero of All Time! by Robert E. HowardThe Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill WattersonThe Sovereign Child: How a Forgotten Philosophy Can Liberate Kids and Their Parents by Aaron StuppleFiend Folio: Tome of Creatures Malevolent and Benign by Don Turnbull and Chris BakerDr. Grordbort’s Bestiary of the Cosmos by Greg BroadmoreExpedition: Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV by Wayne Douglas BarloweAfter Man: Expanded 40th Anniversary Edition by Dougal DixonRelevant ResourcesAura: The Forest at the Edge of the Sky | Haikou International Duty-Free Shopping ComplexGreg’s Albertosaurus Skull | InstagramThunderbirds Are Go Behind-the-Scenes Tour Experience | TV One BreakfastThe Garden of Earthly Delights Triptych by Hieronymus Bosch | Museo Nacional del PradoThe Rent Collection Courtyard at 50 Years | USC Pacific Asia MuseumDick Smith Special FX Makeup Training Richard Sculpting in Margarine | InstagramRichard Taylor and Laura Daniels Sculpting in Tinfoil | InstagramCreative Workshops | Wētā WorkshopAlif: The Mobility Pavilion | Wētā WorkshopTraditional Chinese Medicine Technology and Creativity Museum | GMTCM ParkWētā Workshop Unleashed! | AucklandThe DS Can Do Naked Ladies Slipping on Banana Peels Rather Well | Kotaku99 DS: 99 Dodgy Slips by Greg Broadmore and 99 Deadly Sleds by Christian Pearce | Civic Square, Wellington (2009)Greg’s 60-Meter-Long Unleashed Mural | InstagramQueens of the Stone Age Motörhead The (Failed) Neon Genesis Evangelion Live Action Movie Series | EvaWikiDavid Deutsch and Naval Ravikant — The Fabric of Reality, The Importance of Disobedience, The Inevitability of Artificial General Intelligence, Finding Good Problems, Redefining Wealth, Foundations of True Knowledge, Harnessing Optimism, Quantum Computing, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #662Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War | Te PapaANZAC Day WWI Gallipoli Exhibition Designed and Built by Sir Richard Taylor and Wētā Workshop | YouTubeMilitary History of New Zealand During World War I | WikipediaThe Bug Lab | Wētā WorkshopRichard Wields Sting from Lord of the Rings | YouTubeThings We Believe Make Us Kiwi | The New Zealand HeraldRocket Lab | WikipediaDr. Grordbort’s Infallible Aether Oscillators — Where Science Meets Violence Brandon Sanderson on Building a Fiction Empire, Creating $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, Unbreakable Habits, The Art of World-Building, and The Science of Magic Systems | The Tim Ferriss Show #794The Film That Never Was – Halo | Pop Culture ManiacsMore Legends of Varlata World-Building Concept Art | FacebookImages from Simon Bisley’s Bible | Simon Bisley ArtSilver Warrior by Frank Frazetta | InstagramSwamp Demon by Frank Frazetta | Frazetta Art MuseumEver Wished That Calvin and Hobbes Creator Bill Watterson Would Return to the Comics Page? Well, He Just Did. | I’m Too Stupid to TravelNaval Ravikant and Aaron Stupple — How to Raise a Sovereign Child, A Freedom-Maximizing Approach to Parenting | The Tim Ferriss Show #788PeopleTania Rodger Ri Streeter Gilbert Bayes Steve Wang Rick Baker Hieronymus Bosch Zhao Shutong Ray Harryhausen Dick Smith Clive Memmot Warren Beaton Peter Jackson Jay Chou Jens Andersson Christian Pearce Salvador Dali Josh Homme Lemmy Kilmister David Deutsch Naval Ravikant Elijah Wood Bertrand Russell J.R.R. Tolkien Annette Bening Brandon Sanderson Rony Abovitz Andy Lanning Nick Boshier Neill Blomkamp Sharlto Copley David Meng Adam Lee Simon Bisley Frank Frazetta Richard Corben Robert Rodriguez James Cameron N.C. Wyeth J. C. Leyendecker Norman Rockwell Howard Pyle Bill Watterson Aaron Stupple Wayne Barlowe Dougal DixonSHOW NOTES[00:08:51] Albertosaurus vs. bear.[00:10:10] The Richard Taylor office tour.[00:12:27] How Richard was inspired to begin sculpting.[00:15:42] Being influenced by — and meeting — stop-motion legend Ray Harryhausen.[00:18:08] Connecting with Dick Smith, the ‘grandfather’ of makeup effects.[00:19:17] Sculpting in margarine and breaking into the industry.[00:23:57] Tinfoil sculpting and teaching creativity to kids.[00:28:00] Wētā’s evolution from a small team to a 400-person creative hub.[00:35:57] 99 Dodgy Slips and 99 Deadly Sleds.[00:41:43] Greg’s artistic education and unique process.[00:46:11] The art must flow! But how does Greg make it happen?[00:47:54] The Auckland mural: when flow goes too far and Lemmy has to be replaced.[00:48:42] How Greg boarded the Wētā Workshop train after years on the dole.[00:51:59] The David Deutsch influence: curiosity, fun, and learning.[00:53:05] Philosophizing around art and creative problem-solving.[00:54:45] How Wētā’s Gallipoli exhibition makes WWI relevant to modern museumgoers.[00:59:04] The challenges of clothing giants and hitting deadlines.[01:03:33] How Wētā attacked the massive scale of the Lord of the Rings project with a can-do attitude.[01:11:23] Richard’s four tenets (plus one bonus tenet).[01:13:39] The unique advantages of operating in New Zealand.[01:16:42] The unwavering self-belief of Peter Jackson’s leadership style.[01:20:10] Richard’s advice for anyone seeking to cultivate their own creativity.[01:23:03] Artistic immortality: leaving a creative legacy.[01:24:13] Greg explains the retro sci-fi angle behind his Dr. Grordbort’s and ray gun projects.[01:28:55] The metaphysics of creative direction.[01:36:09] How Greg’s new book, One Path, came about.[01:40:02] Tools Greg used for conceptualizing One Path.[01:41:55] Where the curious can see more of Greg’s work.[01:43:18] How many destinations does Greg imagine One Path will reach?[01:45:02] Why working on District 9 was often frustrating, but ultimately rewarding.[01:50:39] How can an artist maintain a healthy detachment from their own work?[01:57:35] Greg’s inspirations.[02:06:20] What’s Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) up to these days?[02:08:53] What is art really about for Greg?[02:10:10] How Aaron Stupple changed Greg’s life.[02:13:13] Bestiaries, folios, and fondly remembered library books.[02:15:39] Parting thoughts.MORE QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“I have four very simple tenets that I operate by and four tenets that I try and operate our company by. … Love of oneself, love of what you do, love of who you do it with, and love of who you do it for.”
— Richard Taylor

“The first 300 commercial sculptures I did in the film industry were sculpted in margarine.”
— Richard Taylor

“If you think about who are the true immortals in the world, they’re teachers and parents, people that pass information to others to carry on into the next generation. But I do think about artists and craftspeople as being creatively immortal.”
— Richard Taylor

“The thing we love to make today is other makers. We’ve had a lovely and amazing career, and we are continuing to do fun and wonderful things every day. But it’s an imperative, and I actually feel that it’s beholden on us to try and introduce as many people as possible, specifically children, into the love of making and creating because it is slipping out of our fingers.”
— Richard Taylor

“Grit is an important component in the journey, not the accolades at the end. It’s the task of getting there that is seen as equal in accomplishment as winning baubles.”
— Richard Taylor

“I realized you need to care about the work deeply. It is your baby. You have to care about it. And if you don’t care about it, the work won’t be any good. So you cannot become cynical to the work, you have to love it, and you have to be able to let go of it.”
— Greg Broadmore

“I love learning by doing. It’s the only way. The act of illustrating or being creative, in general, I find most interesting when you don’t actually know where you’re going exactly, and you don’t really know how to do it. You just throw yourself into it and do your best, and I love that process.”
— Greg Broadmore

“Why choose any creative direction? This is a whole big metaphysical thing. There’s actually, I think, two distinct directions in which people create stories and narratives and worlds. One way is directed where you know where you’re going to go, you know the ending. The other way, which I’ve discovered I do, more often than not, is I’m just chasing these ‘why?’ questions.”
— Greg Broadmore

“What is art about? It is more than just drawing pictures and making stories — it is finding truth.”
— Greg Broadmore

The post Richard Taylor and Greg Broadmore, Wētā Workshop — Untapping Creativity, Stories from The Lord of the Rings, The Magic of New Zealand, Four Tenets to Live By, and The Only Sentence of Self-Help You Need (#799) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on March 13, 2025 07:10

Terry Real – Breaking the Rules of Traditional Couples Therapy for Superior Results, A Few Frameworks That Work (#798)

For this episode, I’m doing something a bit different. I’m featuring five chapters from the audiobook Fierce Intimacy by Terry Real. What you will hear in this episode will help you identify both your and your partner’s losing strategies in relationships and help you move from disharmony to repair. Terry is the creator of Relational Life Therapy, or RLT, which underpins all his books, courses, and teachings and equips people with the powerful relational skills they need to make love work. He is also the author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship.

And if you’d like an extra dose of calm, I recommend checking out Henry Shukman, a past podcast guest and one of only a few dozen masters in the world authorized to teach Sanbo Zen. Henry’s app, The Way, has changed my life. I’ve been using it daily, often twice a day, and it’s lowered my anxiety more than I thought possible. For 30 free sessions, just visit thewayapp.com/tim. No credit card required.

Excerpted from Fierce Intimacy: Standing Up to One Another with LOVE by Terry Real (Sounds True, 2018). Used with permission.

Please enjoy!

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.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercastTerry Real - Breaking the Rules of Traditional Couples Therapy for Superior Results, A Few Frameworks That Work

Want to hear another podcast episode that deals with overcoming relationship obstacles? Listen to my conversation with psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel, in which we discussed the challenges of therapizing couples in pandemic quarantine, the rewards of reframing our self-image, maintaining connection in long-distance relationships, coping with loneliness, the importance of maintaining personal rituals during trying times, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Terry Real:

Website

Fierce Intimacy: Standing Up to One Another with Love by Terry Real | AmazonUs: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship by Terry Real | AmazonWhat is Relational Life Therapy (RLT)? | Relational Life InstituteZen Master Henry Shukman — 20 Minutes of Calm, Plus the Strange and Powerful World of Koans | The Tim Ferriss Show #560Henry Shukman — Zen, Tools for Awakening, Ayahuasca vs. Meditation, Intro to Koans, and Using Wounds as the Doorway | The Tim Ferriss Show #531Meditation Training Program | The WayThe “Still Face” Experiment by Dr. Ed Tronick | UMass Chan Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesJames Framo on the First Day of Your Real Marriage | Terry Real, InstagramIt’s Time For a Relational Reckoning | Terry Real, YouTubeMy Big Fat Greek Wedding | Prime VideoBringing Down an Empire: Gandhi and Civil Disobedience | Teach DemocracyReleasing the Pressure: A Dive into Freud’s Hydraulic Model of the Mind | Ezra BrandOffending from the Victim Position | Center for Relationship and Sexual WellnessDoes Withdrawing Ever Work in Relationships? | Terry Real, YouTubeFrom Withdrawal to Reconnection: A Step-by-Step Guide | Terry Real, YouTubeTerry Real’s Five Losing Strategies & Five Winning Strategies | Moonstone CounselingSHOW NOTES[00:03:11] Harmony, disharmony, and repair: The rhythm of all intimate human relationships.[00:06:27] Harmony: Love without knowledge.[00:07:01] Disharmony: Knowledge without love.[00:10:01] Repair: Knowing love.[00:10:35] Stay or go? A relational reckoning.[00:12:04] Five losing strategies for getting from disharmony to repair.[00:13:21] Being right: Objective reality has no place in personal relationships.[00:16:35] Trying to control your partner: No one likes being controlled.[00:21:35] Unbridled self-expression: The barf bag approach to intimacy.[00:27:33] Retaliation: Offending from the victim position.[00:32:13] Withdrawal: Provacative distance-taking.[00:35:58] Shaking hands with your adaptive child — your losing strategy profile (LSP).[00:38:08] Lessons learned by comparing your partner’s LSP with your own.PEOPLE MENTIONED

Pia Mellody
Kevin Rose
Peter Attia
Henry Shukman
Edward Tronick
Sigmund Freud
Ethel Person
James Framo
Belinda Berman-Real
Mahatma Gandhi

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Published on March 06, 2025 06:50

Dr. Keith Baar, UC Davis — Simple Exercises That Can Repair Tendons (Tennis Elbow, etc.), Collagen Fact vs. Fiction, Isometrics vs. Eccentrics, JAK Inhibitors, Growth Hormone vs. IGF-1, The Anti-RICE Protocol, and How to Use Load as an Anti-Inflammatory (#

Dr. Keith Baar is a Professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology.

During his Ph.D. studies, his research revealed that mechanical strain on muscle fibers activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, a crucial regulator of muscular hypertrophy.

Subsequently, he studied the molecular dynamics of skeletal muscle adaptation to endurance training under the guidance of Dr. John Holloszy, a legend in the field of exercise physiology, considered the father of modern exercise biochemistry.

Building on all of this experience, he conducted research into tendon health and the potential for engineering ligaments, which could have implications for treatment and recovery from injuries.

Dr. Baar now runs the Functional Molecular Biology Lab at UC Davis. His lab’s work ranges from studying molecular changes in our cells to conducting studies to effect real-world improvements in people’s health, longevity, and quality of life.

Please enjoy!

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.

This episode is brought to you by Cresset prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs; AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement; and Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercastDr. Keith Baar, UC Davis — Simple Exercises That Can Repair Tendons (Tennis Elbow, etc.), Collagen Fact vs. Fiction, Isometrics vs. Eccentrics, JAK Inhibitors, Growth Hormone vs. IGF-1, The Anti-RICE Protocol, and How to Use Load as an Anti-Inflammatory

This episode is brought to you by Cresset Family Office! Listeners have heard me talk about “making before you manage” for years. And for me—as a writer and entrepreneur—I definitely gravitate toward making. So it’s important that I find the right people who are great at managing. That’s why I trust this episode’s sponsor, Cresset Family Office.

Cresset is a prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs. They handle the complex financial planning, uncertain tax strategies, timely exit planning, bill pay and wires, and all the other parts of wealth management that would otherwise pull me away from doing what I love most: making things, mastering skills, and spending time with the people I care about. Experience the freedom of focusing on what matters to you with the support of a top wealth management team. Schedule a call today at cressetcapital.com/tim to see how Cresset can help streamline your financial plans and grow your wealth.

I’m a client of Cresset. There are no material conflicts other than this paid testimonial. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal.

This episode is brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.

Go to shopify.com/Tim to sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. It’s a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting shopify.com/Tim .

This episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG1 further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

Right now, you’ll get a 1-year supply of Vitamin D free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit DrinkAG1.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive daily, foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole-body health.

Want to hear another episode that explores the possibilities of rapamycin? Have a listen to the conversation I had with Peter Attia, David M. Sabatini, and Navdeep S. Chandel at the source of this miraculous compound: Easter Island. Here, we discuss how one of the most important discoveries of medical science was almost lost, why metabolism (along with longevity) research is key to treating a long list of diseases, intermittent dosing of rapamycin, parenting advice from scientists on confidence and conflict, the necessary failures of good science, good fonts versus bad fonts, “non-potato” relationships, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Dr. Keith Baar:

Website | Bluesky | LinkedIn

Physiology & Biology
Strength Physiology

Muscle Hypertrophy Force Transfer Connective Tissue Adaptation Tendon vs. Ligament Stress Shielding Collagen Synthesis Lysyl Oxidase (LOX)Mitochondrial Biogenesis Mitochondrial Function Mitophagy Refractory Period Minimum Effective Dose Systemic Inflammation

Molecular Biology

mTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin)IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1)Growth Hormone Receptor JAK-STAT Pathway (Janus Kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription)Super Amino Acids: Glycine and Proline Ketones/Ketogenesis PGC1-Alpha Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Exercise Physiology

Isometric Contractions (Yielding vs. Overcoming)Eccentric vs. Concentric Contractions Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)Load Duration Rest Intervals Jerk Tempo Static vs. Dynamic Stretching

Injury & Recovery

Tendinopathy Alfredson Protocol Scar Tissue Formation Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Rupture/Repair RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)Immobilization Pain Management Debridement

Training & Rehabilitation Methods

Shockwave Therapy Hangboard Training Isometric Holds The Alphabet Exercise Eccentric Loading Strength Training Thera-Band Flexbar

Substances & Interventions

Supplements

Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides Vitamin C Whey Protein Gelatin Bone Broth

Pharmaceuticals

Rapamycin Metformin JAK-STAT Inhibitors (ending in -NIB, e.g., Itacitinib, Vorasidenib)Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics (e.g., Ciprofloxacin)AT1 Receptor Drugs (Sartan drugs)Resorbable vs. Non-Resorbable Sutures Testosterone Estrogen Nandrolone Liothyronine (Cytomel)Relaxin

Orthobiologics (Critiqued)

BPC-157 PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)Prolotherapy Stem Cells

Diets

Ketogenic Diet One Meal A Day (OMAD)

Institutions & Places

The UK Sports Institute Rapa Nui (Easter Island)UC Davis Aspetar Finland University of Illinois, Chicago Maastricht NFL NCAA

Movies

Lorenzo’s Oil

Research

Minimizing Injury and Maximizing Return to Play: Lessons from Engineered Ligaments | Sports MedicineAcute Resistance Exercise Activates Rapamycin-Sensitive and -Insensitive Mechanisms That Control Translational Activity and Capacity in Skeletal Muscle | Journal of PhysiologyEffects of Stress Shielding on the Mechanical Properties of Rabbit Patellar Tendon | Journal of Biomechanical EngineeringA 1-Month Ketogenic Diet Increased Mitochondrial Mass in Red Gastrocnemius Muscle, but Not in the Brain or Liver of Middle-Aged Mice | NutrientsIngestion of a Whey Plus Collagen Protein Blend Increases Myofibrillar and Muscle Connective Protein Synthesis Rates | Medicine & Science in Sports & ExercisePentadecapeptide BPC 157 Enhances the Growth Hormone Receptor Expression in Tendon Fibroblasts | MoleculesACE-II Receptor Antagonists Are Associated with Achilles Tendon Rupture | University of Eastern FinlandEffect of Estrogen on Musculoskeletal Performance and Injury Risk | Frontiers in PhysiologyKetogenic Diets and Mitochondrial Function: Benefits for Aging But Not for Athletes | Exercise and Sport Sciences ReviewsDo Inflammatory Cells Influence Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy? | Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite

Relevant Resources

Tendon and Ligament Health | SinewUSRE: Tim Seeks Tennis Elbow Relief | TwitterHow this Climber Went from V0 to V15 in 5 Years | Josh RundleMy Life Extension Pilgrimage to Easter Island | The Tim Ferriss Show #193Work Medium, Play Medium | Pretty Alright GoodsFree Weights vs. Machine Weights? Here’s How to Choose. | GoodRxOrthopaedics in the Dawn of Civilisation, Practices in Ancient Egypt | International OrthopaedicsThe Characteristics of Valter Longo’s “Longevity Diet” | USC Leonard DavisSHOW NOTES[00:07:12] How I discovered Keith’s work through a tweet about tennis elbow and rock climbing.[00:07:54] Emil Abrahamsson’s hangboard training protocol.[00:09:20] The fundamental principles of strength training and connective tissue adaptation.[00:10:36] mTOR complex 1 and its role in muscle growth.[00:12:06] Engineered ligaments and the discovery of minimal effective doses for tendon adaptation.[00:13:50] The refractory period between optimal tendon loading sessions.[00:16:42] Rapamycin’s effects on muscle hypertrophy.[00:18:49] Protocols for tennis elbow rehabilitation.[00:20:28] Why isometrics work better than eccentrics for tendon healing.[00:22:14] Stress shielding and how load distribution affects tendon healing.[00:29:07] The misconception about eccentric loading for tendon injuries and why velocity matters.[00:29:58] Ideal duration for isometric holds (10-30 seconds) based on injury status.[00:33:50] My elbow issues and current rehab approach.[00:36:02] Overcoming vs. yielding isometrics and optimal loading strategies.[00:47:11] Dr. Barr’s movement prescription for my tennis elbow.[00:52:18] Loading timing post-surgery and RICE protocol criticism.[00:56:58] Achilles tendon rehabilitation after surgery.[01:00:18] Critique of orthopedic suturing techniques and recommendation for resorbable sutures.[01:04:02] Multiple position isometrics for tennis elbow rehabilitation.[01:07:26] Collagen synthesis, supplementation, and vitamin C timing.[01:12:59] Critique of BPC-157 and other injectable peptides for tendon healing.[01:18:19] Evaluation of orthobiologics’ (PRP, prolotherapy, stem cells) effectiveness.[01:21:37] JAK-STAT inhibitor drugs and their effects on tendon growth.[01:25:35] Drugs that increase risk of tendon ruptures (fluoroquinolones, AT-1 receptor drugs).[01:29:33] How estrogen affects tendon stiffness and injury risk in women.[01:32:48] Testosterone’s opposite effects on tendon compared to estrogen.[01:35:31] Protein intake recommendations and timing.[01:40:11] Ketogenic diet effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and longevity.[01:41:57] Comparison of ketogenic diet, low protein diet, and rapamycin for longevity.[01:47:19] Inflammation’s role in adaptation and when to reduce it.[01:51:17] Timing of ice baths relative to training for optimal recovery.[01:52:33] Parting thoughts.MORE DR. KEITH BAAR QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“The number one cost to the US medical system is actually musculoskeletal sprains, strains and tears, the back and the neck, as well as the rest of the body. It’s more than diabetes and heart disease combined.”
— Dr. Keith Baar

“If passive flexibility was really important for decreasing tendon injury, then the women’s gymnasts who have the most passive flexibility wouldn’t be the NCAA sport with the highest rate of Achilles tendon rupture.”
— Dr. Keith Baar

“Injury related to flexibility is a U-shaped curve. So our injuries are really high when we’re very inflexible. When we get into that sweet spot where we have good mobility, we can do the full range of motion, actually the injury rate is very low. If we become hyper-mobile, we actually have that injury rate go up as well.”
— Dr. Keith Baar

“We don’t use a ketogenic diet if we want to go fast, but if we’re training for life, we see that it increases longevity, that the ketones themselves are really good for brain function.”
— Dr. Keith Baar

“The first recorded immobilizer for an ankle or a leg is from Egyptian hieroglyphs where they showed pictures 4,500 years ago. If I took you and you said you had cancer, you would not want a treatment that was developed 4,500 years ago. You would hope that something new has been developed in the last 4,500 years. That is where we are for our orthopedic situations.”
— Dr. Keith Baar

“The reality is that there are especially certain athletes like climbers where they’re doing all kinds of heavy lifts, they’re doing all kinds of heavy work, they’re doing all kinds of really dynamic moves. And what happens, what breaks down is they break down in their finger tendons and they break down in the little pulleys within the tendons.”
— Dr. Keith Baar

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

The post Dr. Keith Baar, UC Davis — Simple Exercises That Can Repair Tendons (Tennis Elbow, etc.), Collagen Fact vs. Fiction, Isometrics vs. Eccentrics, JAK Inhibitors, Growth Hormone vs. IGF-1, The Anti-RICE Protocol, and How to Use Load as an Anti-Inflammatory (#797) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on February 26, 2025 08:20

L.A. Paul — On Becoming a Vampire, Whether or Not to Have Kids, Getting Incredible Mentorship for $250, Transformative Experiences, and More (#796)

Illustration via 99designs

“You can read all the theory in the world, but when you experience it, it gives you a different way of understanding. And that’s what I’m saying. Just like seeing red for the first time. You can hear all about red, but when you see it, you’re like, whoa, wait, there’s something there that’s more. The theory, the words aren’t sufficient to express all of the content.”
— L.A. Paul

L.A. Paul (lapaul.org) is the Millstone Family Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University, where she leads the Self and Society Initiative for the Wu Tsai Institute. Her research explores questions about the nature of the self and decision-making and the metaphysics and cognitive science of time, cause, and experience.

She is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Humanities Center, and the Australian National University. She is the author of Transformative Experience and coauthor of Causation: A User’s Guide, which was awarded the American Philosophical Association Sanders Book Prize. Her work on transformative experience has been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, NPR, and the BBC, among others. And in 2024, she was profiled by The New Yorker.

She is currently working on a book, under contract with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, about self-construction, transformative experience, humility, and fear of mental corruption.

Please enjoy!

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.

This episode is brought to you by MUD\WTR energy-boosting coffee alternative—without the jitters; Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating; and LinkedIn Ads, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness and generate leads.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#796: L.A. Paul — On Becoming a Vampire, Whether or Not to Have Kids, Getting Incredible Mentorship for $250, Transformative Experiences, and More (#796)

This episode is brought to you by MUD\WTR! With only a fraction of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee, MUD\WTR gives me all the energy I need without the jitters or crash. Their original blend contains four different mushrooms: lion’s mane for focus, cordyceps to promote energy, and both chaga and reishi to support a healthy immune system. And it’s delicious—like cacao and chai had a beautiful child. I drink MUD\WTR in the morning, and I’ll also sometimes add milk and ice for a 2 p.m. iced latte pick-me-up. I also love that they make monthly donations to support psychedelic therapeutics and research, including organizations such as the Heroic Hearts Project and The UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP).

Now you can get 15% off plus a free rechargeable frother and free shipping by going to mudwtr.com/tim. Enjoy MUD\WTR and get a better morning routine.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep. Temperature is one of the main causes of poor sleep, and heat is my personal nemesis. I’ve suffered for decades, tossing and turning, throwing blankets off, pulling them back on, and repeating ad nauseam. But a few years ago, I started using the Pod Cover, and it has transformed my sleep. Eight Sleep has launched their newest generation of the Pod: Pod 4 Ultra. It cools, it heats, and now it elevates, automatically. With the best temperature performance to date, Pod 4 Ultra ensures you and your partner stay cool in the heat and cozy warm in the cold. Plus, it automatically tracks your sleep time, snoring, sleep stages, and HRV, all with high precision. For example, their heart rate tracking is at an incredible 99% accuracy.

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Want to hear an episode with someone who applies philosophy to his daily life? Listen to my most recent conversation with Derek Sivers in which we discussed Emirati coffee, cuddly rats, Brian Eno, John Cage, practical applications of simplicity, traveling to inhabit philosophies, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with L. A. Paul:

Website

Concepts

Transformative Experience: A central theme in L. A. Paul’s work, referring to life-changing experiences that fundamentally alter one’s identity and preferences, making it difficult to make rational decisions about them beforehand. Analytic Philosophy: A style of philosophy that emphasizes clarity, rigor, and logical analysis, often with close ties to science and mathematics. Causation: The relationship between cause and effect, and how we understand the forces that drive the world forward. Rational Choice Theory: The framework for understanding how individuals make decisions based on maximizing their expected value. Identity: How we understand ourselves and our persistence through time. The Mind-Body Problem: A philosophical problem concerning the relationship between thought and consciousness in the human mind and body. Epistemology: The theory of knowledge, dealing with questions about how we know what we know and the nature of understanding. Logic: The science of the formal principles of reasoning. Chain of Thoughts (CoT): In LLMs, chain of thought (CoT) mirrors human reasoning, facilitating systematic problem-solving through a coherent series of logical deductions. The Vampire Problem: A thought experiment used by Paul to illustrate transformative experience. Stockholm Syndrome: A psychological response that causes survivors of abuse to sympathize with their abuser. The Knowledge Argument: Analytic philosopher Frank Jackson’s thought experiment intended to argue against physicalism. Act-State Independence: A principle in rational choice theory that assumes the act of making a choice does not change the decision-maker’s preferences. Metaphysics: The branch of philosophy that deals with the fundamental nature of reality. Gravimetric Analysis: A set of methods used in analytical chemistry for quantitative determination based on mass. Counterfactuals: Statements about what could have been, but wasn’t. Nihilism: A philosophical viewpoint that suggests life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Quantum Physics: The study of matter and energy at the most fundamental level. Time: The nature of time, both as a physical phenomenon and as a subjective experience. Free Will: The capacity or ability to choose between different possible courses of action. Fatalism: The view that we are powerless to do anything other than what we actually do. Existentialism: A family of philosophical views that study existence from the individual’s perspective. Continental Philosophy: A tradition of philosophy originating in mainland Europe. Phenomenology: A philosophical approach that focuses on the study of subjective experience and consciousness. Bioethics: A field of study that examines the ethical implications of advancements in biology and medicine. Metaethics: The attempt to understand the presuppositions of moral thought and practice. Ineffability: The inability to fully describe or express certain experiences through language.

Books and Recommended Reading

Transformative Experience by L. A. Paul Causation: A User’s Guide by L. A. Paul and Ned Hall Being and Time by Martin Heidegger What You Can’t Expect When You’re Expecting by L. A. Paul The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse The Felt Meanings of the World: A Metaphysics of Feeling by Quentin Smith Counterfactuals by David K. Lewis Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang Exhalation by Ted Chiang The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges The Autobiography of Charles Darwin: 1809-1882 by Charles Darwin Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology by Paul K. Moser The Paradox of Empathy by L. A. Paul The View from Nowhere by Thomas Nagel Seven Nights by Jorge Luis Borges Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life by Agnes Callard Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Movies

Arrival Primer La Jetée 12 Monkeys Back to the Future Interstellar Tenet

Institutions

Antioch College Harvard Business School Princeton University Yale University

People

Quentin Smith Martin Heidegger Ludwig Wittgenstein René Descartes Gideon Rosen Thomas Nagel Saul Kripke David Hume Agnes Callard Count Dracula Alice Gregory Paul Sagar Hermann Hesse Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Ted Chiang David Lewis Jorge Luis Borges Johann Sebastian Bach Charles Darwin Lewis Carroll Jennifer Nagel Marcel Proust Michel Foucault Jacques Derrida Slavoj Žižek Bertrand Russell Aristotle Pandora Joseph Conrad

Relevant Resources

The Philosopher Tarski on Truth | Big Think The Philosopher L. A. Paul Wants Us to Think About Our Selves | The New Yorker Philosophy and Its Role in Society | American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development From Task Structures to World Models: What Do LLMs Know? | Trends in Cognitive Sciences The Vampire Problem: A Brilliant Thought Experiment | The Marginalian Eleanor Nelsen: Mary’s Room: A Philosophical Thought Experiment | TED-Ed What Is It Like to Be a Bat? | The Philosophical Review Paul Sagar: Diary of a Punter | Substack Is Having a Child a Rational Decision? | NPR Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy If You Don’t Understand Quantum Physics, Try This! | Domain of Science Determinism vs. Free Will | Crash Course Philosophy L. A. Paul AMA on Transformative Experience | r/Philosophy Understanding Ontological Shock | Dian Griesel, Ph.D. Psychedelics 101 | Tim Ferriss Nine Buddhist Teachers Explain Suffering | Lion’s Roar 61 Zen Koans with Commentary | TricycleSHOW NOTES[00:05:55] The role of Quentin Smith.[00:09:56] Early philosophy class disasters.[00:13:34] How is philosophy relevant to the average person?[00:20:17] A correspondence experiment with philosophers.[00:25:29] The role of philosophy in modern times.[00:27:50] The vampire problem.[00:39:31] What you can’t expect when you’re expecting.[00:42:36] When transformative experiences happen without our consent.[00:48:12] Choosing between potentially transformative experiences.[00:52:09] How Laurie made the choice to have children.[00:56:34] What galvanized Laurie’s trajectory from hard sciences to philosophy?[01:01:14] Recommended reading for the novice philosopher.[01:02:59] An aside defining counterfactuals.[01:07:15] What makes understanding analytic philosophy a worthwhile endeavor?[01:10:29] What readers can expect of Laurie’s book, Transformative Experience.[01:12:30] Epistemology.[01:13:15] How to maintain a passion for philosophy.[01:17:21] Commonly misrepresented philosophical concepts.[01:19:59] Continental philosophy.[01:21:48] Philosophy beyond the academic.[01:23:46] Laurie vs. Agnes Callard.[01:25:34] Aristotle vs. drugs.[01:32:01] Thoughts on life’s final transformative experience: death.[01:35:48] Forgiving the philosophers and other parting thoughts.MORE L. A. PAUL QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“I care very much about the nature of how we live our lives, the kinds of struggles that individual people have. I’m fascinated by the fact that all of us have these internal worlds, and then there’s some way in which we all have these internal worlds, and then these internal worlds have to kind of coexist with the external world, and we have to try to make sense of everything, and try to understand other people.”
— L. A. Paul

“Nobody ever argues someone into religious belief or losing it. It’s all about occupying a different conceptual space, and that just foundationally changes the way you understand the world.”
— L. A. Paul

“When we’re walking around being our skin-encapsulated ego, there’s a lot we take for granted.”
— L. A. Paul

“Using the examples of time travel, it can draw out first how we have to think about time in the ordinary sense, because we can contrast it to the possibility of time as having either another dimension or branching, or in some sense, us being able to move against the arrow of time from the past to the future.”
— L. A. Paul

“I think it’s super important to distinguish between our experience of time and time itself. … The easiest way to see the difference is [to] imagine you’re in a really boring lecture and you’re just sitting there like, ‘Oh, this is lasting forever.’ And you look at the clock and you realize you’re only 15 minutes in.”
— L. A. Paul

“You can read all the theory in the world, but when you experience it it gives you a different way of understanding. And that’s what I’m saying. Just like seeing red for the first time. You can hear all about red, but when you see it you’re like, whoa, wait, there’s something there that’s more. The theory, the words aren’t sufficient to express all of the content.”
— L. A. Paul

The post L.A. Paul — On Becoming a Vampire, Whether or Not to Have Kids, Getting Incredible Mentorship for $250, Transformative Experiences, and More (#796) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on February 21, 2025 07:08

For Less Anxiety and More Life, Treat Your To-Do List Like a Diner Menu

Several years ago, Cal Newport of Deep Work fame recommended that I read Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.

The first few chapters hooked me, and I devoured it over 48 hours or so, capturing hundreds of Kindle highlights in the process. It’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever read, and one of my favorite chapters is titled “Cosmic Insignificance Therapy,” which Oliver graciously permitted me to share on the blog and on the podcast.

In August 2023, Oliver wrote a piece for his newsletter titled “Lists are menus” that stuck with me, and I have thought about it since. You can find it below.

For more Oliver, subscribe to his newsletter here. In case you missed it, also check out his newest Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.

Enjoy!

Enter Oliver Burkeman

More and more, I think my issues with conventional productivity advice – indeed, with the very notion of productivity – boil down to this: Spending your days trying to get through a list of things you feel you have to do is a fundamentally joyless and soul-destroying way to live, and most productivity problems, like distraction or procrastination or a lack of motivation, can be understood as internal rebellions against a life spent so dispiritingly. And yet most of what passes for expert advice just involves organizing the list differently, or getting through the list more efficiently. Whereas the real trouble lies in the whole underlying idea of life as a matter of slogging your way through a list.

I realize, of course, that you may not be a “list person” like me, with my long and somewhat ridiculous history of experimenting with lists in notebooks, digital lists, lists organized by context or project or priority, and so on (and so on and so on). But if you adopt a sufficiently broad definition of a to-do list – ie., as any set of things you feel you need to get done – then it’s clear that really, lists are everywhere. Your “to read” pile is a list. A morning routine is a list (of things you think you need to do each morning). That nagging collection of home improvements you keep meaning to get around to? That constitutes a list, too.

Or maybe you’re one of the many people who go through life with a vague sense that there are several important milestones you need to hit before you can truly deem things to be in full working order – to start exercising, find a relationship, work through your childhood issues, sort out your finances? Well, that’s a list, too, in the sense I’m using the word here: a set of tasks you believe you need to get through, in order to feel that everything’s OK.

As every productivity geek knows, there’s a certain pleasure in crossing things off lists. (Some of us have been known to add tasks we’ve already completed, so as to cross those ones off, too.) But in the long run, I don’t think this can make up for the basic joylessness of a life spent doing things in order to have them done – and spent, moreover, in the belief that true peace of mind can only come once they’re all out of the way. Which of course they never are.

All of which leads to a question I’ve found powerful to reflect on: what if we understood our lists as menus instead?

For many years I lived in New York – where, as anyone familiar with the city knows, there’s a kind of diner you can visit at which you’ll be handed a huge menu, bound in fake leather, with perhaps eight or nine laminated pages featuring every imaginable permutation of egg-based dishes, sandwiches, burgers, waffles and salads that the kitchen is capable of conceiving. I love these menus for the sense of crazy abundance they impart. And they help clarify a critical way in which a menu differs from a to-do list: picking just one or two items from a menu is something you get to do, not something you have to do. It’s not a problem that there are so many more things you could order than you’d ever be able to consume in a single visit. It isn’t the case that in an ideal world you’d eat them all, but because you’re not efficient enough at eating you’ve got to settle for just one or two of them, and feel like a failure. That would be ridiculous! The abundance is the point. And the joy is in getting to eat at the restaurant at all.

I take it you can see where this is going when it comes to to-do lists: increasingly, I find myself treating my other lists as menus, too. Your “to read” pile or digital equivalent, for example, is most certainly best understood as a menu – a list of things to pick from, rather than one you have to get through. But the same applies to my list of work projects. Sure, the contents of the menu is constrained by various goals and long-term deadlines. But the daily practice is just to pick something appetizing from the menu, instead of grinding through a list.

Maybe it’ll come as no surprise to learn I’ve been getting more done this way, too – not least because I’m harnessing the energy of what I feel like doing, rather than suppressing it in order to push onwards through a list.

And here’s the kicker: aren’t all to-do lists really menus anyway, whether I choose to think of them that way or not? After all, if there are vastly more things I could do with any given hour or day than I actually can do – if there are a million ways to build a business, to be a better parent, spouse or citizen, live healthily, and so on, yet only time for a handful of them – then in fact we’re always picking from a menu, even if we delude ourselves that what we’re doing is getting through a list.

One great benefit of doing this more consciously – of facing up to the fact that lists are menus – is that it shifts the source of gratification. The reward of pleasure in your work, or a sense of meaning, no longer gets doled out stingily, in morsels, en route to some hypothetical moment of future fulfillment when the list is complete and you can finally feel fully satisfied. Instead, the real reward comes from getting to pick something from the menu – from getting to dive in to one of the vast range of possibilities the world has to offer, without any expectation of getting through them all, just like the pleasure of sitting down to a good meal. Which means you get to have the reward right now.

Oliver Burkeman is the New York Times bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (2021) and Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts (2024). He lives in Yorkshire in England.

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Published on February 20, 2025 07:40

The 4-Hour Workweek Revisited — The End of Time Management (#795)

This time around, we have a bit of a different format, featuring the book that started it all for me, The 4-Hour Workweek. Readers and listeners often ask me what I would change or update, but an equally interesting question is: what wouldn’t I change? What stands the test of time and hasn’t lost any potency? This episode features one of the most important chapters from the audiobook of The 4-Hour Workweek. It includes tools and frameworks that I use to this day, including Pareto’s Law and Parkinson’s Law.

The chapter is narrated by the great voice actor Ray Porter. If you are interested in checking out the rest of the audiobook, which is produced and copyrighted by Blackstone Publishing, you can find it on Audible, Apple, Google, Spotify, Downpour.com, or wherever you find your favorite audiobooks.

Please enjoy!

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.

This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN high-speed, secure, and anonymous VPN service; Momentous high-quality supplements; and Helix Sleep premium mattresses.

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This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN. I’ve been using ExpressVPN to make sure that my data is secure and encrypted, without slowing my Internet speed. If you ever use public Wi-Fi at, say, a hotel or a coffee shop, where I often work and as many of my listeners do, you’re often sending data over an open network, meaning no encryption at all.

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This episode is brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements! Momentous offers high-quality supplements and products across a broad spectrum of categories, and I’ve been testing their products for months now. I’ve been using their magnesium threonate, apigenin, and L-theanine daily, all of which have helped me improve the onset, quality, and duration of my sleep. I’ve also been using Momentous creatine, and while it certainly helps physical performance, including poundage or wattage in sports, I use it primarily for mental performance (short-term memory, etc.).

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Want to hear another episode that features content straight from The 4-Hour Workweek? Listen here for the three chapters preceding this one that cover how to get uncommon results by doing the opposite, aiming with precision, and aiming for the unrealistic.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | Amazon The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | Amazon How to Use Occam’s Razor without Getting Cut | Farnam Street George’s Hack for Looking Busy at Work | Seinfeld The 4-Hour Workweek DEAL Framework | Steady Compounding Tim Ferriss: Are You Being Effective or Efficient? | Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson What Gets Measured Gets Managed? | MOPs and MOEs Manual of Political Economy by Vilfredo Pareto | Amazon 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle) | Investopedia 5 ChatGPT Prompts to Implement The 4-Hour Workweek in Your Business | Forbes Why the 9-to-5 Schedule Has Lost Its Place in the Workplace | Fast Company Ed Zschau — The Polymath Professor Who Changed My Life | The Tim Ferriss Show #380 Parkinson’s Law: The ‘Law’ That Explains Why You Can’t Get Anything Done | BBC How to Use Parkinson’s Law to Get More Done in Less Time | Lifehack Fear-Setting: The Most Valuable Exercise I Do Every Month | Tim Ferriss Jim Rohn: You’re the Average of the Five People You Spend the Most Time With | Business Insider How to End a Friendship | Verywell Mind Fully Automated Time-Tracking Software | RescueTime Multitasking and the Brain | Brighter Minds A Simple Countdown Timer | E.ggTimer Comfort Challenge #2: Learn to Propose | Tim FerrissSHOW NOTES[00:05:27] E is for Elimination.[00:05:46] The end of time management.[00:07:57] How you will use productivity.[00:10:36] Being effective vs. being efficient.[00:12:12] Pareto and his garden: 80/20 and freedom from futility.[00:24:01] The 9-5 Illusion and Parkinson’s Law.[00:31:41] A dozen cupcakes and one question.[00:34:47] Questions and actions.[00:35:05] Define a to-do list and a not-to-do list.[00:35:41] If you had a heart attack and had to work two hours per day, what would you do?[00:36:33] If you had a second heart attack and had to work two hours per week, what would you do?[00:36:42] If you had a gun to your head and had to stop doing 4/5 of different time-consuming activities, what would you remove?[00:37:21] What are the top-three activities that you use to fill time to feel as though you’ve been productive?[00:37:45] Who are the 20% of people who produce 80% of your enjoyment and propel you forward, and which 20% cause 80% of your depression, anger, and second-guessing?[00:40:16] If this is the only thing you accomplish today, will you be satisfied with your day?[00:41:47] Are you inventing things to do to avoid the important?[00:42:25] Do not multitask.[00:43:17] Use Parkinson’s Law on a macro and micro level.[00:44:45] Comfort challenge: Learn to propose.[00:45:39] Lifestyle design in action.PEOPLE MENTIONEDRay Porter Bruce Lee Antoine de Saint-Exupéry William of Ockham Peter Drucker Vilfredo Pareto Léon Walras Steven Wright Ed Zschau Seneca the Younger Oprah Winfrey Derek Sivers Victor Johnson

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Published on February 14, 2025 08:44

Brandon Sanderson on Building a Fiction Empire, Creating $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, Unbreakable Habits, The Art of World-Building, and The Science of Magic Systems (#794)

Brandon Sanderson (@BrandSanderson) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Stormlight Archive series and the Mistborn saga; the middle-grade series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians; and the young-adult novels The Rithmatist, the Reckoners trilogy, and the Skyward series. He has sold more than 40 million books in 35 languages, and he is a four-time nominee for the Hugo Awards, winning in 2013 for his novella The Emperor’s Soul. That same year, he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, culminating in A Memory of Light.

Brandon cohosts (with fellow author Dan Wells) the popular Intentionally Blank podcast and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University.

Please enjoy!

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.

This episode is brought to you by Cresset prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs; Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic broad spectrum 24-strain probiotic + prebiotic; Wealthfront high-yield cash account.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#794: Brandon Sanderson on Building a Fiction Empire, Creating $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, Unbreakable Habits, The Art of World-Building, and The Science of Magic Systems

This episode is brought to you by Cresset Family Office! Listeners have heard me talk about “making before you manage” for years. And for me—as a writer and entrepreneur—I definitely gravitate toward making. So it’s important that I find the right people who are great at managing. That’s why I trust this episode’s sponsor, Cresset Family Office.

Cresset is a prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs. They handle the complex financial planning, uncertain tax strategies, timely exit planning, bill pay and wires, and all the other parts of wealth management that would otherwise pull me away from doing what I love most: making things, mastering skills, and spending time with the people I care about. Experience the freedom of focusing on what matters to you with the support of a top wealth management team. Schedule a call today at cressetcapital.com/tim to see how Cresset can help streamline your financial plans and grow your wealth.

I’m a client of Cresset. There are no material conflicts other than this paid testimonial. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal.

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Tim Ferriss receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage, LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage. See full disclosures here.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

Note from Tim’s team: The below will be updated with the final list of links and timestamps shortly.

Books

Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly: A middle-aged woman and her husband go on a quest to kill a dragon and save the kingdom.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson: A fantasy novel with a hard magic system where characters can use metal to enhance their abilities.
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: An epic fantasy novel centered around the One Ring and a magic system based on the powers of Gandalf.
by Patrick Rothfuss: A fantasy novel that Brandon Sanderson considers a brilliant first novel.
On Writing by Stephen King: A book about the craft of writing that emphasizes the importance of finding your own way as a writer.
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card: A guide to writing fantasy and science fiction that emphasizes the importance of world-building.
Writing to Sell by Scott Meredith: A guide to writing that focuses on the business side of publishing.
Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder: A book about screenwriting that provides a structured approach to storytelling.
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies by Blake Snyder: A book about screenwriting that examines different genres within the field.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson: A fantasy novel with a hard magic system where characters can use metal to enhance their abilities.
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson: A series of epic fantasy novels with a complex magic system and a focus on character development.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: A fantasy heist novel that is more focused on the heist genre than Sanderson’s Mistborn series.
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan: An epic fantasy series that was finished by Brandon Sanderson after Robert Jordan’s death.
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay: A standalone fantasy novel that is slower-paced than modern fantasy but digs deep into one world.
Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay: A standalone fantasy novel that is slower-paced than modern fantasy but digs deep into one world.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman: A fantasy novel that is fun and whimsical, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson: A standalone fantasy novel that is a good starting point for readers new to Sanderson’s work.

Movies

Avatar : A science fiction film that features a conlang created specifically for the movie.
Sneakers : A heist film that Brandon Sanderson cites as one of his favorites.
The Sting : A heist film that Brandon Sanderson cites as one of his favorites.
Ocean’s Eleven : A heist film that Brandon Sanderson cites as one of his favorites.
The Italian Job : A heist film that Brandon Sanderson cites as one of his favorites.
The Princess Bride : A fantasy film that is fun and whimsical, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid : A classic film written by William Goldman, the author of The Princess Bride.

Shows

Writing Excuses (Podcast) : A podcast about the craft of writing, featuring Brandon Sanderson and other authors.
Whose Line Is It Anyway? : An improv comedy show that Brandon Sanderson uses as inspiration for his writing exercises.
Game of Thrones : A fantasy TV series based on the books by George R.R. Martin, known for its complex characters and unpredictable plot.
Arcane : A fantasy TV series that features a magepunk aesthetic, where magic is combined with technology.
The Colbert Report : A satirical news show that once featured Brandon Sanderson’s picture in a segment about Zeppelins.
The History Channel : A TV channel that Brandon Sanderson’s former editor, Moshe, used to watch as a form of self-medication.

Institutions

Brigham Young University : The university where Brandon Sanderson currently teaches a creative writing class.
UC Irvine : The university where Brandon Sanderson’s 8th-grade English teacher, Ms. Reader, wanted to be a professor.
The Hugo Awards : The Academy Awards of science fiction and fantasy, where Brandon Sanderson once received a pin from Cory Doctorow.

Concepts

Conlang : A constructed language, such as Klingon or Elvish, that is created specifically for a fictional world.
World Builder’s Disease : The tendency for fantasy writers to get bogged down in world-building at the expense of the story.
The Hero’s Journey : A common narrative structure in fantasy, where a hero goes on a quest, faces challenges, and ultimately triumphs over evil.
Three Act Play : A common narrative structure in plays and films, where the story is divided into three acts: setup, confrontation, and resolution.
Magepunk : A subgenre of fantasy where magic is combined with technology, such as in the TV series Arcane.
Sanderson’s Laws of Magic : Three rules that Brandon Sanderson follows when creating magic systems for his fantasy novels.

Companies

Dragonsteel : Brandon Sanderson’s company, which handles the production and distribution of his books and merchandise.
Random House Audio : The audiobook publisher that Brandon Sanderson works with.
Tor : Brandon Sanderson’s primary publisher for his fantasy novels.
Macmillan : The parent company of Tor, which was involved in a dispute with Amazon over ebook pricing.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints : The religious organization that Brandon Sanderson is a member of, which influenced his decision to go on a mission to Korea.
Celsius : A science fiction and fantasy convention in Spain that Brandon Sanderson has attended.
USA Today : A national newspaper that once featured a story about Zeppelins, which led to Brandon Sanderson’s picture appearing on The Colbert Report.
Discord : A social media platform that Brandon Sanderson uses to communicate with his beta readers.
Book Talk : A book review website that has helped drive sales of Brandon Sanderson’s book, Tress of the Emerald Sea.
Steam : A digital distribution platform for video games, which Brandon Sanderson uses to play games in his free time.
Kickstarter : A crowdfunding platform that Brandon Sanderson has used to successfully fund the publication of his books.

Additional helpful items:

“Brandon Sanderson’s BYU Lectures on Writing Fantasy” : This YouTube playlist contains Brandon Sanderson’s lectures on writing fantasy, which cover topics such as worldbuilding, magic systems, and character development.
“ King Sejong the Great “: This Wikipedia article provides information on King Sejong the Great, the Korean king who created the Korean writing system.
“ Hangul “: This Wikipedia article provides information on the Korean writing system, including its history and structure.
“ How to Read Korean in 15 Minutes “: This webcomic provides a basic introduction to the Korean writing system.
“ Esperanto “: This Wikipedia article provides information on Esperanto, a constructed language that is intended to be easy to learn and use as a universal second language.
“ Writing Excuses “: This website provides information on the Writing Excuses podcast, which features Brandon Sanderson and other authors discussing the craft of writing.
“ Brandon Sanderson’s First Law of Magic “: This blog post explains Brandon Sanderson’s First Law of Magic, which states that an author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader1 understands said magic.
“ The Death Spiral in Publishing “: This article explains the concept of the death spiral in publishing, where a book’s sales decline with each subsequent printing, leading to fewer copies being ordered and less visibility in bookstores.
“ The Cosmere “: This Coppermind page provides information on the Cosmere, the shared universe that connects many of Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy novels.
“ Sanderson’s Three Laws of Magic “: This blog post explains Brandon Sanderson’s Three Laws of Magic, which are guidelines that he follows when creating magic systems for his fantasy novels.

Timestamps:

00:00 Meet Brandon Sanderson

07:10 Soundcheck Fun and Memory Skills

11:21 Brandon’s Writing Journey and Creative Process

25:35 Teaching Creative Writing and Publishing Insights

38:08 Brandon’s Early Reading Experience

44:18 Discovering the Magic of Storytelling

45:32 A Journey from C Student to A Student

47:02 The Influence of a Great Teacher

48:51 Understanding Narrative and Plot

56:42 The Art of Character Development

01:09:42 Balancing Writing and Personal Life

01:24:04 Meeting Editors and Early Struggles

01:24:30 First Book Sale and Financial Realities

01:25:28 The Danger of the Second Book

01:25:49 Hitting the Bestseller List

01:26:34 Amazon and the Changing Market

01:29:03 Entrepreneurial Shift and Direct Sales

01:36:45 Building a Team and Crowdfunding

01:42:50 Kickstarter Success and Lessons Learned

01:52:22 COVID and Creative Freedom

02:02:53 Brandon Sanderson’s Colbert Report Cameo

02:03:48 Kickstarter Success and Subscription Boxes

02:09:01 Test Readers and Feedback Process

02:14:16 Warbreaker and Creative Commons Experiment

02:22:50 Navigating Publishing Deals and Platforms

02:33:26 The Wheel of Time Opportunity

02:42:36 The Call to Finish The Wheel of Time

02:43:10 Negotiating the Deal

02:43:56 The Struggles of Mistborn

02:45:02 The Cosmere and Building an Audience

02:48:25 The Death Spiral in Publishing

02:52:29 Magic Systems and Their Importance

03:00:39 Sanderson’s Three Laws of Magic

03:14:35 The Zero Law and Final Thoughts

The post Brandon Sanderson on Building a Fiction Empire, Creating $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, Unbreakable Habits, The Art of World-Building, and The Science of Magic Systems (#794) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on February 05, 2025 12:08

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