This week’s guest is regarded as one of the all-time music greats. Named on Time magazine’s list of the ‘100 most influential people in the world’, he is none other than the legendary record producer, Mr Rick Rubin.

Whether you know the name Rick Rubin or not - it is almost certain that the music he has been involved with making has made its way into your life at various points. Having worked with a huge variety of different artists in very different genres - Tom Petty, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, Johnny Cash, Jay Z, Neil Young - to name just a few, he is one of the most celebrated record producers of all time. But I think one of the reasons that Rick has reached an almost mythical status across the world is because of his Zen-like manner and his artistic approach to life.

In his new book The Creative Act, Rick says that we’re all artists – and he defines art as whatever our ‘curated output’ in life is. And you don’t have to be a musician, or even a music fan to appreciate this book (or this episode), because it’s really about the art of living.

We talk about how his artistic life philosophy applies to health. He shares his own path to wellness - how changing his diet, living in harmony with his circadian rhythms and seeing a nutritionist - helped him lose over a third of his body weight and gave him his vitality back. We also touch on the similarities between creating beautiful records and creating optimal health. Rick also shares how suffering from depression has actually left him more grounded and empathetic, and why he is such a big fan of saunas and cold-water therapy.

Just like in Rick’s book, there are all sorts of thought tangents to follow in our conversation, and I think, what you will hear and take away, will hugely depend on what you need to hear in your life right now.

We talk about the value of deadlines, the beauty of imperfection and whether it’s OK to be motivated by success. We also touch on authenticity, values, and his firm view that ‘the audience should come last’ in any creative endeavour.

This really was a special conversation, full of timeless wisdom, from a remarkable man. If you’d have told the teenage Rangan that he’d one day be sitting down for an in-depth conversation with Rick Rubin about why medicine is more art than science, I don’t think he would have believed you - and yet, this is what you are about to hear - so strap yourself in, get yourself ready and enjoy!

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/327

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Caroline Busta on Linear Media and the Public Sphere