Collaborating with friends and bouncing ideas off each other can lead to joy, inspiration, and pushing creative boundaries.
Writing and imitation play a crucial role in finding one's unique voice as a writer and honing the craft of comedy.
Deep dives
The Value of Friendship and Collaboration
The podcast episode delves into the importance of friendship and collaboration in the creative process. The hosts, Adam Grant and his guests Steve Martin and Adam Gopnik, discuss the joy and inspiration that comes from working with like-minded individuals. They highlight the power of bouncing ideas off each other, the ability to push creative boundaries, and the support that friends can provide in exploring new avenues of creativity.
The Journey of Mastery
The episode explores the concept of mastery and the process of achieving excellence in any craft. Adam Gopnik, drawing from his book 'The Real Work,' emphasizes that mastery often involves doing other things poorly and learning from those experiences. Steve Martin shares his own journey in stand-up comedy, highlighting the importance of trial and error, persistence, and the willingness to evolve and try new things in order to reach new heights of creativity and mastery.
The Power of Writing
The episode discusses the significance of writing in clarifying ideas and honing one's craft. Steve Martin shares his initial realization that he had to write his own comedy to be successful, leading to the challenge of developing his writing skills. Adam Gopnik, a seasoned writer, highlights the exploration of different forms of writing, such as prose, screenplays, and novels, and emphasizes the importance of imitation in finding one's own unique voice as a writer.
The Relationship Between Success and Happiness
The episode delves into the complex relationship between success and happiness. Steve Martin suggests that success can be challenging, particularly in the early stages, but later in life, it brings immense joy and satisfaction. Both guests stress the value of absorption in one's creative pursuits as a key source of happiness and success. They discuss the role of external absorption, such as engaging with audiences or taking on roles, as well as internal absorption, found in the process of creating and mastering a craft.
Steve Martin has made an award-winning career out of taking on new identities–from actor and comedian to musician and novelist. Over the years, he’s learned that the best way to find yourself is by imitating your role models. He explores how to do that in a new audiobook, So Many Steves, with his longtime friend Adam Gopnik, the New Yorker writer and author. Steve and Adam join Adam Grant for a riveting discussion about impersonation and authenticity, humor and writing, success and happiness, and valuing the friends you make along the way. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts.
For 15% off So Many Steves, use the code ADAMGRANT at pushkin.fm.
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