Moby, a groundbreaking musician and activist, shares insights from his 35-year career, emphasizing the value of creativity over commercial gain. He discusses his Mobygratis platform, which allows creators to access his music for free, fostering artistic freedom. Moby reflects on the impact of AI on creativity and promotes storytelling as a means for activism, inspired by a meeting with the Dalai Lama. He also critiques the pursuit of wealth, highlighting that true happiness comes from sharing and serving others.
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Moby's Early Artistic Escape
Moby grew up with trauma and poverty, finding safety in animals, literature, and music as forms of escapism.
These early experiences deeply influenced his lifelong passions for animal rights and music.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
No Backup Plan Advice
Avoid having a fallback plan as it kills creative careers.
Dedicate yourself fully to your passion for the best chance at success.
insights INSIGHT
Music as Healing and Spirit
Music is not just entertainment but a neurochemical, physiological healing modality.
It affects the brain and body deeply, serving as a spiritual incarnation of spirit.
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The book tells the extraordinary story of a group of patients who survived the great sleeping-sickness epidemic of the 1920s and were 'awakened' 40 years later by the administration of the drug L-DOPA. Dr. Sacks documents the miraculous and sometimes disastrous effects of this treatment, exploring themes of health, disease, suffering, care, and the human condition. The book also delves into the psychological and philosophical implications of these patients' experiences, highlighting the complexities of identity, personality, and the impact of their prolonged immobility on their lives[1][2][4].
Moby’s prolific music career spans 35 years, most notably helping to bring electronic music to the mainstream—and perhaps less notably, but still importantly, giving so much of that music away for free.
Amid consistently putting out albums, Moby launched Mobygratis in 2005, a platform where creatives can download instrumental music made by Moby to use in any number of projects.
Moby has continued to update and iterate on Mobygratis, but the ethos has remained the same: helping creatives realize their projects with less financial burden and unleashing the “democratic chaos” of seeing what people create with the music.
In this episode, Moby explores his relationship to creativity and commerce, the tsunami of AI, what effective activism looks like, and why as a creative it’s okay (and even better) to not have a plan B.
Creative Control 
