Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out Questlove: The Art of Self-Sabotage
Oct 6, 2025
Questlove, known for his role as the drummer of The Roots and directing music documentaries, shares his journey through creativity and self-sabotage. He discusses the challenges of accepting success, illustrating the anxiety that came with winning an Oscar post-slap. The conversation dives into the relationship artists have with mistakes and the fear of decline versus the risk of success. Questlove also recounts his unique approach to DJing and his efforts to connect with interview subjects for his documentaries, sharing insights into the artistic process.
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Performance Mistakes Are A Creative Tool
- Musicians accept mistakes differently than comedians and often embrace imperfection as part of live performance craft.
- Questlove frames SNL and late-night work as a university that taught timing, rhythm, and backstage discipline.
People Choose Familiar Failure Over Risky Success
- Self-sabotage often comes from wanting to control uncertain futures, so people choose familiar decline over risky success.
- Questlove argues decline and disappointment feel safer than unfamiliar success, which can lead to active rooting against good things.
Convincing Interviewees Requires Trust
- Questlove recounts how Andre (from Sly's circle) was enthusiastic and open in interviews while many others were hesitant or refused.
- He describes using 'Jedi mind tricks' to persuade people and the slow process of trust-building for documentary subjects.
