A mysterious artist on the cusp of breakthrough success walks away from it all. Beyond the public’s gaze, he spends the next decade pursuing purity, beauty and truths both personal and universal.Then, like a Jedi returning from parts unknown, the artist resurfaces as ‘The Spirited Man’. And this ‘Spirited Man’ goes by the name Van.Van Neistat to be precise.The elder half of The Neistat Brothers, it’s a name that will ring familiar to many, a name typically associated with a superstar YouTuber, OG vlogger, and friend of the pod, Casey Neistat.In the Neistat Venn Diagram, Van and Casey overlap on many traits. Both are artists with an utterly distinct aesthetic. Both are exceptional filmmakers who honed their skills in the days before YouTube even existed. Both have a preternatural aptitude for storytelling, perfectionist dispositions, an appreciation for the analog, and extreme respect for detail. The list goes on.And yet, Van and Casey are also very different artists with disparate sensibilities.Back in 2010 after the Neistat Brothers HBO show wasn’t picked up for a second season, Casey went on to become, well Casey Neistat. Van on the other hand, embarked on a very different journey. An artistic journey of self-discovery—outside the public sphere—until recently.Now re-emerged by dint of his recently launched YouTube Channel, ‘The Spirited Man’, Van muses philosophical and explores questions large and small with a curious, introspective flare that is totally unique, utterly compelling, and just-so-perfectly Van.I was (and continue to be) thoroughly entranced by this series—and so curious about Van—that I reached out to Casey to connect us.Today Van shares his story, and it is wild.My plan was to unfurl ‘The Story of Van Neistat’ in a relatively linear fashion.That’s not at all what happened. And this exchange is better for it.Fluid and conversational, this is an excavation of the artist life. It’s as much about hardship and survival as it is about creativity and productivity.We discuss curiosity, sobriety, discipline, the value of being meticulous, and his commitment to preserving an analog life.We talk about why he didn’t continue making films with Casey and Van’s many collaborations with artist Tom Sachs.Finally, Van spins a few epic yarns featuring Werner Herzog, the Safdie Brothers, and the lore of 368 Broadway—a building in lower Manhattan that birthed many an amazing creative career in the early 2000s.FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll609YouTube: bit.ly/vanneistat609Van is super awesome. I love this one. Hope you do too.Peace + Plants,Rich

Van Neistat is an artist, a filmmaker, a writer and now a YouTube Creator. Van's artistic career started when he began working with NYC contemporary artist, Tom Sachs. He and his brother Casey both worked for Sachs and soon after started creating films together that went viral before the term Viral even existed. They then developed a series of short films that they turned into a TV show that ended up getting picked up by HBO. When HBO didn't renew the series, Casey and Van split up, Casey turned to YouTube to start uploading videos and Van wanted to continue down the path of being a traditional filmmaker. Years later, Van has now turned to YouTube to distribute his work and launched a kickstarter which raised over $120,000 and helped bring his series, The Spirited Man, to life. 

Van Neistat, film maker and artist, discusses topics including technology changing, getting sober, Mexico trips, motorcycles, favorite brands, the influence of algorithms on online behavior, growing up with a single mom and a mentally ill father, education and technology challenges, fear and rumors in pursuing hobbies, cartels and precautions in Mexico, motorcycle safety, benefits of a Helix mattress and Grunt Style clothing, objects and tools they are passionate about, building a new truck and exposing their son to different cultures, admiration and influence, organizational tools and product recommendations.