Episode
#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
Description
"A true creator knows that you follow the thing to where it's going, not to where you think it ought to go."— Adam SavageAdam Savage (TW: @donttrythis IG: @therealadamsavage FB: therealadamsavage) has spent his life gathering skills that allow him to take what's in his brain and make it real. He's built everything from ancient Buddhas and futuristic weapons to fine-art sculptures and dancing vegetables.The son of a filmmaker/painter and a psychotherapist, Adam's previous positions include projectionist, animator, graphic designer, carpenter, interior and stage designer, toy designer, welder, and scenic painter. And he's worked with every material and in every medium he could fathom—metal, paper, glass, plastic, rubber, foam, plaster, pneumatics, hydraulics, animatronics, neon, glassblowing, moldmaking, and injection molding, to name just a few.In 1993, Adam began concentrating his career on the special-effects industry, honing his skills through more than 100 television commercials and a dozen feature films, including Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Galaxy Quest, and the Matrix sequels. A decade later, Adam was chosen, along with Jamie Hyneman, to host MythBusters, which premiered on Discovery Channel in January 2003. 14 years; 1,015 myths; 2,950 experiments; eight Emmy nominations; and 83 miles of duct tape later, that version of the series ended in March 2016.Today, Adam hosts and executive produces MythBusters Jr., as well as a brand-new series, Savage Builds, which premieres on Science Channel in June 2019. He also stars in and produces content for Tested.com, including behind-the-scenes dives into multiple blockbuster films (including Alien Covenant, Mortal Combat, and Blade Runner).In addition, after a lifetime of hunting for the perfect bag, Adam launched Savage Industries and began manufacturing his own, along with MAFIA BAGS. Made in the United States and constructed primarily from recycled sailcloth, every bag is not only durable and lightweight but unique, as well. The current line (available at AdamSavage.com) includes two sizes of the EDC ("Everyday Carry") and pouches, with more product both available on the site and on the way.Finally, in 2019 Adam wrote his first book, Every Tool's a Hammer, which is, in Adam's words, "...a chronicle of my life as a maker. It's an exploration of making and of my own productive obsessions, but it's also a permission slip of sorts from me to you. Permission to grab hold of the things you're interested in, that fascinate you, and to dive deeper into them to see where they lead you."This episode of the Tim Ferriss Show is brought to you by Theo Chocolate, which is the first organic and fair-trade chocolate company in North America. The folks there reached out to me because they spotted some neatly stacked bars of their dark chocolate coconut in a recent Instagram photo of my fridge (see it here).This is a brand that does everything from scratch, and the difference shows. It's why Theo is one of my favorite chocolates. It offers tons of different bars, little snacks like coconut bites, and also imaginative creations like a cinnamon horchata bar, beer and scotch chocolates, and its signature s'mores bite -- The Big Daddy. My personal favorite: Salted Almond Butter Cups, which are ridiculous.Theo is helping drive its industry forward by working with communities in the Congo and Peru to make the economics of the cocoa trade fair for farmers, and by using sustainable farming practices. Whether you want to feel better about where you buy your goodies or you just want a really unique and delicious gift for yourself or someone else, they're available in Whole Foods and other grocery stores across the U.S. For listeners of this podcast, Theo is offering 15% off your online purchase at TheoChocolate.com. Use code Tim15, or visit TheoChocolate.com/Tim for more details.This podcast is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, "If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?" My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so.As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you'll get a free 20-count travel pack (valued at $79) with your first order at AthleticGreens.com/tim.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
Theo Chocolate uses only organic fair trade ingredients and offers a variety of treats, including imaginative flavors like their cinnamon or chat that bar beer and Scotch chocolates and their signature s'mores bite.
00:00 - 01:55 (01:55)
Summary
Theo Chocolate uses only organic fair trade ingredients and offers a variety of treats, including imaginative flavors like their cinnamon or chat that bar beer and Scotch chocolates and their signature s'mores bite. They also prioritize driving the industry forward through sustainable farming practices and initiatives to support farmers in Congo and Peru.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The episode contains ads for Athletic Greens and Theo Chocolate, offering a free 20 count travel pack and promoting their products, respectively.
01:55 - 08:47 (06:52)
Summary
The episode contains ads for Athletic Greens and Theo Chocolate, offering a free 20 count travel pack and promoting their products, respectively.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Bill Doran talks about his passion for cosplay and prop making, sharing that he has over 75 costumes, including a cane spacesuit from Alien that took 14 years to make and cost around $10,000.
08:47 - 13:54 (05:07)
Summary
Bill Doran talks about his passion for cosplay and prop making, sharing that he has over 75 costumes, including a cane spacesuit from Alien that took 14 years to make and cost around $10,000.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how moving to San Francisco helped them find direction and ambition, specifically in the art world.
13:54 - 20:17 (06:22)
Summary
The speaker discusses how moving to San Francisco helped them find direction and ambition, specifically in the art world.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Adam Robinson discusses theater as a survival art and the importance of overlaid skills like his background in theater for his success, much like Warren Buffett's public speaking skills.
20:17 - 31:47 (11:30)
Summary
Adam Robinson discusses theater as a survival art and the importance of overlaid skills like his background in theater for his success, much like Warren Buffett's public speaking skills.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker highlights the significance of being raw and unpolished in public speaking, especially when addressing fellow makers.
31:47 - 40:55 (09:07)
Summary
The speaker highlights the significance of being raw and unpolished in public speaking, especially when addressing fellow makers. However, he emphasizes the need for preparation while maintaining the rawness of the presentation.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the importance of learning to fail, and how it can influence creativity.
40:55 - 47:32 (06:36)
Summary
The speaker discusses the importance of learning to fail, and how it can influence creativity. They mention their own influences, including Harlan Ellison and Kurt Vonnegut.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares a beginner's maker project that involves building an architectural model of the living space using cardboard and hot glue as a gateway to making.
47:33 - 54:47 (07:14)
Summary
The speaker shares a beginner's maker project that involves building an architectural model of the living space using cardboard and hot glue as a gateway to making. Using physical tools and building something can unlock a certain humanness which can help people access their intuition.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Learn how to create scale models of rooms and galleries to help visualize artwork and design with a low threshold of materials and high probability of quality output.
54:47 - 1:04:08 (09:20)
Summary
Learn how to create scale models of rooms and galleries to help visualize artwork and design with a low threshold of materials and high probability of quality output.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Two people discuss different ways to cook and eat eggs, expressing varying preferences and experiences.
1:04:08 - 1:10:46 (06:37)
Summary
Two people discuss different ways to cook and eat eggs, expressing varying preferences and experiences.
Episode#370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Adam Savage talks about overcoming imposter syndrome in his career and his new book, which he has worked on after being practiced explaining and having workshopped so many things, that will surely benefit those who are struggling or who have struggled with it.
1:10:46 - 1:21:20 (10:34)
Summary
Adam Savage talks about overcoming imposter syndrome in his career and his new book, which he has worked on after being practiced explaining and having workshopped so many things, that will surely benefit those who are struggling or who have struggled with it.