Episode

#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
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1:42:43
Published: Fri Mar 31 2017
Description

If you’re interested in the creative process of a famed author, jumpstarting your own creation, note taking, list making, or simply handling hard emotions, this episode is for you. Recorded in front of a 2,000-plus person crowd at SXSW in Austin, Texas, this one was a blast. My guest is Cheryl Strayed (@CherylStrayed), author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild, the New York Times bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough, and the novel Torch. Her books have been translated into forty languages around the world. Wild was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as her inaugural selection for Oprah's Book Club 2.0 and was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. Strayed's essays have been published in The Best American Essays, The New York Times, The Washington Post Magazine, Vogue, Salon, The Sun, Tin House, and elsewhere. Strayed is the co-host, along with Steve Almond, of the WBUR podcast Dear Sugar Radio, which originated with her popular Dear Sugar advice column. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by iD Commerce + Logistics. I'm asked all the time about how to scale businesses quickly. Rule number one: remove unnecessary bottlenecks. Many businesses can do so by outsourcing inventory management and fulfillment to a company that makes this its primary focus. iD Commerce + Logistics is just such a company. It helps online retailers and entrepreneurs outgrow their competition by handling all types of details -- from inventory to packing and shipping. I depended on iD to handle these types of details when I launched The 4-Hour Chef so I could focus on promoting the book. As a listener of this podcast, you can get up to $10,000 off your start-up fees and costs waived by visiting tim.blog/scale or idcomlog.com/tim. This podcast is also brought to you by MeUndies. I’ve spent the last year wearing underwear from these guys 24/7, and they are the most comfortable and colorful underwear I’ve ever owned. MeUndies are designed in LA and made from sustainably-sourced MicroModal—a fabric 3 times softer than cotton. Even better, it includes free shipping. If you don’t love your first pair of MeUndies, they’ll hook you up with a new pair or a refund. If you love the product, they have a subscription offer where you can save up to 33% after your first pair. Check out MeUndies.com/Tim to see my current faves (some are awesomely ridiculous, like the camo). That’s Meundies.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.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.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
This podcast episode is sponsored by the "5 Bullet Friday" email newsletter, where subscribers receive a weekly list of the coolest things Tim Ferriss has found around the world including apps, books, documentaries, supplements, gadgets, and self-experimentation tips.
00:00 - 00:59 (00:59)
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Summary

This podcast episode is sponsored by the "5 Bullet Friday" email newsletter, where subscribers receive a weekly list of the coolest things Tim Ferriss has found around the world including apps, books, documentaries, supplements, gadgets, and self-experimentation tips.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, recorded live at South by Southwest in Austin, author Cheryl Strayed shares insights on creativity, note-taking, list making, and surviving difficult emotions, all based on questions submitted by fans on Facebook and Twitter.
00:59 - 07:19 (06:20)
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Cheryl Strayed
Summary

In this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, recorded live at South by Southwest in Austin, author Cheryl Strayed shares insights on creativity, note-taking, list making, and surviving difficult emotions, all based on questions submitted by fans on Facebook and Twitter.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Cheryl Strayed, the author of best-selling books “Tiny Beautiful Things” and “Wild,” discusses the power of storytelling and talismans in narratives.
07:19 - 14:23 (07:03)
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Storytelling
Summary

Cheryl Strayed, the author of best-selling books “Tiny Beautiful Things” and “Wild,” discusses the power of storytelling and talismans in narratives. She also mentions the challenges of engaging with a large audience without getting drawn into other people’s struggles in such a way that compromises her time and energy.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the author of "Brave Enough" discusses how tattoos of quotes have become a cultural phenomenon and also talks about the value of quotes in people's lives.
14:23 - 20:23 (06:00)
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Tattoo
Summary

In this podcast, the author of "Brave Enough" discusses how tattoos of quotes have become a cultural phenomenon and also talks about the value of quotes in people's lives.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Ann Patchett discusses how she makes time to write despite the challenges of raising children and the need for concentration, solitude, and silence.
20:23 - 29:11 (08:47)
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Writing
Summary

Ann Patchett discusses how she makes time to write despite the challenges of raising children and the need for concentration, solitude, and silence.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The author discusses how writing has been the most cathartic thing in her life, enabling her to understand herself, her experiences, and others.
29:11 - 35:58 (06:46)
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Writing
Summary

The author discusses how writing has been the most cathartic thing in her life, enabling her to understand herself, her experiences, and others. Writing is a healing process, which helps people empathize with themselves and others, and it's essential to talk about difficult experiences to move on from them.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The host discusses her personal strategies for overcoming writer's block, including starting in the middle of the piece and writing about what makes her angry to jumpstart her writing.
35:58 - 40:56 (04:57)
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Writing Tips
Summary

The host discusses her personal strategies for overcoming writer's block, including starting in the middle of the piece and writing about what makes her angry to jumpstart her writing.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The death of his mother made the speaker acutely aware of the possibility of death at any moment, leading him to reflect on his own identity and who he was becoming.
40:56 - 48:16 (07:20)
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Mortality
Summary

The death of his mother made the speaker acutely aware of the possibility of death at any moment, leading him to reflect on his own identity and who he was becoming. He also advises writers to experiment with non-linear storytelling during the writing process.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Cheryl Strayed talks about how she copes with difficulties through list-making and how discussing death can help us prepare for mortality.
48:16 - 53:38 (05:21)
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Coping, Death, Advice
Summary

Cheryl Strayed talks about how she copes with difficulties through list-making and how discussing death can help us prepare for mortality. She also addresses how she handles difficult questions as an advice giver.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The best advice often comes from people without credentials and who are not seen as authorities on the topic.
53:38 - 1:04:45 (11:06)
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advice
Summary

The best advice often comes from people without credentials and who are not seen as authorities on the topic. It is important to identify what you really want and make a list of reasons to do it or not to do it.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The most memorable travel experiences are not always the fun ones but often the moments of struggle and discomfort such as being sick or having to deal with difficult situations while on a trip.
1:04:45 - 1:12:06 (07:21)
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Travel
Summary

The most memorable travel experiences are not always the fun ones but often the moments of struggle and discomfort such as being sick or having to deal with difficult situations while on a trip.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Alice Monroe is a virtuosic prose writer.
1:12:06 - 1:21:08 (09:01)
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Business
Comedian and author, Tig Notaro, shares advice for aspiring writers and the importance of mastering your craft and ensuring your work is ready to show before seeking external approval.
1:21:08 - 1:26:48 (05:39)
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Writing
Summary

Comedian and author, Tig Notaro, shares advice for aspiring writers and the importance of mastering your craft and ensuring your work is ready to show before seeking external approval.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Cheryl Strayed reflects on her experience turning "Wild" into a movie and the lesson she learned that the pursuit of greatness can impede the actual work one needs to do, emphasizing the importance of trusting good people in the film industry.
1:26:49 - 1:33:08 (06:18)
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Writing
Summary

Cheryl Strayed reflects on her experience turning "Wild" into a movie and the lesson she learned that the pursuit of greatness can impede the actual work one needs to do, emphasizing the importance of trusting good people in the film industry.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Glennon Doyle discusses how her curiosity, vulnerability, and desire to connect with others has driven her success and why staying open is the mark of true success.
1:33:08 - 1:38:23 (05:15)
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Self-improvement
Summary

Glennon Doyle discusses how her curiosity, vulnerability, and desire to connect with others has driven her success and why staying open is the mark of true success. She also encourages listeners to reflect on their own experiences with teachers who have taught them difficult lessons and to stay authentic and humble in their interactions with others.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The episode features ads for MeUndies, a company specializing in comfortable and colorful underwear, and ID Commerce & Logistics, a company that helps online retailers with inventory management and fulfillment.
1:38:24 - 1:42:36 (04:11)
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Advertisement
Summary

The episode features ads for MeUndies, a company specializing in comfortable and colorful underwear, and ID Commerce & Logistics, a company that helps online retailers with inventory management and fulfillment.

Episode
#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker -- Cheryl Strayed
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show