At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Todd White on Jiu-Jitsu, Art, Obsession, and Escaping Los Angeles
- Joe Rogan and artist Todd White trace their 20+ year friendship through Brazilian jiu-jitsu, early UFC fandom, and the evolution of White’s career from animator (Tiny Toons, SpongeBob) to globally collected painter. White details how jiu-jitsu and obsessive work ethic shaped his life, helped manage anger and addiction potential, and ultimately led him to financial success and creative freedom.
- They discuss the darker sides of both the art world and LA culture—fake black belts, art fraud, opportunistic relationships, and a notorious gallery owner caught forging his work. White explains his self-publishing business model, how Instagram and limited editions drive sales, and why COVID-era gallery closures are forcing artists to go direct-to-collector.
- The conversation widens into COVID policy, personal health responsibility, conspiracy thinking, and how Rogan’s move to Texas has triggered a migration of comics, tech, and developers. Both men emphasize discipline—through training, hunting, and work—as a way to channel obsession productively and maintain mental balance.
- They close on relationships, parenting, and giving back: White’s school-art-supply charity, the importance of a supportive spouse when you’re highly driven, and Rogan’s belief that surrounding yourself with exceptional people and hard challenges keeps your life—and your mind—on track.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasUse obsession as a tool, not a trap.
White and Rogan both describe being intensely obsessive—over art, jiu-jitsu, hunting, standup—and argue that obsession only becomes addiction when it lacks discipline and direction. Channeling that energy into structured practice and hard work can build elite skills instead of self-destruction.
Find a real teacher and stick with them.
White’s whole jiu-jitsu lineage is under Jean-Jacques Machado, which he credits for his technical base and personal growth. Contrast that with fake black belts and scam instructors; vetting your mentors and committing to one solid lineage can dramatically accelerate your development.
If you’re an artist, control your reproductions and editions.
White self-publishes his giclées, strictly limits edition sizes, and refuses to re-size or re-release sold-out images. This protects collectors’ investments and his brand, and it’s a model other artists can emulate instead of letting publishers overprint and dilute their work.
Instagram is now a primary sales channel for working artists.
With COVID gutting galleries—especially in the UK and California—White increasingly posts new work on Instagram, where collectors worldwide see pieces in real time and either contact him or their preferred gallery. Artists who ignore social media risk losing their main discovery and demand engine.
Train hard to quiet your mind and temper your aggression.
Both men emphasize that jiu-jitsu and brutal workouts bleed off anxiety and aggression better than anything else. Hard rounds, runs, and drills make everyday conflicts feel trivial, improve sleep, and keep the “monkey mind” from spiraling on regrets and minor problems.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesI’ll take drive any day over talent, because the harder you drive something, you can get to that talent level.
— Todd White
Obsession and addiction are next-door neighbors. The difference is whether your obsession has discipline behind it.
— Joe Rogan
Jiu-jitsu and art saved me. It became jiu-jitsu and art, jiu-jitsu and art—that’s all I did.
— Todd White
You got your foot in the door and then you earned the room.
— Todd White, speaking to Joe Rogan
Art shouldn’t match your furniture. It should represent your life—something you identify with and talk about.
— Todd White
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