Joe Rogan Experience #2359 - Mike Maxwell

1. 0:00 – 1:11

   Mike Maxwell’s art background and the origin of the JRE logo

   1. NANarrator0:00

      (drumming music) Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience.

   2. JRJoe Rogan0:06

      Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (rock music) Hey, Mike Maxwell.

   3. MMMike Maxwell0:14

      What's happening, Joe Rogan?

   4. JRJoe Rogan0:14

      My man, good to see you. Um-

   5. MMMike Maxwell0:16

      It's good to be here.

   6. JRJoe Rogan0:17

      For anybody who doesn't know, Mike Maxwell is an amazing artist, and did not just that painting with Quentin Tarantino in front of it, which is pretty fucking cool, but also the JRE logo.

   7. MMMike Maxwell0:27

      Yeah. A minute ago.

   8. JRJoe Rogan0:28

      The infamous logo. (laughs) Geez.

   9. MMMike Maxwell0:29

      Yeah. So funny.

   10. JRJoe Rogan0:30

       That was like how many years ago was that? Like 15 fucking years ago?

   11. MMMike Maxwell0:33

       Yeah. It has to be. I think you were, like, on episode 10 maybe.

   12. JRJoe Rogan0:36

       Wow.

   13. MMMike Maxwell0:36

       Yeah.

   14. JRJoe Rogan0:37

       That's crazy.

   15. MMMike Maxwell0:38

       Yeah, and super fucking random too. Like, I get the question all the time, like, "How the fuck did you do that?" You know.

   16. JRJoe Rogan0:45

       (laughs)

   17. MMMike Maxwell0:45

       And for me, like, my whole, like, art experience has just been, like, make the work, and whatever the fuck happens afterwards is just all bonus, you know.

   18. JRJoe Rogan0:55

       Well, if the work is great, that works, you know. It's like-

   19. MMMike Maxwell0:59

       Yeah, yeah, yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan0:59

       ... you kind of have to be discovered. Someone has to find you. But yet, ultimately, it's about talent.

   21. MMMike Maxwell1:06

       Yeah. And, and, you know, hard work too.

   22. JRJoe Rogan1:09

       Yes.

   23. MMMike Maxwell1:10

       Yeah.

   24. JRJoe Rogan1:10

       Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.

2. 1:11 – 2:35

   Talent vs. grinding: why great art is built through repetition

   1. MMMike Maxwell1:11

      I mean, 'cause that talent really doesn't co-... Like, artists so often are like, people are like, "Oh, I, like, I wish I could draw. Like, you're so lucky, like, God-given talent." I'm like, "Bitch, I had to fucking... I work every day, and have been grinding at this for 25, 26 years."

   2. JRJoe Rogan1:28

      There's, there's no God-given talent with art. There's some people have an openness or maybe an ability to see things differently than others, but when it comes to the actual technique-

   3. MMMike Maxwell1:40

      Yeah.

   4. JRJoe Rogan1:40

      ... and developing that fine hand-eye coordination-

   5. MMMike Maxwell1:44

      Yeah.

   6. JRJoe Rogan1:44

      ... and the, the ability to draw exact, or paint exactly what you're looking for-

   7. MMMike Maxwell1:50

      Yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan1:50

      ... God, that's work. That's work, man.

   9. MMMike Maxwell1:51

      Yeah. And it, it... Nothing came easy. Like-

   10. JRJoe Rogan1:54

       No.

   11. MMMike Maxwell1:54

       ... I feel like there's some artists and, like, some creative people who, they have some, like, uh, inert talent that's in there somewhere, or it's like we have the right brain chemistry to, like, get started. But, like, I'm still improving. 20, 25, 26 years in, I'm still recognizing improvements.

   12. JRJoe Rogan2:15

       Yeah, I thought that, that particular one that we just posted a picture of, that was, like, one of your best ones.

   13. MMMike Maxwell2:21

       Yeah.

   14. JRJoe Rogan2:21

       That w- That is-

   15. MMMike Maxwell2:21

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan2:22

       ... fucking amazing.

   17. MMMike Maxwell2:22

       Well, I told you, like, I probably put more time and effort into that piece than anything I'd made previously.

   18. JRJoe Rogan2:28

       Look at that thing. I mean, that is so sick. That is so sick. And it's like, that is this show. (laughs)

3. 2:35 – 3:59

   When the work ‘takes over’: flow state in painting and writing

   1. MMMike Maxwell2:35

      Yeah, right? And what's funny, like, that piece was really, like, all the components were just separate drawings that I had been, like, compiling.

   2. JRJoe Rogan2:43

      Oh, wow.

   3. MMMike Maxwell2:43

      And then it, like, eventually just kind of formed itself. Like, sometimes I just let the work do, do what it needs to do. Sometimes it's almost like I feel disconnected from it.

   4. JRJoe Rogan2:53

      Yeah.

   5. MMMike Maxwell2:53

      And I ha- Like, there gets to a point after, like, all the, like, prep work where it's like the painting starts to paint itself.

   6. JRJoe Rogan3:00

      Right.

   7. MMMike Maxwell3:01

      Like, it tells me what it wants.

   8. JRJoe Rogan3:03

      Yeah.

   9. MMMike Maxwell3:04

      It's very strange. Like, there'll be a moment where it's like I could feel something's not right, and then, like, I can't consciously think of, "Okay, well, I need to do A, B, and C." But it's kind of like I sit and wait, and something tells me, right?

   10. JRJoe Rogan3:19

       It's so crazy that you say it that way, because so many people, including authors in particular, they, they talk about the exact same kind of process. It's like something just comes to you.

   11. MMMike Maxwell3:29

       Yeah. And that's... I've, I've done a little bit of writing, and I've, I've recognized that in writing too, where, like, I'm telling a story, and then all of a sudden it's like the characters come to life.

   12. JRJoe Rogan3:40

       Yeah.

   13. MMMike Maxwell3:41

       And they start to dictate what's actually gonna happen.

   14. JRJoe Rogan3:43

       Yeah.

   15. MMMike Maxwell3:44

       It's like it writes itself eventually. But you have to do all that beginning work, like the prep work. Like, you have to get the idea going, and then once you're a certain, like, path in, like, it starts to, it starts to communicate with you.

4. 3:59 – 8:10

   Drug-fueled brilliance and burnout: Stephen King, Hunter S. Thompson, and brain chemistry

   1. JRJoe Rogan3:59

      I always wondered why that's, maybe that's why Stephen King wrote his best work when he was coked up and drunk, 'cause he was out of his head.

   2. MMMike Maxwell4:07

      Yeah. I think-

   3. JRJoe Rogan4:07

      Like, he, he, he could get away from his own head.

   4. MMMike Maxwell4:10

      Yeah.

   5. JRJoe Rogan4:10

      I know that sounds ridiculous, especially to sober people-

   6. MMMike Maxwell4:14

      Yeah. (laughs)

   7. JRJoe Rogan4:14

      ... that don't... You know what I mean?

   8. MMMike Maxwell4:16

      Yeah.

   9. JRJoe Rogan4:16

      Like, they don't want to admit that there's, there's, that's, there's a, a, a net positive effect of some people with drugs and writing. Hunter S. Thompson is a giant example.

   10. MMMike Maxwell4:26

       Yeah.

   11. JRJoe Rogan4:26

       He's one of my favorite authors, and it's a giant example. The guy was an inveterate drug user.

   12. MMMike Maxwell4:32

       Yeah.

   13. JRJoe Rogan4:32

       He was a fucking complete maniac. He was always drunk. And he wrote some shit that just, to this day, cuts to the core of our society.

   14. MMMike Maxwell4:41

       Yeah.

   15. JRJoe Rogan4:41

       Like, he was brilliant.

   16. MMMike Maxwell4:42

       He's one of my all-time heroes. Like, I started reading him when I was in high school, and I've read al- almost everything, I think. Um, I even liked the Hey Rube stuff.

   17. JRJoe Rogan4:51

       Yeah.

   18. MMMike Maxwell4:51

       Like, a lot of people are like, "Oh, like, he was in his decline." But I remember when that was coming out, like, pretty early internet, right?

   19. JRJoe Rogan4:59

       Mm-hmm.

   20. MMMike Maxwell4:59

       Like, no social media, but those little articles would pop up. And I, I still enjoy it. Like, I, I love everything that, that he made.

   21. JRJoe Rogan5:07

       Well, he, at the end, was gone. He was really gone. And McCumber... Uh, so David McCumber, who was his editor, who also co-wrote a book with my friend Tony Anigoni, that's one of the great pool books. It's called Playing Off the Rail. It's a really... And for anybody who's a, a fan of pool, the game, it's an amazing book about a guy whose name's Tony Anigoni, who was a world-class player, who went on the road with a journalist and just gambled across the country.

   22. MMMike Maxwell5:37

       Yeah, yeah.

   23. JRJoe Rogan5:37

       And did it, did it like a real pool hustler would in the, the most dangerous, dingiest places-

   24. MMMike Maxwell5:43

       Yeah, I love that shit.

   25. JRJoe Rogan5:43

       ... playing against high-level guys for-

   26. MMMike Maxwell5:46

       Yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan5:46

       ... you know, $10,000 sets in 24-hour joints in New York City. It's an amazing book. Well, McCumber was Hunter's editor too-

   28. MMMike Maxwell5:55

       Oh, okay.

   29. JRJoe Rogan5:55

       ... at one point in time. And McCumber got him towards the end, t- Like, there's video of... See if you can find video of Hunter Thompson-... and David McCumber having a conversation. (laughs) 'Cause Hunter was just-

   30. MMMike Maxwell6:09

       It must have been a fucking nightmare.
5. 8:10 – 13:07

   Teen LSD binges, perspective shifts, and the early internet era

   1. MMMike Maxwell8:10

      Like right around normal. And I, I sometimes wonder, like I used to do a lot of LSD when I was-

   2. JRJoe Rogan8:16

      (laughs)

   3. MMMike Maxwell8:16

      ... a teenager. And I w- I wondered like-

   4. JRJoe Rogan8:19

      Define, define a lot.

   5. MMMike Maxwell8:20

      I mean, we had, we had one summer that me and my boys just, it was like every two days.

   6. JRJoe Rogan8:26

      Geez.

   7. MMMike Maxwell8:27

      Like, you know, twice a week.

   8. JRJoe Rogan8:29

      How old were you?

   9. MMMike Maxwell8:30

      16.

   10. JRJoe Rogan8:31

       Boy.

   11. MMMike Maxwell8:31

       Yeah. But also at the-

   12. JRJoe Rogan8:33

       (laughs)

   13. MMMike Maxwell8:33

       ... you know, at the same time, maybe that has had some power in the sort of creative aspect too.

   14. JRJoe Rogan8:41

       Right.

   15. MMMike Maxwell8:41

       Right? Even, even if it's just like looking at the world differently, which is just so common with psychedelics.

   16. JRJoe Rogan8:49

       Right.

   17. MMMike Maxwell8:50

       Right? Just kind of gives you some perspective that's so far removed from our normal day-to-day reality.

   18. JRJoe Rogan8:56

       Right.

   19. MMMike Maxwell8:57

       Right? So it's like you, I, I think for me, it's like what more am I not seeing? You know? Like-

   20. JRJoe Rogan9:03

       Mm-hmm.

   21. MMMike Maxwell9:03

       Like what am I, what am I missing in my normal reality that maybe exists? But I, it could be total bullshit. Like I don't know, it might not have had, done anything for my creativity, but...

   22. JRJoe Rogan9:16

       (laughs)

   23. MMMike Maxwell9:16

       You know? I...

   24. JRJoe Rogan9:17

       It seems to have a profound effect on a lot of people that have experiences and just they'll talk about, like this one, like didn't Steve Jobs talk about it? One Ls- LSD experience and just kind of shifted the way he thought about things? Oh, here it is. (laughs)

   25. MMMike Maxwell9:32

       With those tiny shorts on? It's fucking great.

   26. JRJoe Rogan9:35

       So, this is, this is the documen-

   27. GUGuest9:36

       I decided I was going to fire it. There were several-

   28. MMMike Maxwell9:38

       Walking around with a gun.

   29. GUGuest9:39

       ... in the way of my...

   30. JRJoe Rogan9:39

       (laughs)
6. 13:07 – 16:47

   From dancing baby memes to persistence hunting: how tangents turn into anthropology

   1. JRJoe Rogan13:07

      When did memes, like really funny memes first start appearing?

   2. MMMike Maxwell13:11

      I had to f-... I feel like it has to be, like, 2000, '99, 2000.

   3. GUGuest13:15

      I was just looking at this.

   4. JRJoe Rogan13:15

      The internet meme. Oh, here we go.

   5. GUGuest13:17

      Richard Dawkins, Concept, 1972.

   6. JRJoe Rogan13:20

      Right.

   7. GUGuest13:20

      About internet, and I-

   8. JRJoe Rogan13:21

      That was that book that he had, right? The Selfish M- Gene.

   9. GUGuest13:24

      It's... What was coming up was that-

   10. JRJoe Rogan13:25

       Wasn't it in that?

   11. GUGuest13:26

       That dancing baby was coming up.

   12. MMMike Maxwell13:27

       Yeah, that's, that... I feel like that's the earliest.

   13. JRJoe Rogan13:30

       The dancing baby was the first?

   14. GUGuest13:32

       Yeah, the, uh, from, like, a TV show.

   15. MMMike Maxwell13:34

       (laughs)

   16. JRJoe Rogan13:34

       Oh, yeah. A terrible animated dancing baby. What year was that?

   17. GUGuest13:38

       Shh.

   18. JRJoe Rogan13:40

       Bro, that's just stuff of nightmares. If you're in the woods and you see a dancing baby that looks like that-

   19. MMMike Maxwell13:44

       (laughs)

   20. JRJoe Rogan13:44

       ... the uncanny valley dancing baby-

   21. GUGuest13:47

       (laughs)

   22. JRJoe Rogan13:47

       ... with, with those fuck... (laughs) That would be so scary.

   23. MMMike Maxwell13:50

       Yeah.

   24. JRJoe Rogan13:50

       Imagine if you saw that in the woods.

   25. MMMike Maxwell13:50

       You would have to punt it. You would have to punt it.

   26. JRJoe Rogan13:52

       Bro, you'd have to run. Y- y-... If you kick it, it grabs a hold of you and bites you like a wolf.

   27. MMMike Maxwell13:56

       Yeah, but what if it runs, like, fucking 100 miles an hour?

   28. JRJoe Rogan13:58

       Well, you're gonna find out. At least you'll find out.

   29. MMMike Maxwell14:00

       (laughs)

   30. JRJoe Rogan14:01

       Actually, if you run, it's worse 'cause then you're tired and it's probably right there watching you.
7. 16:47 – 28:59

   Jiu-jitsu as an anti-boredom discipline: Mike’s path to black belt

   1. MMMike Maxwell16:47

      It, it is... It, it really is interesting 'cause, like, that's... Before I started doing jujitsu, like, that was what I was doing. I was running.

   2. JRJoe Rogan16:54

      Oh.

   3. MMMike Maxwell16:54

      Like, and... But it just got fucking boring.

   4. JRJoe Rogan16:57

      Yeah.

   5. MMMike Maxwell16:57

      It got boring. And th- that's when I was like, "Okay, I gotta find something else 'cause-"

   6. JRJoe Rogan17:02

      Yeah, that's what most people, the problem they have with the gym. And jujitsu is the opposite of boring. Jujitsu is... It's one of the most rewarding things in life because it's super hard to do. It's really good for your head. Like, jujitsu people in general, like, you get dickheads in all walks of life.

   7. MMMike Maxwell17:19

      Sure.

   8. JRJoe Rogan17:19

      And female dickheads too. Um, but... For lack of a better word.

   9. MMMike Maxwell17:24

      (laughs)

   10. JRJoe Rogan17:24

       But you, you get the nicest people. Like, for the most part. You get people of character.

   11. MMMike Maxwell17:29

       Yeah.

   12. JRJoe Rogan17:29

       Because you have to have character to stick it out.

   13. MMMike Maxwell17:32

       Yeah.

   14. JRJoe Rogan17:32

       To be doing jujit-... If you're, if you've been doing jujitsu eight years, I can... 99% sure I can hang out with you.

   15. MMMike Maxwell17:38

       Yeah, exactly.

   16. JRJoe Rogan17:39

       Like, you're a dude who's got his shit together.

   17. MMMike Maxwell17:41

       It's almost like we're, we're like distant family members or something.

   18. JRJoe Rogan17:43

       100%.

   19. MMMike Maxwell17:44

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan17:45

       100%. It's like you recognize, you've been through this thing.

   21. MMMike Maxwell17:48

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan17:48

       You know, I started doing jujitsu in '96. So, '96, I was at Carlson Gracie's place.

   23. MMMike Maxwell17:54

       How old were you?

   24. JRJoe Rogan17:56

       I was ... 29? 29? Yeah.

   25. MMMike Maxwell17:59

       Yeah. See, I started, I started at 30.

   26. JRJoe Rogan18:01

       Yeah.

   27. MMMike Maxwell18:01

       So, like, around the same time.

   28. JRJoe Rogan18:02

       Yeah, around the same time. And, and I started right after... It was kind of, like, a year or two after I first saw the UFC.... you know, it was right around that time.

   29. MMMike Maxwell18:11

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan18:11

       And so I started at Carlson Gracie's place, in, um, in LA. That was right down the street from The Comedy Store. It was real close to The Comedy Store. And, um, that was when Vitor Belfort was ... He had just fought Jon Hess in Hawaii.
8. 28:59 – 38:27

   Street fights, calm under chaos, and seeing UFC up close at the Apex

   1. JRJoe Rogan28:59

      You know, one thing I do find that's really disconcerting? When fights break out, I don't get nervous.

   2. MMMike Maxwell29:05

      That's... How beautiful is that? I've, I've had that ex- 'Cause I remember when fights would break out, your an- your anxiety shoots up, your heart rate.

   3. JRJoe Rogan29:11

      I get weird if like, someone close to me is with me, and I'm worried about their danger.

   4. MMMike Maxwell29:16

      Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

   5. JRJoe Rogan29:17

      But, but the fact that two people are fighting, I'm so used to it.

   6. MMMike Maxwell29:20

      Yeah.

   7. JRJoe Rogan29:20

      It's weird.

   8. MMMike Maxwell29:21

      I stopped a bar fight a couple years ago where a group of guys attacked this dude. One of them got ahold of him and he, he sunk in a guillotine. The, the guy got taken down, right away.

   9. JRJoe Rogan29:33

      Oh, no.

   10. MMMike Maxwell29:33

       A deep guillotine. Like, all the way up over the shoulder, you know, like-

   11. JRJoe Rogan29:36

       And was not letting him tap?

   12. MMMike Maxwell29:37

       ... I was-

   13. JRJoe Rogan29:38

       Not letting him out?

   14. MMMike Maxwell29:39

       No, no, no, no. And I, I saw it all s- sort of k- kind of unfolding, and I ran up there, and I just whispered in his ear, "If you do jujitsu, you should probably let go right now." That calm. He like, looked at me, let go. Dude was out cold. I actually grabbed the, the guy who was out cold and picked his feet up. (laughs)

   15. JRJoe Rogan29:57

       That's a great way to handle it, the way you talked to him.

   16. MMMike Maxwell29:59

       Yeah, and he, uh, immediately looked at me like, "Okay, yeah, I hear what you're saying and I'm gonna let go."

   17. JRJoe Rogan30:04

       But also, like, this could be the difference between nothing happens to you, you're just defending yourself-

   18. MMMike Maxwell30:07

       Yeah.

   19. JRJoe Rogan30:07

       ... and you're going to jail-

   20. MMMike Maxwell30:09

       Yeah.

   21. JRJoe Rogan30:09

       ... for a long time-

   22. MMMike Maxwell30:10

       Yeah.

   23. JRJoe Rogan30:10

       ... 'cause this guy's dead.

   24. MMMike Maxwell30:11

       Yeah.

   25. JRJoe Rogan30:12

       Yeah. Especially if the guy's out, you're still holding onto it.

   26. MMMike Maxwell30:15

       Yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan30:16

       Ooh.

   28. MMMike Maxwell30:16

       Yeah. And it was quick. It was tight. He- he might not have known he was out, but I mean-

   29. JRJoe Rogan30:20

       But I'm s- He was probably so jumped up with adrenaline and chaos.

   30. MMMike Maxwell30:22

       Yeah. He like, had his girlfriend with him and...
9. 38:27 – 48:56

   Training longevity, injuries, and the health rabbit hole: TRT, sugar, and fasting

   1. MMMike Maxwell38:27

      Right? Like, especially if your knees are fucked. I'm, I'm kind of... I'm 16 years in now, and I'm like, I'm avoiding the, the heavyweight rolls.

   2. JRJoe Rogan38:37

      Right.

   3. MMMike Maxwell38:37

      Like, the super tough... Like, I just have to, like-

   4. JRJoe Rogan38:39

      Protect yourself.

   5. MMMike Maxwell38:40

      ... protect myself. And still, like, I never want to stop either, so like, I want to be able to get in there and, and fuck around as much as possible, but...

   6. JRJoe Rogan38:48

      Yeah, you gotta pick who you roll with for sure.

   7. MMMike Maxwell38:50

      Yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan38:50

      That's important, especially as you get older. Are you doing TRT or anything like that?

   9. MMMike Maxwell38:54

      No, I wish.

   10. JRJoe Rogan38:55

       Why don't you do it?

   11. MMMike Maxwell38:56

       I...

   12. JRJoe Rogan38:58

       Oh, you son of a bitch. (laughs)

   13. MMMike Maxwell38:59

       What does that mean? (laughs)

   14. JRJoe Rogan39:00

       (laughs) What does that mean? What does that mean, Mike Maxwell?

   15. MMMike Maxwell39:04

       What does that mean? I, I, I just haven't had a chance, I suppose. I mean-

   16. JRJoe Rogan39:08

       Oh, while you, while you're in town, I'm gonna hook you up with Wei Cewel.

   17. MMMike Maxwell39:11

       Okay.

   18. JRJoe Rogan39:11

       How many more days are you here?

   19. MMMike Maxwell39:12

       I leave tonight.

   20. JRJoe Rogan39:13

       Oh, shit.

   21. MMMike Maxwell39:14

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan39:15

       What time tonight?

   23. MMMike Maxwell39:16

       Nine.

   24. JRJoe Rogan39:17

       Oh, yeah, we could do that. We can make it happen.

   25. MMMike Maxwell39:18

       Okay.

   26. JRJoe Rogan39:18

       We'll make it happen. I'll make him a call as soon as we get outta here and I'll have you go over there, uh, right, right before you take off.

   27. MMMike Maxwell39:24

       Yeah, 'cause shit has gone, gone pretty south with the body.

   28. JRJoe Rogan39:27

       You should get blood. At the very least, if you don't do anything, you should get blood work.

   29. MMMike Maxwell39:30

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan39:30

       Get blood work, find out where your hormone levels are at.
10. 48:56 – 58:04

    Creative problem-solving, ‘the muse,’ and the ADHD medication critique

    1. MMMike Maxwell48:56

       Uh, to me, it's something subconscious, 'cause, like, the way... I, I look at jujitsu or painting or any real art form as, um, creative problem solving. So w- for me, all of those things, like it tickles the same part of my brain.

    2. JRJoe Rogan49:12

       Mm-hmm.

    3. MMMike Maxwell49:13

       To where the, like, I'll ask myself questions. Like, and it tends to be like, you have to ask yourself the right questions. Like, I've had, like, I don't know how to use... how to fix a car to save my life, but I've had to fix some shit to where I'm like, "Hmm, what should I do here?" Or, like, uh, you know, you'll just try something, but it's almost like a subconscious, uh, voice. Like I was saying how the painting will kind of tell me how to, how, like where to go next-

    4. JRJoe Rogan49:41

       Uh-huh.

    5. MMMike Maxwell49:41

       ... to where I'm, I don't know an answer, but somehow I come up with it, right? Just by kind of asking my brain, you know, "What, what should we do here?" And it's- it's- it's always, like, fascinated me that I, I'll... it's like my brain comes up with solutions to these problems by, you know, running some computation of like, well if we did this, this will happen. If we did that, this will happen.

    6. JRJoe Rogan50:05

       Mm-hmm.

    7. MMMike Maxwell50:05

       And I'll come up with ideas that are... like, I don't have, that aren't conscious ideas or thoughts-

    8. JRJoe Rogan50:12

       Right.

    9. MMMike Maxwell50:13

       ... that seep in from some depth in my brain that it's like I... and it's not my control. It's n- it's not like a, like a brag.

    10. JRJoe Rogan50:23

        Right, right, right.

    11. MMMike Maxwell50:24

        It's like some, some way of thinking that I can get solutions to problems that I don't know the solution to yet.

    12. JRJoe Rogan50:31

        Right, and you don't feel like those solutions are yours.

    13. MMMike Maxwell50:33

        No. No.

    14. JRJoe Rogan50:34

        Yeah, that's what, that's... Yeah.

    15. MMMike Maxwell50:35

        Yeah, it comes from somewhere else. And may- and, uh, I like to think of it as, like, some part of my subconscious or some part of the brain that I'm not accessing in conscious reality that is coming up with answers. But it... I'm, I'm amazed by it all the time. Like, if you've ever had, like, like a light that wasn't working in your house, right? But if you, like, flip the switch three times and then, like, turn the fucking heater on, somehow the light comes on. You know what I mean?

    16. JRJoe Rogan51:02

        Right, I know what you mean.

    17. MMMike Maxwell51:02

        Like, you figure out these ways to, to accomplish a, a, a, a task or figuring out a solution to a problem. And for me, I feel like with painting and jujitsu or now anything, like, I remember I, I pinched a nerve in my neck, like bad to where it's like I couldn't even sit up. And I was like, "How the fuck am I gonna get out of bed?" And just ended up, like, picking my leg up, hooking my arm behind my leg and doing, like, a jujitsu thing to, like, sit myself up 'cause I couldn't, like, actually sit myself up.

    18. JRJoe Rogan51:32

        (laughs)

    19. MMMike Maxwell51:32

        And I was like, "I've never done that before. That's so fucking strange." But, like, like, my brain just told me to do that.

    20. JRJoe Rogan51:39

        Well, that makes sense though. You know how to use your body from jujitsu and this would be a way-

    21. MMMike Maxwell51:42

        Right. That was... Right.

    22. JRJoe Rogan51:43

        ... to get up without using your abs.

    23. MMMike Maxwell51:44

        Yeah. Yeah, but there's all kind... Like, like, fixing the fucking car, like I, I don't know what I'm doing, but this seems to be, like, my brain telling me, "Maybe try this." You know? And with, with all of these processes of, you know, martial arts and painting, just some creative problem-solving aspect of the brain that's almost separated from...

    24. JRJoe Rogan52:08

        Yeah, and, and gets nurtured with use.

    25. MMMike Maxwell52:12

        Yeah, it builds.

    26. JRJoe Rogan52:13

        Oh, yeah. Yeah.

    27. MMMike Maxwell52:13

        It, it, like, it gets strong.

    28. JRJoe Rogan52:15

        Well, this is what Pressfield talks about when he talks about summoning the muse. You know, when he wro... Did you ever read the book The War of Art?

    29. MMMike Maxwell52:21

        I haven't.

    30. JRJoe Rogan52:22

        I've got a copy. I'll give you a copy of it.
11. 58:04 – 1:08:57

    Austin’s comedy ecosystem vs. LA fame culture—and why phone-free shows matter

    1. MMMike Maxwell58:04

       Have you seen how the comedy scene has kinda started to flourish here? And kinda, like, build it, like, that little 6th Street, uh, uh, way there is pretty wild.

    2. JRJoe Rogan58:14

       Oh, dude, there's five full-time comedy clubs.

    3. MMMike Maxwell58:16

       Yeah.

    4. JRJoe Rogan58:17

       Right there.

    5. MMMike Maxwell58:18

       I th- I, I hung out with my buddy Roy, um, yesterday, and I, I feel like I met, like, four or five comics just, like, standing around figuring out what we were gonna do.

    6. JRJoe Rogan58:26

       Y- It's the hub and it's also, this is the most important thing, it's the hub for development of young people. It gives young people a real pathway.

    7. MMMike Maxwell58:36

       Yeah.

    8. JRJoe Rogan58:36

       A real possibility. And we set it up that way on purpose, like, this is the idea. It's, like, you cannot have a sustainable comedy community without new members.

    9. MMMike Maxwell58:46

       Yeah. Yeah. I, I, I find a little envy, uh, in that, like, wh- it, that's a little tougher in the, like, visual arts world, is because we're so fucking isolated.

    10. JRJoe Rogan58:56

        Mm.

    11. MMMike Maxwell58:56

        We're not, like, hanging out at the same spots all the time. And it's, like, that's how things used to be, like, back in the day, like, the artists would all go to the same bar after they were done working for the day, and there was a-

    12. JRJoe Rogan59:06

        (coughs) Right, like, have an artist neighborhood-

    13. MMMike Maxwell59:08

        Yeah. And, and now it's-

    14. JRJoe Rogan59:08

        ... and, like, LA had a bunch of neighborhoods where a lot of artists lived together.

    15. MMMike Maxwell59:11

        Yeah, I mean, LA is a little bit different from, besides New York, than the rest of the, the, the art world. It's, like, if you're not in one of those two or three hubs, like, you're, you're kinda isolated.

    16. JRJoe Rogan59:25

        Mm-hmm.

    17. MMMike Maxwell59:26

        You're, like, outside of that realm, and, and we don't have that opportunity. I, I, I really, like, enjoy that aspect of the comedy community, towards, like, you see everybody meeting up, like, they see each other every day, they hug-

    18. JRJoe Rogan59:38

        Yes.

    19. MMMike Maxwell59:38

        ... they talk over shit, they can, like-

    20. JRJoe Rogan59:40

        Yeah.

    21. MMMike Maxwell59:40

        ... kinda workshop stuff with each other.

    22. JRJoe Rogan59:42

        Yeah.

    23. MMMike Maxwell59:42

        Like, having that ability is, is, or, like, that community and that aspect is so powerful.

    24. JRJoe Rogan59:47

        Oh, it's so nice. It's so nice. And so when you were there, it's, like, perfect setup. Like, Shane Gillis was there-

    25. MMMike Maxwell59:53

        Yeah.

    26. JRJoe Rogan59:53

        ... Ron White was there, Brian Simpson-

    27. MMMike Maxwell59:55

        I got to talk with Ron for a while.

    28. JRJoe Rogan59:56

        He's the best.

    29. MMMike Maxwell59:57

        Yeah.

    30. JRJoe Rogan59:57

        He's the best. He's f- such a fucking character.
12. 1:08:57 – 1:24:23

    Self-destruction, celebrity weirdness, and why politics attracts the wrong people

    1. MMMike Maxwell1:08:57

       Like, if, uh, I'm a big Bukowski fan.

    2. JRJoe Rogan1:09:00

       Me too.

    3. MMMike Maxwell1:09:00

       And on hi-, on his-

    4. JRJoe Rogan1:09:01

       Yeah.

    5. MMMike Maxwell1:09:01

       ... on his gravestone, it says, "Don't try."

    6. JRJoe Rogan1:09:03

       Hmm.

    7. MMMike Maxwell1:09:04

       Like that's the insignia, and then it's like a pair of boxing gloves.

    8. JRJoe Rogan1:09:06

       Another guy, a famous drunk, right?

    9. MMMike Maxwell1:09:08

       That's, I, all of my favorite writers are self-destructive.

    10. JRJoe Rogan1:09:11

        (laughs)

    11. MMMike Maxwell1:09:11

        I don't know, I don't know why, but they are.

    12. JRJoe Rogan1:09:14

        Oh, I found this the other day about Hemingway. Um, Hemingway always thought that the FBI was, uh, trying to get him. And apparently-

    13. MMMike Maxwell1:09:20

        (laughs)

    14. JRJoe Rogan1:09:21

        Apparently, they actually were.

    15. MMMike Maxwell1:09:22

        Really?

    16. JRJoe Rogan1:09:23

        Yeah, they actually were. Um, he, he thought that he was... Here, I'll send this to you, Jamie.

    17. GUGuest1:09:27

        I saw it.

    18. JRJoe Rogan1:09:28

        You saw it?

    19. GUGuest1:09:28

        I saw it. It was like a meme going around the other day.

    20. JRJoe Rogan1:09:30

        Oh, here it goes, "The FBI investigated Ernest Hemingway for decades, with surveillance beginning in the 1940s due to concerns about his activities in Cuba and his associations with individuals suspected of Communist ties. While initially dismissed as paranoia, it was later revealed that Hemingway's fears were grounded in reality, and the FBI did monitor him, even tapping his phones and intercepting his mail. The surveillance continued throughout his later years, including his time in the hospital, and may have contributed to his mental anguish and suicide."

    21. MMMike Maxwell1:10:00

        Damn.

    22. JRJoe Rogan1:10:00

        Yeah, you can't fucking... What about booze?

    23. MMMike Maxwell1:10:04

        (laughs) Yeah.

    24. JRJoe Rogan1:10:05

        He, he, he got drunk every day.

    25. MMMike Maxwell1:10:06

        And severe depression.

    26. JRJoe Rogan1:10:07

        Severe depression, 42 to 74, they studied him. What'd you learn? (laughs)

    27. MMMike Maxwell1:10:13

        That's wild.

    28. JRJoe Rogan1:10:14

        (laughs) What crazy-

    29. MMMike Maxwell1:10:14

        But that's that thing. There's that, like, there's a meme or like a, somebody saying that like, you have to beware of the artists because they associate with everybody. You know? Like, they're not just locked into, like, an upper-class society. Like, they're, like, even, like, where I was staying, like, I made friends with, like, three or four homeless guys just out on the street that I just kept seeing around town from being around, you know? Like, like, we associate with everybody. There's no, like, hierarchy of, uh, of class.

Episode duration: 2:30:48