Chasing Curiosity

[00:01:28] – (First question) – Patrick asks Brian if he did TM as soon as he started getting into meditation.  The two discuss the benefits of meditation.

[00:02:57] – Looking at other experiences that match the feeling of meditation, which includes a discussion on running and sports

[00:04:12] – Couch To 5K

[00:06:10] – Looking at how the idea for ‘Solitary Man’ came to be and the creative process that led to it finally getting done

[00:12:30] – Why Brian must be curious about a character’s motivation to write about them

[00:13:20] – Why it can be difficult to stand pat

[00:14:05] – Exploring the creative process, which requires curiosity and strangeness

[00:16:39] – What does Brian do to make it possible to be creative. He discusses routines and the morning pages

[00:18:51] – How Brian met his writing partner David Levien and how David helped him become a successful writer

[00:23:43] – Getting immersed in a subject and how Brian got interested in the topic that led to the Showtime show Billions

[00:26:15] – Interesting discussion on how billionaires are more like nation-states than citizens

[00:28:35] – Exploration of why billionaires are celebrated in the US, even more so than athletes and rock stars

[00:32:48] – How having lots of money can impact the way people relate to you

[00:37:14] – Why so much reverence for billionaires and why they are obsessed with attaining that kind of wealth

[00:40:48] – When people have a passion for something, they seem to be happier in life.

[00:44:48] – Patrick talks about why some carpenters have unmatched happiness in life

[00:46:49] – Why we tell stories and some of the rules that need to be followed

[00:49:48] – Why Brian started his podcast

[00:50:33] – Stories across time are all the same and curiosity is the best way to discover good ones

[00:53:19] – Looking at Brian’s most memorable day

[00:58:30] – Kindest thing anyone has done for Brian