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Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons (#370)

  • Tim Ferriss
    • Adam Savage on The Tim Ferriss Show podcast
    Photo by Norman Chan

    “A true creator knows that you follow the thing to where it’s going, not to where you think it ought to go.”

    — Adam Savage

    Adam 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, mold making, and injection molding, to name just a few.

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    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.”

    More information about the book is available at AdamSavageBook.com.

    Watch the interview on YouTube.

    You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

    Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.

    #370: Adam Savage on Great Tools, Great Projects, and Great Lessons

    Want to hear another episode with someone who’s not afraid to let their geek flag fly? — Listen to my conversation with Aisha Tyler in which we discuss optimism, free-range parenting, aggressive failure, heckler stories, and much more. (Stream below or right-click here to download.):

    #327: Aisha Tyler — How to Use Pain, Comedy, and Practice for Creativity

    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).

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    QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

    Scroll below for links and show notes…

    SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

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    SHOW NOTES

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