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Friend of the show Austin Kleon joins me today for a lively conversation about dear ol’ Paul McCartney. Austin is a New York Times bestselling author, creator of an indispensable weekly newsletter, and a lifelong Beatles obsessive. Few people think and write about creativity as clearly and generously as Austin does, so I was especially curious to hear how Paul McCartney fits into his philosophy of art and making stuff.
Both Austin and I have somewhat complicated relationships with ol’ Paul. On the one hand, he’s considered one of the greatest songwriters who ever lived — a melodic genius with a bottomless gift for invention. On the other hand, there’s something about Paul that has always inspired strong reactions: the cheerfulness, the arrogance, the relentless productivity, the frequent cheesiness.
In this episode we talk about Paul the songwriter, Paul the craftsman, Paul the workaholic, and Paul the cocaine sniffing bass wizard — the Beatle people love to love and sometimes love to roll their eyes at. Along the way we get into artistic philosophy, the value of discipline and pushing forward, the strange psychology of choosing a “favorite Beatle,” and what Paul represents to artists trying to make work that says something…deep.
Whether you’re a Paul defender, a Paul skeptic, or someone still trying to figure him out, this was a really fun conversation.
Thanks for coming on the show, Austin! I can’t wait to read your new book!
