#2359 - Mike Maxwell

Joe Rogan (0:01)

Joe Rogan Podcast, checking out The Joe Rogan Experience.

Jamie (0:06)

Trained by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day.

Joe Rogan (0:12)

Hey, Mike Maxwell.

Mike Maxwell (0:13)

What's happening, Joe Rogan?

Joe Rogan (0:14)

My man, good to see you.

Mike Maxwell (0:16)

It's good to be here.

Joe Rogan (0:17)

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.

Mike Maxwell (0:27)

Yeah, a minute ago.

Joe Rogan (0:30)

How many years ago was that, like 15 fucking years ago?

Mike Maxwell (0:33)

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

Joe Rogan (0:37)

That's crazy.

Mike Maxwell (0:38)

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

Joe Rogan (0:55)

Well, if the work is great, that works. You know, it's like, you kind of have to be discovered, someone has to find you, but yeah, ultimately, it's about talent.

Mike Maxwell (1:06)

Yeah, and you know, hard work too.

Joe Rogan (1:09)

Yes.

Mike Maxwell (1:10)

Yeah.

Joe Rogan (1:10)

Yeah.

Mike Maxwell (1:11)

I mean, because that talent really doesn't come, like artists so often are like, people are like, oh, 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.

Joe Rogan (1:28)

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, and developing that fine hand-eye coordination, and the ability to draw or paint exactly what you're looking for, god, that's work. That's work, man.

Mike Maxwell (1:51)

Yeah, and nothing came easy. I feel like there's some artists and some creative people who, they have some inert talent that's in there somewhere, or it's like we have the right brain chemistry to get started. But I'm still improving. 25, 26 years in, I'm still recognizing improvements.

Joe Rogan (2:15)

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

Mike Maxwell (2:22)

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

Joe Rogan (2:28)

Look at that thing. That is so sick. That is so sick. And it's like that is this show.

Mike Maxwell (2:35)

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.

Joe Rogan (2:43)

Oh, wow.

Mike Maxwell (2:43)

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.

Joe Rogan (2:53)

Yeah.

Mike Maxwell (2:53)

And I have like there gets to a point after like all the like prep work where it's like the painting starts to paint itself. Like it tells me what it wants.

Jamie (3:03)

Yeah.

Mike Maxwell (3:04)

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.

Jamie (3:19)

Right.

Joe Rogan (3:19)

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

Mike Maxwell (3:29)

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

Joe Rogan (3:43)

Yeah.

Mike Maxwell (3:44)

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

Joe Rogan (3:59)

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