In 1977, Steve Martin played Nassau Coliseum to 45,000 people - the biggest concert comedy event in the history of show business. He reached this peak despite having, in his own words, "no natural talent". And then he just walked away. He didn't perform stand-up again for decades. Why would anyone at the pinnacle start over from zero in film, writing, and music? The answer was hiding in the very next line of a poem he spent a decade trying to understand.

This is a Craftsmith Letter, an audio letter to a living craftsperson.

In this letter:

• The line from E.E. Cummings that Steve puzzled over for ten years - and the next line he never mentions
• Why watching Wally Boag hundreds of times at Disneyland was Steve's first masterclass
• The moment a magician's failed trick taught Steve that laughter could come from absence
• What Steve's father said on his deathbed, and the more complicated truth Steve kept to himself
• The Bird Cage Theater: 4,000 performances that became a laboratory for breaking comedy's rules
• "What if there were no punch lines?" - the question that changed everything
• The Vanderbilt swimming pool moment: when the audience wouldn't leave and Steve became the act
• Why the banjo is the control group that proves the thesis

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction to Craftsmith
• (00:08) - A Letter to Steve Martin
• (00:23) - Steve Martin's Journey to Mastery
• (01:20) - The Philosophy of Mastery
• (03:23) - The Influence of Early Mentors
• (05:57) - Breaking the Rules of Comedy
• (08:05) - The Road to Becoming
• (14:32) - The Banjo: A Lifelong Passion
• (15:27) - The Wisdom of Making
• (17:22) - Conclusion and Invitation

Books mentioned:

• Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
• Six Nonlectures by E.E. Cummings

Help deliver this letter:
If you think Steve should hear this, send him this episode:

• stevemartin.com
• @stevemartinreally on Instagram
• @SteveMartinofficial on Facebook

Follow Craftsmith:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Craftsmith is a podcast by Bill Allred about people who discover and develop work they love, so you can too.

Why did a late bloomer who didn't publish his first novel until 52 become the definitive voice on creative resistance? Because fought it hand-to-hand for 27 years, and every chapter of The War of Art traces back to a battle he lived.

This is a Craftsmith Letter - an audio letter to a living craftsperson.

In this letter:

• A typewriter carried for years but hated too much to open
• Why he pulled the pin at 99.9% done again, and again
• A bumper sticker that planted the seed for an entire book
• The most honest thing anyone's said about not giving up
• The night he sat down crazy and got up sane

Books mentioned:

• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• Govt Cheese by Steven Pressfield
• Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
• Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be by Steven Pressfield
• The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield

Help deliver this letter:

If you think Steven should hear this, send it to him.

• Website: stevenpressfield.com
• X: @spressfield
• Instagram: steven_pressfield

Follow Craftsmith:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More

Craftsmith is a podcast by Bill Allred about people who discover and develop work they love, so you can too.