Today, Commander Divine speaks with Simon Drew, a multi-talented philosopher, poet, pianist, podcaster, and didgeridoo player.

In his latest book, The Poet and the Sage, Simon digs deep into philosophy, mysticism, and metaphor. In this episode, Simon discusses his creative process, how philosophy and art are intertwined, and how to achieve enlightenment by playing the didgeridoo.

Key Takeaways:

Life is about asking better questions. Simon believes that life is a game with an objective, but it’s up to us to ask the right questions to know what that objective is and how to seek it out. It’s crucial to strengthen our questioning ability and face life with the degree of seriousness it deserves… and then being willing to hear the answers when we ask the questions. Not everybody is built as an artist.

Simon says that inspiration typically hits him just a few minutes before he starts his writing routine, and it almost always comes to him easily and naturally. He says that the artistic experience is something that many people just don’t necessarily have access to – not because some people are superior and others are inferior, but because not everybody is built as an artist.

Different art forms play different roles. Simon plays music, writes poetry, and hosts a podcast because all of these mediums allow for completely different forms of expression. One format may get across to people in different ways that aren’t possible with another medium. Practice “Po.” Simon talked about a beautiful principle called “po,” which means to sit with a question once it’s posited, rather than trying to answer it immediately. Simon hopes that when people read poetry, they will sit with the question in the poem and allow it space to seep into the mind, body, and soul… and see what happens. Between two worlds.

The stoic definition of wisdom is “a knowledge of things human and divine.” Since we are strange beings stretched between the heights and the depths, Simon asks: How much could you truly contribute in life if you became highly skilled at living between those two worlds?