Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
I was at a coffee shop on College Street when Tony yelled from behind the cash “Hey! There’s that duck!”
I turned and, sure enough, out the front window was a… giant male papier-mâché mallard with massive, pixelated-looking green head and body set atop tight, orange-stockinged legs and a pair of orange Converse shoes. And he was … just walking by. Like some kind of intergalactic tumbleweed.
What … was this?
Lewis Mallard is an anonymous ‘interdimensional psychedelic folk artist’ responsible for street performances and art installations across Toronto. I reached out to Lewis Mallard and he agreed to meet me in human form—though his face, name, and identity remain secret through the interview.
We have a wide-ranging conversation discussing sacrifices for art, the power of the collective, the right amount of ‘bad,’ community through poverty, becoming an adult reader, what vandalism really is, and, of course, Lewis Mallard’s 3 most formative books…
Let’s turn the page to Chapter 139 now…
To learn more about Lewis and read the full show notes, go here 👉🏽 3books.co/chapters/139
00:00 There's That Duck
5:00 Flyby Parenting
9:00 Viral Streetcar Stop
13:00 Positive Vandalism
18:00 Maude Lewis and Folk Art Inspiration
25:00 Audience Development as an Artist
30:47 'Lu Pan: The Carpenter's Apprentice'
37:45 Drug Use and Parenting
44:00 Early Artistic Aspirations
47:26 High School Freaks
53:00 Straight Edge Culture
1:01:50 Struggling to Graduate
1:13:11 Cycling in Toronto
1:21:08 'Moby-Dick'
1:26:20 Becoming an Adult Reader
1:33:01 Fine Art vs. Technical Illustration
1:37:02 Graffiti as Urban Renewal
1:41:32 Creating an Art Collective
1:46:00 Subway Dance Parties
1:53:00 Generative Competition
1:55:38 Illegal Studio Living
2:02:01 The First Art Show
2:11:58 Power of Audio Books
2:18:52 DIY Education
2:26:22 'Alaska'
2:29:21 Caring for a Dying Parent
2:34:34 Swimming Lessons at 30
2:44:28 What is an Adult Child's Responsibility to Parents?
2:46:57 Mind-Altering Experiences
2:55:18 Living on a Nude Beach
3:01:53 Mushrooms are a Journey
3:10:56 Fishing in Haida Gwaii
3:14:46 Supporting a Neglectful Parent
3:18:32 The Discovery of Lewis Mallard
3:25:12 Being Fully On Your Own
3:30:31 Selling Art and Making Money
3:34:45 Lewis's Favorite Library
3:39:56 End of the Podcast Club
-
SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2HHWPYg
Hey there,
I'm Neil and I spend a ton of time thinking, writing, podcasting, and speaking about living intentionally. I'm the New York Times bestselling author of six books including The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. I've been lucky to speak at places like TED, SXSW, and Google. And I host a huge passion project called the 3 Books podcast.
Want more 3 Books? Check out my top interviews with:
Brené Brown youtube.com/watch?v=X5l-Auv7h8Y
Quentin Tarantino youtube.com/watch?v=VVFdvfiPB-w
David Sedaris youtube.com/watch?v=wzz8tqnz1mI
Want to read more of my stuff?
https://www.neil.blog/archive/
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want to learn about my live events?
globalhappiness.org/speaking
Want my monthly book recos?
1000awesomethings.com/reading-club
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
I am also on the following drugs:
Facebook: facebook.com/NeilPasricha
Twitter: twitter.com/neilpasricha
Instagram: instagram.com/neilpasricha
Lastly, thanks so much for watching this vid.
👊,
Neil
neil@globalhappiness.org
I was at a coffee shop on College Street when Tony yelled from behind the cash “Hey! There’s that duck!”
I turned and, sure enough, out the front window was a… giant male papier-mâché mallard with massive, pixelated-looking green head and body set atop tight, orange-stockinged legs and a pair of orange Converse shoes. And he was … just walking by. Like some kind of intergalactic tumbleweed.
What … was this?
Lewis Mallard is an anonymous ‘interdimensional psychedelic folk artist’ responsible for street performances and art installations across Toronto. I reached out to Lewis Mallard and he agreed to meet me in human form—though his face, name, and identity remain secret through the interview.
We have a wide-ranging conversation discussing sacrifices for art, the power of the collective, the right amount of ‘bad,’ community through poverty, becoming an adult reader, what vandalism really is, and, of course, Lewis Mallard’s 3 most formative books…
Let’s turn the page to Chapter 139 now…
To learn more about Lewis and read the full show notes, go here 👉🏽 3books.co/chapters/139
00:00 There's That Duck
5:00 Flyby Parenting
9:00 Viral Streetcar Stop
13:00 Positive Vandalism
18:00 Maude Lewis and Folk Art Inspiration
25:00 Audience Development as an Artist
30:47 'Lu Pan: The Carpenter's Apprentice'
37:45 Drug Use and Parenting
44:00 Early Artistic Aspirations
47:26 High School Freaks
53:00 Straight Edge Culture
1:01:50 Struggling to Graduate
1:13:11 Cycling in Toronto
1:21:08 'Moby-Dick'
1:26:20 Becoming an Adult Reader
1:33:01 Fine Art vs. Technical Illustration
1:37:02 Graffiti as Urban Renewal
1:41:32 Creating an Art Collective
1:46:00 Subway Dance Parties
1:53:00 Generative Competition
1:55:38 Illegal Studio Living
2:02:01 The First Art Show
2:11:58 Power of Audio Books
2:18:52 DIY Education
2:26:22 'Alaska'
2:29:21 Caring for a Dying Parent
2:34:34 Swimming Lessons at 30
2:44:28 What is an Adult Child's Responsibility to Parents?
2:46:57 Mind-Altering Experiences
2:55:18 Living on a Nude Beach
3:01:53 Mushrooms are a Journey
3:10:56 Fishing in Haida Gwaii
3:14:46 Supporting a Neglectful Parent
3:18:32 The Discovery of Lewis Mallard
3:25:12 Being Fully On Your Own
3:30:31 Selling Art and Making Money
3:34:45 Lewis's Favorite Library
3:39:56 End of the Podcast Club
-
SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2HHWPYg
Hey there,
I'm Neil and I spend a ton of time thinking, writing, podcasting, and speaking about living intentionally. I'm the New York Times bestselling author of six books including The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. I've been lucky to speak at places like TED, SXSW, and Google. And I host a huge passion project called the 3 Books podcast.
Want more 3 Books? Check out my top interviews with:
Brené Brown youtube.com/watch?v=X5l-Auv7h8Y
Quentin Tarantino youtube.com/watch?v=VVFdvfiPB-w
David Sedaris youtube.com/watch?v=wzz8tqnz1mI
Want to read more of my stuff?
https://www.neil.blog/archive/
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want to learn about my live events?
globalhappiness.org/speaking
Want my monthly book recos?
1000awesomethings.com/reading-club
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
I am also on the following drugs:
Facebook: facebook.com/NeilPasricha
Twitter: twitter.com/neilpasricha
Instagram: instagram.com/neilpasricha
Lastly, thanks so much for watching this vid.
👊,
Neil
neil@globalhappiness.org
