The Sam Sanders Show Trixie Mattel Wants Us To Slow Down
May 8, 2026
Trixie Mattel, drag performer, musician, author, and entrepreneur known from RuPaul’s Drag Race, talks career reinvention and creative limits. She discusses burnout and a life-changing hiatus. She traces her drag origins to Rocky Horror and shares the pop culture that grounds her, from Townes Van Zandt to The Office.
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Choose Quality Over Quantity
- Choose quality over quantity in work to protect health and creativity.
- Trixie recommends prioritizing projects that inspire you or pay well and letting go of constant hustling after experiencing burnout.
Achievement Didn't Bring Happiness
- Success and more opportunities didn't equal happiness for Trixie; achievement exposed what she was missing.
- After getting everything she wanted, she felt lonelier and took a months-long hiatus to reprioritize life.
Commit Boldly When You Believe You Can
- Believe in yourself and try new projects even if others call it cringe; confidence fuels creative ventures.
- Trixie says she lacks the doubt brain and just commits to ventures like the motel or DJing because she knows she can do them.