Elite athlete and artist Michael Namkung discovered that pushing his physical limits allowed him to open up and explore emotional pain too. Michael journeys through sports-inspired performance pieces, how he relearned to write with his left hand when he broke his right, and a digital chorus project that allowed people to voice the pain and despair felt in many U.S. communities in 2016.
Immersed in his calm artistic evolution, we learn of the joys to be found in forcing ourselves to slow down, noticing new things when we come up against barriers, and the importance of our discomfort when bearing witness to one another’s pain. The greatest and most rewarding form of endurance, Michael shares, is the dedication and persistence of listening to yourself. Learn to be in tune with your heart, both your pains and your joys.
At the end of his talk, Michael performs an endurance piece. Beginning with his hands near his feet, he slowly rotates, drawing an ever-widening spiral on the floor with chalk while keeping his feet in place, until he's fully extended in a push-up position.
You can watch the video of the interview on CreativeMornings.com. It was given at CreativeMornings/Portland, a free monthly community event.
More about Michael Namkung:
Michael Namkung is a performing artist, writer, poet, meditation teacher and father. He is also a multiple world champion athlete and in 2022 was inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame. He has received awards from the San Francisco Arts Commission, The Center for Cultural Innovation, the Tanne Foundation, and the James Rosenquist Artist Residency. He is best known for Drawing Gym, a hybrid of art and extreme sports and for his one-man shows of poetry and storytelling, Seeing The Invisible and Good Pain: The Art of Being Hurt.
He has exhibited and performed his work in galleries, museums, universities, festivals and public spaces worldwide. Michael holds a Master of Education degree from the University of California Santa Barbara and a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco State University.
Creation of this podcast wouldn't have been possible without the support of:
- A 2024 grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council
- Annual event support from local partner Wacom
- Production by Johnny Subia and Weird Wonderful
- The 2024 event volunteer team: Kaitlin Carpenter, Chamisa Kellogg, Charli Beck, Christopher Diego, Ivan Lima, Joan Stewart, Kaveer Rai, Laura Mark, Laura Nickelhoff, Lucy Nobles, Sarah Nordby, Sumeet Singh, Tyler Nordby and Vinnie Balistreri
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