Even, a lot of times, those people who you’re not connecting with on a conversational level, you start moving together though— And you find a very deep connection. And now you’re moving in their world or they’re moving in yours, or whatever it is, but you found this other way to connect with somebody that you would have never known if you just worked with them or whatever the case may be.
~ Jonny Hart
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You may fail miserably, or you’re gonna break through it— you’re gonna learn something new about yourself, and you’re gonna develop a new skill out of necessity that you didn’t have at the beginning of the painting. So that’s what keeps me excited about making paintings, is because I couldn’t do the same thing over and over again. I have to manufacture some sort of potential failure there.
~ Jonny Hart
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I’ve recently begun the long project of looking through my past recordings. Only in the last month or so have I been keeping notes about the conversations as I record them, and I want to go back to day-one, (January 28, 2017,) and update my notes on who, when, where— but also the themes and ideas that were discussed. (I’m not listening to everything, just going through the scattered information I already have about the recordings.) Although it’s a lot of work, it’s rewarding to see so many things organized in one centralized system! These days, ideas and connections I find in the slipbox also point me to my specific conversations.
It’s inevitable that you’re going to fail. If you’re not failing, then you’re definitely doing something wrong because you’re supposed to find your limits. There are parts of it that are going to suck the whole way along— that’s a perfect possibility, but you’re going to grow.
~ Adam McClellan
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You may fail miserably, or you’re gonna break through it— you’re gonna learn something new about yourself, and you’re gonna develop a new skill out of necessity that you didn’t have at the beginning of the painting. So that’s what keeps me excited about making paintings, is because I couldn’t do the same thing over and over again. I have to manufacture some sort of potential failure there.
~ Jonny Hart
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Also: Delightful connections like the two quotes above fall into my lap along the way.
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What role do community, creativity, and challenge play in connecting personal passions with physical disciplines?
Jonny Hart shares the role of parkour in his life, and how that fits in with his career as an artist. He explains the parkour and anatomy art classes that he helped develop, and discusses the joy he finds in coaching and teaching. Jonny finishes by unpacking his thoughts on breaking jumps, and shares the story of the first jump he ever broke.
I specifically make sure that there’s something in there that I have no idea how to do. And none of my skill set has prepared me for it.
~ Jonny Hart (15:30)
The conversation explores Jonny Hart’s journey from fine arts to becoming an advocate and teacher of Parkour, merging art with movement. He shares his early fascination with Parkour, describing its intensity and the unique community bonds it fosters. He reflects on how his artistic background influences his Parkour practice, providing insights into anatomy and movement, and how this cross-disciplinary knowledge enriches his teaching and personal growth.
The discussion also digs into fear and challenges, likening “breaking the jump” in Parkour to creative hurdles in art. Jonny emphasizes how facing uncertainty in both fields leads to personal breakthroughs and joy. His innovative teaching approach combines drawing, anatomy, and physical movement, aiming to make art and Parkour accessible and transformative for kids and others in the community.
Takeaways
Community as a unifier — The Parkour community fosters connections among individuals from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing shared movement practices over other differences.
Art and movement integration — Teaching combines anatomy, drawing, and Parkour to help kids and participants understand their bodies and creativity.
Fear as a teacher — The concept of “breaking the jump” in Parkour parallels overcoming artistic challenges, showing the transformative power of fear.
Non-commercial passions — Jonny Hart emphasizes the value of keeping Parkour as a passion rather than a profession to maintain its joy and authenticity.
The role of teaching — Hart finds fulfillment in teaching classes he loves, recharging his energy and positively impacting his students.
Parkour as a global culture — The Parkour community’s values and connections extend across different cities and countries, fostering a universal sense of belonging.
Resources
Movement Creative — A New York-based organization teaching Parkour and movement skills.
Müv Magazine — A Parkour magazine featuring articles, stories, and illustrations by and for the community.
Parkour Visions — A Parkour nonprofit dedicated to promoting movement education and accessibility.
Tempest Freerunning — A Los Angeles-based Parkour gym that inspired Hart’s initial interest in the discipline.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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