128. Art and Bike-Packing with Mike Shisler
the new episode of the SneakyArt Podcast + a special discount for listeners!
👋🏼 Hello, listeners!
In this week’s episode, Mike Shisler speaks about leaving home and career to cycle cross-country, work as an artist, and live out of a van. Notes from a fascinating conversation below, along with a special discount for listeners.
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🎙 Ep 45 Art and Bike-Packing with Mike Shisler
Mike Shisler speaks about leaving home and career to cycle across the US, work as an artist, and live out of a van.
Next week, Mike begins a 4000mi bike-packing trip from the northern tip of Alaska to San Diego, California. He speaks about the incredible physical and mental endurance required for the solo journey, and his plan to make a painting every day along the way.
This conversation emphasizes the importance of slowing down to appreciate the world, even the parts of it that are not 5-star destinations on Google Maps.
🙌🏽 Follow Mike’s work on IG, his Kickstarter, and visit his website.
⛺️ Check out the Sēkr app to locate campsites and essential public services, and connect with other campers.
Listen to this episode on your choice of streaming service, or grab a link below:
Spotify | Apple | PocketCasts | Google | Web | Gaana
💭 Episode Insights
🚴♀️ Nishant asks Mike to help listeners grasp the enormity of the 4000mi bike-packing challenge. What makes such incredible physical endurance worth it?
💰 How has Mike rallied his audience to support this endeavour via Kickstarter?
📚 Mike speaks about the Art of Bike-Packing book he will make at the end of the journey as a reward to patrons.
🏟 Mike speaks about going to architecture school and learning to see the world in a different way. This segues to a semester in Rome, where he was introduced to urban sketching.
🛠 Mike explains his creative dissatisfaction with work, and how this led to woodworking and sketching.
✊🏻 The resolution on his 30th birthday to sketch every day for the next 30 years.
🚐 Nishant asks about Mike’s decision to become a full-time artist and choose the #vanlife.
💎 “If you leap, the net will appear.”
▲ They talk about cutting life down to its essential functions, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
🌄 Nishant asks what a typical van-day is like for Mike and Jess. They discuss the idea of “living around the van”, not inside the van.
🏕 What is the public and private infrastructure in America that supports the van life?
👨🏻🎨 Mike asks if moving around has helped Nishant create more interesting art. Nishant speaks about the creative challenge of finding inspiration in rural Wisconsin.
🌎 Mike speaks about Atlas Obscura.
🥾 Mike explains the Sekr app, made by Jess for campers, van-lifers, and backpackers.
🍫 Mike goes over the general route for his 4000mi journey. Talks about what he eats and packs for the way.
🎁 Mike explains the hidden rewards of taking the slow route to any destination, and offers words of encouragement for others that need a push to chase unconventional dreams.
Dear listener, I would love to hear your thoughts about this conversation!
🎙 I spoke about drawing on CBC Radio!
Listen to me in the first 15 min of this wonderful episode about drawing on ‘Now or Never’, a CBC radio show.
We even drew each other while recording!
🙌🏽 More Updates
💻 Last weekend I hung out with readers and listeners over Zoom. I like limited-seating events because they feel so cozy! The plan is to do this at the end of every month - as a way to share my sketchbook and answer questions about art and the podcast. Sign up!
🇨🇦 I am planning in-person workshops in Vancouver. Do you live in and around Vancouver, and would like to take an in-person drawing workshop with me? I am planning a set of 2-hour workshops to teach how I draw people and the city. If this interests you, drop a comment!
🇺🇸 I want to do workshops in the US! I am still figuring out travel to the US. The tentative plan is Seattle, Chicago and maybe one more city. Ideas?
🎙 Learning in Public: How I make the SneakyArt Podcast. As I close in on 50 episodes, I want to continue my 2022 resolution to learn in public by sharing the workflow of the podcast. I will do this by explaining the ideas and actions that created the show in the early months of the pandemic. And using next week’s episode as a model, I will also share the habits and systems that keep it running week after week.
Are you pod-curious? Or are you a super-listener eager to peek behind the scenes? To get the first part in your inbox this Sunday and join the discussion threads, become a SneakyArt Insider!
Dear readers, thank you for your time and attention. I’ll see you next week!