What motivates individuals to transform their lives and turn challenges into opportunities for growth and creativity?

Matthew Poprocki does what he loves. Formally a visual artist, he is now a movement artist who likes to play and overcome obstacles. He discusses the challenges he’s faced and how he rediscovered his artistic expression through Parkour.

“I realized after a few years, I didn’t lose it, I’m still an artist, I’m a Life artist.” ~ Matthew Poprocki (7:16)

The conversation explores the profound journey of an individual who transitioned from a career in graphic design to becoming a movement artist and coach. Struggling with dissatisfaction in a desk job, addiction, and health challenges, Matthew found solace and purpose in Parkour. This shift allowed him to embrace creativity and play, not only as an outlet but as a way to teach and inspire others.

Key topics include the philosophy of overcoming obstacles, the transition from visual to movement arts, and the role of Parkour in cultivating resilience and mindfulness. Through personal anecdotes, Matthew shares insights on viewing challenges as opportunities and finding joy in being present, creative, and connected to life.

Takeaways

Creativity through movement — Parkour offers a new medium for artistic expression and personal fulfillment.

Life as art — Redefining artistry by integrating creativity into daily activities and experiences.

Resilience in adversity — Viewing life’s challenges as opportunities to demonstrate strength and adapt.

Philosophy of play — Rediscovering joy and presence through movement and coaching.

The transformation of perspective — From seeing obstacles as burdens to viewing them as opportunities for growth.

Impact of mindfulness — Being fully present enhances life experiences and fosters creativity.

Redefining success — Prioritizing passion and fulfillment over societal expectations of work and productivity.

The role of Parkour in teaching — Empowering others through creative coaching and sharing lived experiences.

Resources

Parkour Generations — Mentioned as a movement-focused community and training resource.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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— Hello👋 I’m Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I’m interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.

I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.

— Thank you!

My personal mission is creating better conversations to spread understanding and compassion. And Movers Mindset is one of the things I do in service of my mission. Drop by https://craigconstantine.com/ for my weekly email, my other podcasts, writing and more.

The Movers Mindset project grew from conversations I started having as part of my personal journey rediscovering movement. The project started late in 2015, and it was initially simply a web site that shared others’ writing. The project grew, and in 2017 I started the podcast. I’ve worked extremely hard, but none of this would have been possible without so much help from so many people.

Thanks for listening!

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