Today’s guest is Stephen Rasmussen. Stephen has 30 years experience in martial arts, and first trained Karate under the widely respected Sensei Ron Fagan in Nova Scotia, Canada (my episode with Sensei Fagan is episode #2 if you haven’t yet listened). In his early/mid-twenties, Stephen had the feeling that there’s much more to life than settling down in Canada at that point in his life. And so, in what was originally going to be the typical backpacking trip throughout Europe has now turned into 20+ years of living in various countries in the continent. Throughout his travels, Stephen has continued to grow as a martial artist (now focusing mainly on the art of Silat, which we’ll get into) as well as a photographer and now also a commercial actor. Stephen has always been an artist at heart, and throughout this interview, we delve into how his love of art and curiosity with performance has allowed for the organic outgrowth of his passions. More specifically, we touch on why he decided to stay in Europe, the art of Silat, his passion of photography and newfound interest in acting, and also what it’s like to be living in Spain during the Pandemic.

Timestamps

00:03:13 Growing up in Canada

00:08:23 Beginning martial arts and karate

00:17:55 What makes a great martial artist

00:22:36 Personal expression through art

00:25:40 Art of Silat

00:47:28 "You are not that thought"

00:52:53 Philosophy around teaching martial arts

00:56:40 His guiding word of the year

01:00:35 Advice for people starting their martial arts journey

01:10:39 Why he decided to move to Europe

01:15:52 New perspectives he's gained from living in different countries

01:25:43 Journey to photography

01:31:56 Flow state in photography

01:43:17 Thoughts on Photoshop

01:52:17 Getting into acting

02:01:29 Living in Spain during the Pandemic

02:19:50 What his days look like now

02:22:44 His driving force

02:30:18 How can people tap into their creativity