Ep: 118: Michael Grab: World’s Greatest Rock Balancing Artist on Making the Impossible Possible

Michael Grab is one of the world’s premier rock balancing artists.  He has created rock art all over the world and has inspired a global movement for stone balancing art.

Summary

In this conversation, Michael Grab, a renowned rock balancing artist, shares insights into his creative process, the philosophy behind his art, and the technical aspects of balancing rocks. He discusses how he finds inspiration in nature, the evolution of his hobby into a professional pursuit, and the meditative state he enters while creating his sculptures. The conversation also touches on the ephemeral nature of his work, emphasizing the beauty in its temporary existence.

In this conversation, Michael Grab discusses his journey as a rock balancing artist, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of his work and the meticulous process of capturing it through photography and film. He reflects on the transition from a conventional job to pursuing his passion full-time, driven by a desire for creative fulfillment. Grab shares insights on self-competition and the personal standards he sets for his art, ultimately defining excellence as the ability to inspire himself through his creations.

Takeaways

  • His creative process is organic, often allowing the rocks to dictate the final arrangement.
  • He finds inspiration in nature and specific locations that resonate with him.
  • Rock balancing started as a hobby influenced by a psychedelic experience.
  • The art form is highly technical, requiring a deep understanding of gravity and balance.
  • Michael practices for hours, often pushing his limits to create more complex structures.
  • He experiences a flow state while working, feeling deeply connected to the environment.
  • The process of balancing rocks is meditative and exists solely in the present moment.
  • Michael embraces the ephemeral nature of his art, often dismantling structures after photographing them.
  • He believes that the journey of mastery in rock balancing is ongoing and never truly finished.
  • He doesn’t set strict standards but rather focuses on the process and his growth.

Ep: 115: Adam Galinsky: Unlocking the formula to inspiring leadership

Adam Galinsky is a social psychologist and a Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He has published over two hundred scientific articles on leadership, negotiations, diversity, and ethics. He has been a damages expert in numerous defamation lawsuits that have generated more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements, including Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News.  His latest book is titled: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.

 

Some interesting insights from this episode:

  • The leader amplification effect suggests that when we’re in a position of leadership, all of our words and expressions get amplified, both the positive and negative ones.
  • There are three universal factors to inspiring leadership: being a visionary, being an exemplar, and being a mentor.
  • Inspiring and infuriating leaders are mirror images of each other and exist on opposite ends of a continuum so based on the situation an inspiring leader one day can become an infuriating one the next.
  • Leaders are made, not born, and anyone has the tools to become more inspiring no matter their starting point.
  • The Great Resignation, where 30 million Americans quit their jobs during the pandemic, wasn’t just about where we work but why we work. This “universal midlife crisis” was less about pay and much more about meaning and purpose and empowerment.
  • You can learn how to become more visionary by conveying an optimistic vision, keeping your message simple, and creating rich imagery.
  • “Excellence is getting better at whatever you do on a day to day process.”

 

Notes

Book: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others

Personal website: Adam Galinsky