- Name: Jonathon Stalls
- Lives in: Denver, CO, United States (mostly). I can often be living on the road, walking longer distances, for weeks or months at a time.
- From: I grew up in many places. Home is truly where the wind is. I went to 14 different schools growing up (Florida, Colorado, Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia, California, and Ireland). Denver, Colorado is my longest and most consistent “home”.
- Occupation: I call myself a “Walking Artist”. I am a multi-dimensional creative professional currently going between ink drawing, writing, storytelling and activism with the Pedestrian Dignity project, hosting meditative centering sessions and training new walking/pedestrian safety leaders across the country. I also walked across the United States for 8.5 months in 2010 and have been on a book tour for the past year after the release of my first book, WALK – Slow Down, Wake Up & Connect at 1-3 Miles Per Hour (North Atlantic Books).
- Tell us your first three jobs (ever!): 1) Working at a boat marina in Morgantown, West Virginia – cashier, phone reservations, gas attendant, cleaning. 2) Working at Healthy Habits restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado as a dishwasher. 3) Working at Noodles & Company restaurant in food prep.
- Zodiac sign: Virgo
- Enneagram type: Type Nine, the Peacemaker (subtype order: 1. social, 2. sexual, 3. self-preservation) – I also feel like I’m transitioning from a stronger 1 wing to a stronger 8 wing)
- What do you love about Greece? While I have never been to Athens or Greece, I remember being endlessly inspired by Greek art. I had several art history classes throughout my college years, and I would often integrate my fine art assignments (pencil, pen/line work, composition, and figure drawing classes) with Greek art. The Winged Victory of Samothrace was always at the top of the list. I drew it everywhere, and I picture it often as I draw wings in my current pen work. When I visited Paris, it was the one thing I had to see at the Louvre. I spent several hours in front of it. I hope to protect time in the next 3-5 years to do a longer distance walk throughout Greece.
- Tell us something most people don’t know about you: I’m in love with beach volleyball. You wouldn’t know it now. For the past decade or more, I have hardly touched a volleyball. For six years I took it very seriously when living in California. It made me so happy. When I walk by beach or sand volleyball courts, the nostalgia for it comes rushing in. I will never forget how good (and simple) it all felt to show up as the sun would rise, play all day with good friends, and slowly wipe off the sand (or run into the waves) while watching the sun set. I hope to find my way back to it someday.
- Where we are most likely to find you in Lynn’s community? I have not had the pleasure of joining a yoga session yet. I hope to try this sometime soon. Somatic connection – especially through walking – means so much to me. I know I would greatly benefit from more yoga. I was; however, recently a part of an Enneagram panel that Lynn hosted. It was wonderful!
- Tell us your top tip to combat climate change: Walking and advocating for pedestrian and transit-centered transportation. A major problem here in the United States (and everywhere) is that most of our environments, elected leaders, systems, engineering manuals, community plans, and the general public don’t see, treat or budget for pedestrian mobility as a legitimate form of transportation.
Our public and political dependence on single-occupant cars taking people to all their destinations is horrendous as it relates to our connection to one another, our connection to our deeper selves and of course, our connection to the planet (irresponsibility burning fossil fuels).
Much of my work with the Pedestrian Dignity project and Walk2Connect via America Walks is to increase awareness around the (A) endless benefits of moving the way we’re made to and (B) the lived experience of all who walk, use a wheelchair and take transit as their primary form of transportation. I hope that through creative storytelling, advocacy and walk leader training, I can be a small part of reducing car dependency across the United States.
- Anything else you’d like us to know? If you would like to support and have more intentionally alongside my creative work, please consider becoming an Intrinsic Paths Patron: https://www.patreon.com/intrinsicpaths
Please also visit the https://www.IntrinsicPaths.com website and/or the links to specific areas below:
– Ink drawing: See @IntrinsicPaths on Instagram and https://www.intrinsicpaths.com/shop
– Writing: (Book) WALK – Slow Down, Wake Up & Connect at 1-3 Miles Per Hour – North Atlantic Books, August 2022 + https://www.intrinsicpaths.com/poetry
– Pedestrian Dignity project: See @PedestrianDignity on Instagram & TikTok + https://www.intrinsicpaths.com/pedestrian-dignity
– Breathing & Centering: https://insighttimer.com/intrinsicpaths
– Walk/Roll Leader Training: https://americawalks.org/programs/walk2connect/