Mike McLean, Black Belt, Artist, Poet, Teacher - Beyond the Belt #18

This is a conversation with Mike McLean, a black belt out of Torquay, Victoria, Australia. Mike is an artist who focuses mostly on painting on reclaimed materials. He has painted hundreds of thousands of Wagtails that have made it around the world. He's also an art teacher and a poet. Episode Links: * Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/@mikemcleanartist * Will the Wagtail Instagram: https://instagram.com/@willythewagtail * World Wide Wag Tails: https://instagram.com/@worldwidewagtails * Mike's Poetry: https://instagram.com/@mikemcleanpoet * YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MikeMcleanArtist Contact: * Be a Guest: https://btb.fan/newguest Outline: 00:00 Intro 00:22 Journey to Black Belt 03:28 Training for Longevity 08:29 Reflections on Life and Jiu Jitsu 14:25 Getting Into Jiujitsu 16:53 Balancing BJJ, Family, and Relationships 19:51 Family Road Trip 24:52 Artistic Journey and Career 36:11 Getting Into Art 45:23 Artistic Materials and Economic Choices 50:35 The Wagtail Phenomenon 59:02 An Emotional Painting for Jamie 01:02:40 Immersive Activities 01:04:55 Getting Into Poetry 01:11:32 Living a Life of Happiness 01:15:53 Outro Podcast Links: Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/ Spotify: https://btb.fan/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://btb.fan/apple RSS: https://btb.fan/rss Social: Instagram: https://instagram.com/@beyondthebeltpod Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@beyondthebeltpod Youtube: https://youtube.com/@beyondthebeltpod Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/beyondthebeltpod.bsky.social Facebook: https://btb.fan/fb