Live Free Ride Free with Rupert Isaacson

Live Free Ride Free with Rupert Isaacson Trailer Bonus Episode 25 Season 1

The Art of Living: A Journey Through Art, History, and Freedom with Tom Parsons | Ep 23 Live Free Ride Free

The Art of Living: A Journey Through Art, History, and Freedom with Tom Parsons | Ep 23 Live Free Ride FreeThe Art of Living: A Journey Through Art, History, and Freedom with Tom Parsons | Ep 23 Live Free Ride Free

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In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with art historian, educator, and filmmaker Tom Parsons. With a career spanning decades, Tom shares his fascinating journey from studying art history to working with youth, fostering creativity, and inspiring a love for aesthetics and self-expression. He discusses the importance of art, personal growth, and the value of risk-taking and play in a fulfilled life.

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
  • A Lifelong Love for Art History (Starts at [00:03:00]) – Tom recounts his unexpected journey into the world of art, sparked by a single revelatory moment in an art history lecture.
  • The Transformative Power of Art (Starts at [00:10:00]) – How experiencing great art can shape our understanding of ourselves, history, and society.
  • The Role of Risk and Play in Life and Learning (Starts at [00:22:00]) – Why risk-taking, adventure, and breaking a few rules can be essential to personal and intellectual growth.
  • The Importance of Teaching and Mentorship (Starts at [00:40:00]) – Tom’s experiences teaching art history in schools, museums, and abroad, and how education extends beyond the classroom.
  • Spoke: The Fusion of Art, Film, and Education (Starts at [00:55:00]) – How Tom founded Spoke, a competition that empowers students to create films based on art and poetry.
  • Living a Self-Determined Life (Starts at [01:10:00]) – Reflections on how following one's passion and staying open to change leads to a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Memorable Moments from the Episode:
  • Tom’s unexpected discovery of art history after attending a lecture while recovering from a hangover (Starts at [00:05:30]).
  • The exhilarating and dangerous experience of climbing the York Minster scaffolding as a student (Starts at [00:20:45]).
  • A gripping story of navigating a tense moment while working at a heroin rehab center in Hong Kong (Starts at [00:30:00]).
  • How teaching art history became a way of giving back and fostering a love of creativity in young people (Starts at [00:50:00]).
🚀 Action Steps from Tom:
  • Engage with Art – Visit a museum, explore a gallery, or even just observe a painting with fresh eyes to understand its deeper meaning.
  • Encourage Play and Risk – Find ways to integrate adventure, play, and a bit of healthy rule-breaking into your life for deeper learning and fulfillment.
  • Support Young Artists and Filmmakers – Check out the Spoke competition and other programs that nurture creativity and storytelling.
  • Explore History with an Open Mind – Look at the past not just as history, but as a way to understand and connect with the present.

🎬 Programs:
📲 Follow Tom Parsons:
📡 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:
🌎 https://rupertisaacson.com

📢 Follow Us:
🐴 Long Ride Home
🐎 New Trails Learning Systems
💡 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. This does not affect the price you pay and helps support the podcast.

What is Live Free Ride Free with Rupert Isaacson?

Welcome to Live Free Ride Free, where we talk to people who have lived self-actualized lives on their own terms, and find out how they got there, what they do, how we can get there, what we can learn from them. How to live our best lives, find our own definition of success, and most importantly, find joy.

Your Host is New York Times bestselling author Rupert Isaacson. Long time human rights activist, Rupert helped a group of Bushmen in the Kalahari fight for their ancestral lands. He's probably best known for his autism advocacy work following the publication of his bestselling book "The Horse Boy" and "The Long Ride Home" where he tells the story of finding healing for his autistic son. Subsequently he founded New Trails Learning Systems an approach for addressing neuro-psychiatric conditions through horses, movement and nature. The methods are now used around the world in therapeutic riding program, therapy offices and schools for special needs and neuro-typical children.

 You can find details of all our programs and shows on www.RupertIsaacson.com