Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jon Medina. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

They’re all so meaningful but in very different ways. One recent project that was pretty impactful was the Avalanche Crypto Currency Summit in Barcelona where, what really inspired me (and was an unexpected piece of the installation), was bringing the crypto community into varying immersive experience worlds which gave them a meaningful & different experience. We did this by activating an outdoor space in Poble Español to be an immersive healing space adorned with unique art installations throughout.

I was somewhat surprised to see how engaged the attendees were. The crypto community really seemed to enjoy the activations. They were getting massages, outside playing on the silks, and sitting or laying in the sound healing dome just immersed in each experience. Watching these people that are typically digitally–oriented fully release and immerse into their present reality while moving the energy in their bodies was incredible to witness. There were lots of people leaving the massage table crying and energetically releasing, playing in the yoga area laughing and smiling, or deep in meditation during the sound journeys. Watching these people go through entire mood shifts and perspective transformations in the 10-20 minutes with the activations were truly moving for me.

The guests repeatedly shared with our team how interesting and different it was for them to experience those unique realities, not commonly found at conferences in the Crypto space. The most common thread was people expressing their gratitude for having time to re-center and ground. For some, it was one of their first experiences with that type of ease and calm in their bodies.

One thing that came to mind while observing all of this – was that many of the people in this digitally–focused world are hyper-awake and wildly conscious in a different way than most of the artists that I interact with; super present, multitasking, innovative, visionary, forward-thinking, etc. Both communities are doing amazing, revolutionary things, and the merging of the two was clearly a direct pathway to quicker human advancement through mind, body, spirit, Nature, technology, and tools when fused.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I was young, I had a strong interest in Art & Music which eventually led me to show up and volunteer in the festival world in Colorado. This gave me a little glimpse into the large-scale art and music world which really sparked my interest. I proceeded to spend a lot of my early years exploring many different mediums of creative expression. Simultaneously, I was working in the health and wellness world as a yoga teacher & employee health coordinator at a hospital. As I went deeper into the health and wellness world, I began to see that my impact was very limited to the people in my immediate sphere which started to feel constricting. I wanted to figure out how to impact larger groups without needing to be so involved with the end-to-end process.

One day it became very clear to me in a psychedelic experience that by utilizing immersive experiences, I could help people experience pattern disruption and flow state which had become two key pillars of the healing process for me. By fusing art and music, I could impact large groups of people all at once without really needing to be involved in their process. Art & Music became the driving force for the healing process to occur.

I oftentimes feel like I am the simply the conduit for the various works that I create to be expressed. It feels like a greater energy or consciousness is flowing through me and I am the instrument that brings the vision into reality.

I use the immersive environments and experiences that I create to intentionally induce pattern disruption for the experiencer. That is my service to the world. Pattern disruption is where you can reset your mind to access different brainwave states, to think differently about the things you’re working on in your life, and to begin actually changing your state of being on a multitudinal level.

Within that, I also help companies, brands, and other creatives bring their visions to life through immersive experiences with a very intentional, ontological design lens. For those who are unfamiliar – “ontological design“ (which informs my philosophy on design and life) is the design discipline concerned with designing human experience. It does so by operating under one essential assumption: that by designing objects, spaces, tools, and experiences, we are in fact designing the human being itself.

I don’t really connect with being ‘proud’ per se – I guess I don’t have these moments of feeling ‘proud’ as I do what I do for a greater purpose and not for personal accomplishment or gain. It’s more about the individual’s experiences within the spaces & immersive worlds and what they can gain or take away. That’s what feels most important.

The main objective & goal that I want people to know about myself and my work is for people to begin practicing some form of ontological design in their daily lives. If everyone could begin to understand with deeper importance on how they engage, what they engage with, and what engages with them powerfully shapes their lives, I believe that the unconscious and unhealthy things that we tolerate in our lives would begin to shift toward more harmony and balance.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The first thing that comes to mind is to directly support the artist – to buy their music, buy their art, support their events, donate to their crowdsourcing initiatives and help to fund their projects. Another big thing is for people to share their personal experiences with their art or music, that is always very helpful. It’s an act of cross-pollination. Share about the knowledge and positive impact gained from the artwork, music, and experiences as a way to spread positivity around your immediate communities.

I feel right now there’s a bit of a disconnect, where people experience something but might feel they have nothing more to share after their own, one-time, personal experience. Even though the experience was impactful, society seems to live in this “drive-by” state of mind. So, take time to integrate your experiences, and intentionally share about them as a way to uplift the world around you.

Another major way to support a thriving creative ecosystem is for people to consider what they’re buying and from where: stop buying homogenous bullshit, and support local, unique artisans and makers. Stop supporting giant corporations when you could buy beautiful artisanal pieces that support locals, small businesses, and families. Cheap, mundane, products have no soul and in fact, suck the life out of your human experience. When you go to eat off of a handmade artisanal plate, the feeling in your body is drastically different and brings a deep subconscious beauty to the moment. The same can be said for everything you bring intention to in this way.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Partly, it’s not so much my goal or sole creative journey (it’s come to me as I’ve mentioned before.) The short answer is my mission of helping people to wake up and get out of their ‘stuckness’ (as my wife would say): to get out of their heads and into their bodies. To get out of their “fight or flight“ response and into presence with themselves and the world around them. Everyone deserves a full and vibrant human life. It is important to me to create spaces and experiences that help them uncover more about their own unique perspective to see themselves and their world in a new light.

Additionally, reconnecting people with nature and humanity is a driving concept for my life. It feels like everyone’s so damn disconnected these days. So many people exist in their own bubble, barely “awake.” My goal is to reawaken people to their surroundings, to the vibrant reality they are immersed in, so they’re not solely consumed by what is going on in their head and on their screens. Nature is always a direct pathway to this type of reawakening.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jon-medina.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jon_medina_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonMedinaArtist/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JonMedinaDJ

Image Credits
Dark Palace – Meow Wolf – Jess Bernstine Everland Photo – Myself Beacon Photos – Jeff Jones Photography All headshots from Mara Wilimen