Brendan Leonard, also referred to as the mind behind the comical writings and drawings of Semi-Rad, makes certain the world of ultrarunning is staying in verify, and that we don’t take it too significantly. It’s simply operating, in any case. Right here’s my dialog with the person, the parable, the semi-rad human, Brendan Leonard.
Runner and artistic, Brendan Leonard. All pictures courtesy of Brendan Leonard.
You simply ran The Rut, proper? How’d that go?
It was nice. I haven’t been capable of prepare a ton this summer time. I’ve been sick from a two-year-old’s ailments from daycare for over a yr now, and I simply hold getting my ass kicked. Nevertheless it went in addition to I may anticipate. My spouse ran too, so we had a free day to simply run.
Didn’t you backpack the Sangres Traverse?
Yeah. We didn’t keep up high the entire time. We type of stored dropping all the way down to the lakes and skipped a bunch of the massive summits. I’d have an interest to return now. That was 11 years in the past, and I’d most likely have a manner higher thought of what to do.
What’s the background behind Semi-Rad?
I began it in 2011, I wish to say January, or possibly February. I bought a grasp’s diploma in journalism from the College of Montana. I attempted to work at newspapers, and tried to put in writing for magazines for a number of years. And I had watched a pal begin his personal factor. He simply bought sick of journal editors telling him they don’t wish to publish these items, and he simply began studying tales right into a recorder in his closet and began what I believe was most likely the primary podcast I ever listened to, which is the “Dirtbag Diaries.” It instantly turned fairly profitable, and was a part-time job, after which a full-time job, in a short time for him. And I used to be like, effectively, possibly I’ll try this too.
I’ve all these items that I believe is humorous and I’m simply going to place it on the market. And I assumed, I’ll do one in every of these every week and see the way it goes, and if it begins to take off, possibly it’ll be a factor. And fairly rapidly it began to get somewhat little bit of momentum, and some folks began noticing it.
After which finally, I believe it was 2017, an editor at “Outdoors” reached out to me and stated, “Hey, we all know you write one thing each week. We prefer it. Can we simply republish it on our web site, and we’ll pay you for it?” And I used to be like, “completely.”
If you happen to had been to provide recommendation to a younger artist, in phrases taking that leap or progressing, what would you say to them?
I believe the most important impediment folks have in my expertise is giving your self permission to do it. We have now a extremely arduous time spending our free time doing one thing artistic, there’s all these hang-ups about it, like “Oh, I don’t really feel like an actual artist,” however then we’ll go and spend hours watching Netflix, and I’m like, “Artwork ought to simply be your supply of enjoyable.” That’s the way in which I’ve all the time finished. It’s making my very own enjoyable, and I can all the time entertain myself by making an attempt out a brand new thought, even when it doesn’t flip into something.
I believe what you want for creativity is stillness. And we all the time suppose, I have to go to this cabin within the woods the place it’s quiet and be away from all my stuff and haven’t any Wi-Fi, after which I’ll lastly write my ebook. Nevertheless it’s higher and likewise tougher to attempt to discover micro doses of stillness. Like a stroll the place you allow your telephone at house, or steer clear of the distractions for half-hour to an hour, till you give you a good suggestion.
What’s the connection between operating and creativity for you? Is operating additionally a artistic outlet, or is it extra of a meditative factor?
It’s the place I’m going to really suppose. My work is, I sit in entrance of a pc or an iPad and transfer phrases or pictures round, and also you don’t have concepts in entrance of a pc. Your concepts come from these moments of stillness.
So, it’s helpful to me in that manner. And I’m not quick, and I don’t have excessive operating quantity, however I’m spending six or seven hours every week operating. That’s an important period of time to generate concepts or work by way of issues.
One among Leonard’s graphics.
When did you begin operating? What bought you into it?
I began path operating for actual and ultrarunning in 2015. I used to be principally a climber and mountaineer up till that time. So, I got here at it from a special angle. I ran monitor in highschool, and was pretty profitable within the 4×100- and 4×200-meter relay. I wasn’t explosive, however as soon as I bought going, I used to be quick sufficient. We missed the state monitor meet by 4 hundredths of a second in my senior yr.
Do you’ve gotten any artists or runners who you’re actually impressed by?
I’ve hundreds of thousands, actually. However I believe writing smart, most likely my major affect is Kurt Vonnegut through the years, after which some journey writers. However yeah, one in every of my favourite artists ever. However extra just lately, I observe a ton of cartoonists on Instagram. There’s a man whose Instagram deal with is @pantspants, and he makes these simply bizarro single panel comics which are completely hilarious. There’s a man I observe who I believe lives in Pittsburgh, his identify’s John and he paints a canvas 3 times every week and simply places ’em up on the market on his net retailer. They usually’re tremendous irreverent. The one I needed to get, that he offered out of earlier than I had an opportunity, it was the crucifixion scene, nevertheless it was a minion being crucified.
There’s simply countless quantities of stuff like that. There’s a man named Ivan Montaña, who attracts little cartoon characters driving vehicles and stuff, they usually’re like, so I do a horrible job describing it, nevertheless it’s like these attention-grabbing work, these little characters that just about appear like they’re in a child’s room, drawn with crayon, they usually’re simply completely lovable. There’s some pleasure in it that I can’t fairly wrap my thoughts round.
Have you ever all the time used humor as your…
Crutch? Yeah. I simply don’t know what else to do. It’s desperation. I train a writing workshop yearly, and I used to be making an attempt to consider the best way to train humor, and the way it works. And one of many factors that I discovered in a ebook that’s by two Stanford College professors, truly enterprise professors who wrote about humor, is that the primary purpose shouldn’t be all the time to get a stomach giggle from folks, however humor gives levity to a narrative. If I simply inform you a narrative about operating a race, and I’m lifeless critical about it the whole time, it’s heavy, and it may additionally really feel somewhat self-centered or somewhat smug possibly. But when I crack a couple of jokes, and speak about once I fell on my ass, or no matter, it brings it down a notch and other people can relate to it somewhat bit extra.
You’re a dad. Has that modified your perspective on issues in life?
Total life. It’s superior. And operating has change into much more essential since having a child. You truly get a while to get away for a couple of minutes or an hour or no matter. I’ve change into a morning runner, which is actually, actually useful. However I get alternatives or folks ask me to do stuff and I’m like, “Yeah, I’m not spending one other week away from my child.” Sorry, he’s solely going to be two for a yr, and if I miss two weeks of that, that’s tremendous. However I’ve different methods to make cash the place I can keep house and simply be round and watch him do dumb stuff all day, which is the actual supply of pleasure in my life. So yeah, it’s simply modified every part.
You stated you had been a climber/mountaineer. Why did you turn to operating?
I simply wasn’t having as a lot enjoyable with it. And there was a whole lot of concern. This man had an accident proper subsequent to us on Castleton Tower in Moab, Utah, and that type of made me suppose, effectively, possibly this isn’t that enjoyable anymore, and it’s additionally very harmful. And I simply had been inquisitive about path operating and ultrarunning for a very long time and determined to provide it a whirl.
Do you ever have operating or writing psychological blocks?
I believe Seth Godin says, you don’t run out of concepts. You run out of fine concepts. That’s an issue. You don’t have an thought that you simply suppose is nice sufficient. And that’s the most important drawback for me. However I don’t know, operating, it’s like anyone requested me, “What do you do whenever you really feel such as you wish to stop?” And I used to be like, “I don’t even have that.”
Simply hold shifting. Simply hold going ahead and one thing comes out of it. And it might not be your greatest work each time, however that’s what it’s.
Leonard’s work affords a refreshing outlook on life.
Are there any native locations you go to see artwork in Missoula?
There are, and if I didn’t have a toddler, I might most likely do extra of it. We have now an important little artwork heart right here, and I haven’t been to very many occasions there. There’s an important indie theater that we go to lots, I truly hire it out for my birthday yearly.
And we now have First Friday artwork walks and galleries and stuff like that, and an enormous literary group. I don’t go to readings as a lot as I ought to, however I’ve finished readings. It’s nice for a metropolis this measurement. It’s truly actually unbelievable.
As a artistic particular person, how do you construction your day? Do you’ve gotten a routine?
That’d be a good suggestion! We get the little man to daycare 4 days every week, after which the opposite days, work out what we’re going to do with him. I don’t wish to construction my day an excessive amount of. It doesn’t depart something open for leaving issues as much as destiny or whims or no matter. But when I’ve a deadline, that’s construction proper there. It’s like, you bought to get this finished by Thursday, after which if I’ve time after I’ve met these deadlines, then I work on the opposite stuff.
This can be a query I’ve requested all the opposite artists. If you happen to could possibly be a tree, what sort of tree would you be?
Ponderosa pine. They make me blissful each time I see ’em.
Name for Feedback
Are you a fan of Semi-Rad? Any favourite creations?
