We’re looking forward to introducing you to Michael Ravenwood. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Michael, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I wake up around 5:30 in the morning, sometimes earlier, and have a routine that is designed to cultivate a Flow State. For reference, this is the state of mind studied by neuroscientists in which people report being both happiest & most productive… and who doesn’t want that right?!?
The very first thing I do is a visualization in which I embody the feeling and imagine what it looks like when my next big hairy audacious goal is already done! Then I make my bed, drink some water and put on my workout clothes. I release some endorphins by rubbing my scalp and brushing my hair, then splashing cold water on my face and brushing my teeth.
After that, I get straight to a spiritual practice in which I use the beautiful elements on my altar, first to tune me into my five senses, and then to remind me of all the things in my life for which I can be grateful. Then I do a form of Tibetan breath work known as Tummo and meditate for 11 min. Following that, while listening to TED talks or podcasts, I do high intensity interval training (HIIT) followed by strength training using X3 resistance bands. Then I take a shower, which ends with about three minutes of purely cold water, and get some hot tea.
If it’s not time to wake up my son, then I get to my desk and knock out some work. When it is time to help him start his day, I join him in his morning routine which, after hygiene, also includes one poem, breath work, visualization, meditation, a dance party, and either pillow fighting or wrestling. Then we head downstairs to the kitchen to help my beautiful wife with the final preparations for breakfast.
After eating and cleaning up, I drive him to school and have a morning meeting with my wife, where she invariably has a couple of items to discuss and/or chores for me to help with. Then I hit my desk again around 8:30 to power through my day. I love what I do and it goes like a flash until noon when I have a Ka’Chava smoothie for lunch. I work through 5:30, at which time I eat dinner, help my son review and finish his homework, wash up for bed and do 10 to 20 minutes of yoga.
If there’s time, we watch some kids Ted talks or studio Ghibli Japanese animation before the final half an hour of reading before bed around 8pm. Sometimes I have evening meetings or sneak in a bit more work, but I’ve found that getting to bed early makes rising in the morning a joy rather than a burden, and there’s little that will make a day go better than starting it right.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure, thank you for asking. I’ve been fascinated by movement, meditation, and myth since I was a kid, and over the years that path has led me to create SkyFire Arts—a ritual storytelling company that, to my knowledge, is the only one that brings real fire and lightning into sacred performance to share the universal story of the Hero’s Journey.
Since 2011, we’ve been blessed to perform across four continents—in places like SeaWorld, the Calgary Stampede, and Electric Daisy Carnival—and I’ll always be grateful for moments like performing solo for 25,000 people at the Olympic Stadium in South Korea. What makes the work meaningful to me is not just the spectacle, but how the art can awaken awe, spark connection, and remind us of what’s possible when science, spirit, and story come together.
Alongside performing, I also write, speak, and guide others through keynotes, team-building, and coaching—helping people tap into flow states and, through that, their own true potential. Above all, I’m a devoted family man who believes in excellence, gratitude, and enjoying the work as much as the outcome.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was 19, I had a life-changing experience while riding a bus. Out of nowhere, I dropped into what I can only describe as unity consciousness. In that state, I felt utterly beyond fear—because when you experience yourself as one with everything, there’s nothing outside of you left to threaten you.
In that moment, I also had to completely redefine the word “God.” It wasn’t some external being; it was the totality of existence itself—an infinite, interconnected presence that included me, the bus, the other passengers, everything.
And finally, I realized that my mission in this lifetime was to share that experience, to the best of my ability, and to help transform culture by reminding people of their own access to that same state of awareness.
That single moment has been a compass for everything I’ve done since—whether through storytelling, performance, teaching, or coaching. It’s all rooted in that glimpse of what’s possible when fear dissolves and connection takes its place.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
When I was young, I moved around a lot, often traveling to new homes in distant countries. After losing wave after wave of friends and community and enduring the persistent critiques of my parents, I achieved a state in which I felt no love. In this place, I considered doing terribly destructive things and ending my life in a spectacular way so that everyone would know how miserable I was.
After moving through that state and into one in which I sincerely enjoyed my life, I was able to reflect on how the desperation I had experienced led me to consider doing terrible things. Strangely, it brought me to have a compassion for people which I never had before. I understood that the same darkness that causes them to speak inconsiderately or yell at me in traffic also lies within me. It also gave me humility to know that I wasn’t above these people, and a gratitude towards the loving people & fortunate circumstances that I experienced which allowed me to have the beautiful life that I live now.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
For me, that belief is simple, but profound: I believe humanity can and will make it through this next phase of cultural evolution—where technology is giving us godlike powers—if we become intrinsically motivated to be more cooperative and compassionate. The paradigm shift that happens when we experience a profound sense of connection is not just inspiring, it’s essential to our survival and our thriving.
SkyFire Arts is the lifelong project where I’ve chosen to dedicate that belief. We create performances that are spectacular enough to draw anyone in—using real fire and lightning to share the Hero’s Journey—but beneath the spectacle, there’s an invitation. First to awe, then to curiosity, then to deeper self-discovery through workshops, talks, and immersive experiences. Ultimately, we’re gamifying the process of personal empowerment and ecological activism—making it engaging, fun, and transformative.
This is work I’m committed to for a lifetime. Because at its heart, SkyFire is about helping people remember who they really are—connected, powerful, creative—and when that happens at scale, I believe we’ll meet the challenges of this era with compassion, collaboration, and joy.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If immortality were real, what would you build?
If immortality were real, I’d devote it to building a culture as close to Utopia as possible—though my vision of that may look a little different than most people expect. A lot of folks define ethics in terms of harm: “As long as you’re not hurting anyone, it’s fine.” But to me, true ethics are about consent and freedom of choice. A society that denies people the chance to fulfill their dreams—even ones outside the mainstream—isn’t ideal.
So, in my version of Utopia, protecting freedom of choice would be paramount—but so would personal responsibility. People would need to own their decisions and their consequences. And with the rise of robotics and AI, I think we’re heading toward a future where basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter can be met for everyone. When that happens, the real challenge becomes how we create meaning and purpose in a world where survival is no longer the driving force.
In a sense, what I’d be doing is realizing the mythology behind the Guardians of Threa, the heroic figures in our SkyFire shows. The cultural values I’d work to instill would remind us that even if we could fulfill every whim instantly, that doesn’t actually lead to happiness. True fulfillment comes from challenge, responsibility, and gratitude—choosing to grow rather than just consume.
So if I had forever, I’d spend it building, and then living in, a culture where humans could experience a beautiful, conscious existence alongside all the other life forms we share this planet with—discovering whatever the full potential of our consciousness turns out to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://skyfireacademy.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyfirearts/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ravenwood-6a38bb49/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyfirearts
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/skyfire-performing-arts-los-angeles
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/skyfirearts
- Other: https://www.skyfirearts.com
