We had the good fortune of connecting with Jon Passow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon, what makes you happy? Why?
That’s an interesting question as there are a lot of things that make me happy but only a few things that make me feel blissfully fulfilled. For me, the things that feed my soul are when I am creating, when I’m learning, and when I’m problem solving. My mind doesn’t stop so I have too keep it occupied and off the streets. I constantly crave knowledge and novelty so I’m always researching and learning new skills. This also plays into problem solving as everything is an equation to me. I see numbers, shapes and patterns everywhere and that’s how I navigate the world. When I latch onto something that hasn’t been done before, or an obstacle stands in front of me, I love figuring out how to make things work.

Lastly there’s creating. I figured out my life’s goal when I was around 4 or 5 when I watched a documentary on Geodesic Domes. Instantly I came up with a design on an environmentally controlled two level dome that would be self sustaining. It was with this I realized my goal in life. To be able to do anything my mind came up with. The act of creating is probably the most fulfilling thing for myself and truly makes me happy.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being that my life goal is to be able to do whatever my mind comes up with, I’ve gone down many rabbit holes of creativity and art. I became a published poet at the age of 5, studied acting at the Cleveland Playhouse when I was 9, studied comic book art and animation at the Cleveland Institute of Art when I was 14, was a journalist for the fiery foods industry for 9 years, professional video game tester, graphic designer to Hollywood stars, and so much more.

Some of the biggest creative endeavors I still focus on are my acting career, artwork, and photography. For the last 23 years I’ve worked on over 45 Hollywood productions. I was a series regular on the final season of Boston Public, spent two weeks on the first Pirates of the Caribbean, got to be directed by the legendary Phil Tippett when I worked on Starship Troopers 2, ran from a buffalo in the streets of Downtown LA when I did stunts for a San Miguel beer commercial, and just wrapped production on a feature length independent film called “An Imperfect Murder” where I play one 6 lead characters.

As a photographer, I specialize in experimental pinhole photography focusing on landscapes. I love working with analog film as opposed to digital and most of my work is printed at around 4 feet. Lastly are my fractals. I’m the world’s only large format fractal artist. While most fractal artists are limited to poster size prints, what makes me unique is I am unconstrained by size. I can print my pieces to the size of a 32 story building at full resolution. I’ve spent the last 18 years honing my fractals and have done a few shows in both Cleveland and Los Angeles with them and my photography.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The nice part about living in Cleveland, Ohio, is there’s literally so many things to do here. On the surface its just like any other town, but once you get to talking to people you find a whole hidden side to Cleveland. Underground noise shows at DIY venues, blues night at Brothers Lounge, a hidden thrift store under The Beachland Ballroom, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which I’m honored to have my signature up on their celebrity wall), and that’s just the music side of things.

Then there’s the brewery and food scene which is some of the best in America. Did you know Cleveland has more than forty breweries and more pizza joints per capita than anywhere else in the world? Vero and Citizen Pie are my two favorite pizza spots and as for beer, there’s Masthead, Fat Heads, and the Jolly Scholar that top my list of must tries.

This doesn’t even scratch the surface because there is a plethora of amazing nature hikes, world class museums, and some of the friendliest, warm hearted people you could ever meet. I actually just did this exact tour when my close friend Corey Dee Williams (Star Wars actor and author of “Random Thoughts of an Eternal Optimist”) came into town last year. Three days of adventures!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that have helped shape me over the years and narrowing it down to just a few seems a little unfair. But I’m going to do my best. My best friend Eric who has stuck by my side for the last 25 plus years, who always accepted who I was, and supported my endeavors. The Lee Road Branch of Heights Libraries in Cleveland Heights, Ohio where I spent my youth reading book after book after book. And lastly Mensa International, the support group I never knew I needed. It was this group that helped me realize that I wasn’t broken, I just processed things different than everyone else.

Website: https://www.jonpassow.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jon_passow/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jonathanpassowactor3266?si=_InXpWs5EjMaFSFK

Image Credits
Jon Passow

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutOhio is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.