Editing Rodney Mullen (section)

==Reflections and perspectives==
Mullen has publicly stated that an identification of his favorite skateboarders is an "endless" task. However, he has provided examples such as [[Chris Haslam (skateboarder)|Chris Haslam]], Bryan Herman, [[Paul Rodriguez (skateboarder)|Paul Rodriguez]], [[Antwuan Dixon]], and [[Eric Koston]].<ref name="Ted" /><ref>{{cite web|author=NINJAstudioz|date=14 August 2011|title=Rodney Mullen 2011 Interview|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvSKW1VHoRg|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920045954/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvSKW1VHoRg&feature=youtu.be|archive-date=20 September 2012|access-date=27 September 2012|work=YouTube|publisher=Google, Inc}}</ref><ref name="Ben" />

In 2010 Mullen stated that "skating is one of the greatest blessings I could have," but also expressed concern about the popularity of skateboarding "big stuff" due to the physical toll that it takes on the bodies of professional skateboarders: "So I think it is unhealthy and uncool... I see great skaters and their ankles and knees are ruined."<ref name="Huck" /> Mullen expanded upon his perspective of skateboarding during his [[Lemelson Foundation]] interview:

<blockquote>
Skateboarding is as much, or more, an art of mode of expression than it is a sport. What skateboarding has given me is precisely that: a form of expression that drew me to it, and, in so doing, I was able to express and be who I wanted to be through it, in a sense. And establish myself within a community that were all essentially outsiders like myself. And by doing that, it gave me a place, a sense of belonging and, in the end, I was able to contribute, at a foundational level, a lot of the tricks that the entire community uses to express themselves. Which, again, is one of the beauties of skateboarding, is that we all draw from the same pool, and give back; so that others can do the same and keep expounding. Very much like an open source community.<ref name="Lem" /></blockquote>

During his attendance at the [[Biarritz]] international skateboard festival, Mullen was interviewed in relation to a used [[Mike Carroll (skateboarder)|Mike Carroll]] skateboard deck from Carroll's time with the Plan B company. Mullen reflected on the personal influence of Plan B founder Mike Ternasky during the interview: "I miss Mike. And the day Jacob called me and goes, "Mike's dead."—I replayed that so many times...and how instrumental that was in driving me forward in a way that kind of honoring what he gave me: A second chance. And how real that is. And it goes back to Stacy [Peralta]'s film—it's not what you do; it's what makes you do what you do, is the thing that has to be protected and nurtured. As long as that's there, intact...you can do anything."<ref>{{cite web|title=REWIND // Rodney Mullen / Plan B / Part One|url=http://vimeo.com/64157529#at=0|work=Smog Films on Vimeo|publisher=Vimeo LLC|access-date=8 May 2013|author=Smog Films|format=Video upload|date=24 April 2013|archive-date=25 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425210134/http://vimeo.com/64157529#at=0|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a June 2014 interview at O'Reilly Media's Velocity conference, Mullen stated that he does not believe that skateboarding can be categorized as a "sport". Mullen further explained that the self-expressive element of skateboarding shows that it is an art form, while the community element of skateboarding—whereby sharing of ideas occurs—distinguishes it as a "lifestyle" or "philosophy".<ref name="Santa">{{cite web|title=Rodney Mullen (Absolute Skateboards) Interview - Velocity Santa Clara 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8sFEZqh8Ms|website=O'Reilly on YouTube|publisher=Google Inc|access-date=13 July 2014|format=Video upload|date=25 June 2014|archive-date=16 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716090644/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8sFEZqh8Ms|url-status=live}}</ref> Mullen also shared his perspective on goals and failure during the interview: "You focus so much on your failures and your weaknesses, it has a...paralyzing effect, where you're dwelling on stuff. For example, having goals: sometimes I have lofty goals, my friends do—we all do, we all have goals. But, if you fix yourself to that goal, and you don't see anything else on the horizon—which is natural, 'cos that what it takes, we all have that in our personality...but, sometimes, if you attach that to a goal that is out of your reach, and you continue to fail, it will just grind you into nothing. And if you dwell on that, it can end you."<ref name="Santa" />

Mullen says, "Just the enjoyment of doing what you want to do, all the way through—that's the beauty of skateboarding, that so many people actually never find their whole lives.  And that's what skateboarding's given me:  I can't wake up—I can't wait to wake up in the morning to try something new; a lot of times I can't sleep because I can't wait to try something new... and how many people never really experience that feeling, often; and that's why I skate."<ref>name="youtube.com">{{cite web |title=Rodney Mullen Interview, Slamtrick, Italy, 2003|website = [[YouTube]]| date=12 June 2007 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekzjzFFE_pY|access-date=2009-08-16|archive-date=2010-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224012110/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekzjzFFE_pY|url-status=live}}</ref>