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It's no secret. I love what I do.
And I'm busier than almost anyone I know. I probably "work" 90 hours
a week, but when you enjoy your job, it's not really work, it's just what you
do.
A lot of people ask me what I do when I'm not performing. Well, performing is only about 5-10% of what I do, time-wise. There is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes: booking shows, creating promo materials, marketing, returning calls, driving to gigs, prop maintenence, planning tours, photo shoots, video editing sessions, building web sites, reading fan-mail, etc. Most people go to work and leave at 5pm. I am my work. I live my job. There's no end to the work-day. If something has to be done at midnight, I have to do it. It's a 24 hour, on-call schedule. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining at all! Sometimes I think it would be nice to leave work at 5pm and have the rest of the night to myself. Or have weekends off or get paid vacations or actually get a tax REFUND! But then I think of the 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year I'd be required to give to someone else. NO THANKS!
Juggling used to be my hobby until it turned into my full-time job in 1993. I still enjoy juggling for fun, but I don't juggle every day like I used to. I go down to the MIT Juggling Club occasionally, when I'm around on Sunday afternoons. These days, when I'm not on stage, I spend a lot of time being a computer nerd (working on web sites), listening to music, going to the cafe, used record shopping at The Salvation Army, returning phone calls, returning e-mail, cleaning my office, riding my bike, gardening, renovating my house, checking out local bands and pretending to have a social life. As for passive entertainment, I enjoy going to the movies when there's an old Buster Keaton or Gene Kelly film playing. I don't really see too many of the Hollywood blockbusters until they come to the local (second-run) theater. I watch (on average) less than an hour of TV per day and when I do watch, I'm usually watching three or four stations at once. I'm more of a channel "juggler" than a channel "surfer." Stations that catch my eye are CNN, Food Network, HGTV, and Bravo. And if I'm home and need a break at night I check in on The Daily Show on Comedy Central and/or David Letterman. (I can't stomach The Tonight Show.)
I still can't believe people pay me to do what I do. I don't think my parents can, either. A lot of people meet me and tell me that I'm lucky to be able to do what I love for a living. But I don't think luck has anything to do with it. I didn't win my job in a raffle... I worked hard and followed my bliss—and that's my advice to anyone who asks for it. It is totally possible for anyone in the world to do what they love for a living. It may take time, education, really hard work, and complete dedication, but it is possible. I really believe that. I wouldn't recommend quitting your job tomorrow, walking out on the sidewalk and attempting to earn your rent by juggling... It ain't gonna happen. You must transition into whatever you want to do. It took me two years of working full time PLUS performing on the side before I had the confidence to quit the 'real' job. Those two years were pretty stressful and I had no life, but look where I am today: I've been performing full time since 1993. I would have put in twice the time and effort to be where I am in my life. It really is worth it to be self employed. I just can't imagine ever having a boss again. You couldn't pay me enough money. (Go ahead, make me an offer... I dare you!) Here's another way of looking at it... Has anyone ever asked you what you'd do if you won the lottery and never had to work again in your life? Well my answer is that I'd do exactly what I'm doing now, only I'd probably have a better costume, and I wouldn't pass the hat after my street shows... I'd just do them for free.
"Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere." --Elvis Costello "I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." --Robert Frost, from The Road Not Taken "A fool who persists in his folly will become wise" --Unknown "Pure entertainment is not an egotistical lady singing boring songs onstage for two hours and people in tuxes clapping whether they like it or not.... It's the real performers on the street who can hold people's attention and keep them from walking away." --Andy Kaufman "When I perform, it's very personal. I'm sharing things I like; inviting the audience into my room." --Andy Kaufman "I love my life. I don't know where I'd be without it." --Jim |
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