I ran across this little nugget from a blog that is written by Pamela Slim who happened upon my act with her son while attending Tempe Festival of the Arts in December 2008. And I’ll quote and then try and untangle my intention from her own insight.
Quote from her posting… “Are creative people doomed to scraping out a miserable existance?”
She writes….
“We went to the Tempe Arts Festival and a talented street performer named Dana Smith did a show in the middle of a huge crowd of people.
My three year old son watched with rapt attention. At the end of the show Dana asked for volunteers. My son waved his hand and stood up. After Josh’s “performance”, he told me he had to speak to the artist. “I want to work with you.” He said to Dana. Dana replied.
“If you want a life of driving around in a beat up pick up truck then come and join me. Otherwise, you might consider another job.”
It is so important to realize that we all are responsible to unblock and release others from our own limits, and to view our efforts as being boundless. Too many people, too often, approach while I am on the street and wonder about the income earning aspect of what I do. I move away from numbers and such and remind everyone that it isn’t a business that I operate, but rather a passion. If the motive is merely some earthbound craving of some kind then the work is much too hard and it would be wise to consider a vocation that compensates in some other way. Because the emotional efforts we make are not bound to tangible rewards, they are bound to an emotional journey and a life vision, and it is really the ride in that seat that is most interesting.
Street performing is a form that can remind people to reflect upon the aim of their lives. Because street is so ordinary, so not the big time, that it throws people back on their own ambitions and forces them to wonder about what they really want to do with their lives.
My journey is the same as that little boys with regard to publishing my book. It doesn’t matter how spartan or bare or rough or tough things might appear. All that matters is doing the work, writing the book, and being willing to ask the world to make a place out there for it somewhere. The world will decide how this fits and where. I’ll write another book and see where the next one might fit. The journey could be in a brand new pickup truck or an old worn out rig, the destination remains much the same, and enjoying the ride? Isn’t that a matter between you and your dreams? I couldn’t be happier with things…
“That half truth/half joke stuck with me.” end quote from Pamela Slim.
Dream on dreamers, big fat ambitions, sky is the limit, heck why put a cap on it, make it as big as the entire universe…. and remember to bend down and lend a hand to those little dreamers in your midst, our world needs every one of those leaps of faith…it’s how it all gets done.
