"Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do. With such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling." Vincent van Gogh

Well said.

I'd give an ear to a quote like that.

LOL!!Nice words..very inspirating!
Thanks,
Hansel!

This would seem to be quite a lofty goal for a kids show performer. I'm curious to hear how folks relate this quote and give it context to Little Darlings.

I know where you're coming from Smartini as it did strike me as a bit OTT, too.

However, it's coming from a man who painted pictures for a living. Very good picture but pictures none the less.

I think it's more a mindset than a goal to be achieved.

I definitely relate to the first two sentences. I'm not in it for the money (although the fact I can make a decent wage with it is something to smile about) and I do feel I've found the job I was born to do. I'm passionate about my job but intensity isn't really a great quality for an entertainer (except maybe a mentalist or concert pianist?).

I don't think I'll ever feel that it's a spiritual calling no matter how many balloon sunflowers I make.

George

Aside from another golden opportunity to insult kidshow performers, why should the profession matter? Berger said basically the same thing about bizarre magic. Malone and York said it about bar magic. Burton said it about stage magic. Copperfield said it,too - have a real passion for what you do and let success worry about itself. Why be so literal?

If your sole reason for performing is found in little colored bits of paper and stamped bits of metal - more power to you. For some of us - especially kidshow performers - the real joy is found in creating a smile, drawing out a laugh and offering our guests a fun, memorable experience. Any profit is a nice bonus...and good feelings breed good profits.

Having worked at a number of "professions" over the last 25 years I can attest to the validity of this quote. I've stocked shelves in a grocery store, worked as a electronics technician, sales person, and technical writer. In their time, each fulfilled a purpose. However, until I started performing, I never felt the "fit" was quite right. I made good money at a couple of these jobs, but that's all they ever were--just jobs. I rarely ever worked Saturdays or nights; and when quitting time came, I left the job and every thought of it at the office. Not so with performing.

Performing is a calling. Sometimes, depending on the outcome of a particular performance, I doubt that calling. But overall, nothing ever fit as well as this. Creativity, freedom, bringing laughter and amazement, teaching and entertaining all rolled into one great profession. I work weekends, nights and days. I finish a job and continue to think about it and examine what worked and what could have been done better. And, since I also present the Gospel using magical illustrations, it has even become "spiritual in calling."

Though performing is not an end in itself, it is an avenue that leads to so many possibilities. This is not just balloon doggies and magic tricks, this is truly an adventure. And that's as it should be, I believe.

Skip
The reason why I gave up Engineering is because my heart wasn't it, and no one laughed at my jokes.

Father Photius
You crack me up.

I started out about 15 years ago donating my time to Child Haven, Make-A-Wish Group, Boys and Girls Club, and Many others. Most of these kids are going through a hard time and not being kids. This is where I would come in and make them laugh with my Clownish Magical way. I was a wonderful feeling to make this smile and for the moment let them forget about the troubles or pains they were having. I allowed to kids to just be kids.

Other people noticed what I was doing and asked me to come to parties and events. They said they would pay me. That is when I started doing this full time.

I love doing this no matter if it is with pay or not. To this day I still do shows and events for Child Haven and Make-A-Wish groups, and yes for free. But I do tons of parties and events for pay. I am still amazed that people pay me to do this.

To me it is a calling of some sort to make people laugh, but young and old, everyday. I am doing a good job at it, I hope.

B-Rad

Skip,

I'm not sure what makes you jump to these conclusions. I don't get where you think that people are insulting kids show performers or are doing it just for the money. I find your comments self serving, pious and judgemental. I'm not really clear on why you appear unable to engage in any meaningful dialogue without making it and us versus them situation. It would be nice if instead of pontificating that you instead you make an effort to try to understand and accept the thoughts of others. I've participated in other threads and you seem unable to accept others thoughts at face value. My suggestion for you would be for you to turn your talents to mentalism where you can safely be all knowing without annoying others.

The oft used definition of a profession is:

A vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or scien

This can be contrasted to the definition of a job which is:

A piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price

The defintion of a purpose is:

The reason for which something exists.

I agree with ther thoughts of Eugene Burger who defines magic as a performance craft. Do I believe that my purpose in life, the reason that I exist is to be a kids show performer? I think that my magical purpose is to create wonder, mystery and joy. My life purpose...still working on that one.

jeff

If you pontificate, and you are pious, does that make you Pope Pious?

It might...look up and see if you're wearing a funny hat.

I must admit that I at first took this as a jab at children's performers....we get a bad rap you know. But then I read it again and realized that you might be asking an honest question.

How does the quote relate? You must have a passion for any job to do it well and not come off as a hack looking for a paycheck..and even more so with those painfully honest children. And secondly...what could be more spiritual (apart from a person's relationship with Christ) than putting a smile on a child's face and giving them a memory that they will likely recall when they have kids of their own.

Lofty goal for a children's performer...I think not...it should be the goal.

JMO,
Dorian

I have to agree with Dorian...Looking at the wording from one angle it appears to be a slight towards kidshow performers; from another, a simple question. I will readily admit when I'm wrong and it's likely that I jumped to an erroneous conclusion here. It's my nature to vigorously, and perhaps over zealously, defend the kidshow arts.

Nevertheless, I feel that there are two types of performers in the world - those who have a true passion for our art and those who see a way to make an "easy" buck...often at the expense of the true artists. Those I choose to admire are the ones with a sincere passion and protective love for the magic, the showmanship and the children. Lofty goal? I certainly hope so and hope that my fellow performers and I continue to raise the bar beyond the reach of our "anything-for-a-buck" competitors.

But Skip that puts you in a very small minority. We are surrounded by those who think of kids entertainment as a part time income.

It's hardly a black and white issue. There's enough grey area to upholster an elephant between "anything for a buck" and "spiritual in calling". Just because Smartini doesn't hold with one extreme doesn't mean he is the other.

I love my job, I feel I'm good at it and am passionate about it but if I go around saying it's my "spiritual calling" folks will start looking at me like I've got three heads. I agree that the public probably don't appreciate the hard work and skill that goes into our line of work but let's not go too far the other way and disappear up our own arses.

George

My original post was actually a real question and I was hoping to hear from other performers who don't just do it for the money. I think responding to questions or quotes like this give us all a place to have dialogue and to reflect on where we want to take our magic to. I go to sleep thinking about my show and try to create a vision for making it more magical, more interactive. I think that I consider this to be my way of adhering to the Starry Night philosophy. When I refer to it as a "lofty goal" I believe that, for myself, its something to strive for. I mean why do something that you don't have any passion for. I also feel fortunate that I have a profession that I love. Doing what you love to do is really its own reward. Seeing a smile on a child's face or hearing the colletive gasp from an audience when you perform an effect is just unbeatable in my books.

jeff

Fair enough, Jeff...my apologies for leaping before thinking. I was wrong here.

George, I never suggested that Jeff was an "AFAB" performer. In fact, judging from his posts here and about, I'd say he's an accomplished & passionate magic artist.

Also, spiritual doesn't necessarily relate to any "godly" benefit. I believe that a "spiritual calling" relates to anything that touches your soul; that deep inner core of who you are. A spiritual calling, from my perspective, may simply answer that very personal question, "Why am I here?" Theology doesn't necessarily enter into it.

Thanks Skip...I agree with your comments that this doesn't have be theology thing although for some it could be. I'm thinking specifically of Father David and of course I'm sure that there are a number of Christian performers that use magic to deliver their message.

jeff

ps. Thanks also for your comments about my posts.