Coping with our obsessions.

[Peter Voice]

At 49 (7x7) years old, I've just suddenly realised the depth of my obsession with my work and the effect that has had on my friends and family, for maybe 20 years.
I'm wondering about others here and their thoughts.
It takes a certain single-mindedness to learn to juggle 9 balls or balance on one hand. I've just seen LDR's pics and am wondering about our perspectives.

[ 11-14-2003: Message edited by: Peter Voice ]</p>

[worldwidese]

Peter, You and LDR seem to be working at opposite ends of the spectrum. LDR chose the dark side (he could have gotten himself colored red) and you chose light and bright. LDR has chosen a meduim (tattoo ink) that is irrevocable, while yours (chalk) is ephemeral.
Do these facts reflect your personal outlook on life?

[Jim]

My chosen carreer path has gotten in the way of several personal relationships over the years. The main reasons being 1) The excessive amount of time involved in creating, managing, maintaining a performance. and 2) The odd, unconventional schedule one needs to adhere to to create, manage and maintain a performance.

Girlfriends who have 9-5 jobs do not like boyfriends who work mostly on weekends and holidays.

There are other things, but that's the big one for me.

Jim

[LUCKY DIAMOND RICH]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Peter Voice:
[QB]At 49 (7x7) years old, I've just suddenly realised the depth of my obsession with my work and the effect that has had on my friends and family, for maybe 20 years.

I think most alcoholics call that a moment of clarity ,Peter!
Please do not get the wrong idea , I have not called you an alcoholic, just because I put you and that word in the same sentence, Peter!

I find this one even more interesting, Peter-

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Peter Voice:
It takes a certain single-mindedness to learn to juggle 9 balls or balance on one hand. I've just seen LDR's pics and am wondering about our perspectives.

First I ask you this, what is your motivations with your post?
And what is your prospective, as you put the post out there?

Please keep in mind that you have connected me and my visual appearance in a photo to a single-mindedness to achieve something .
I am very interested in giving you and other here at P.Net my out-look,but before I do this I want to know were you are coming from,Peter?
Please be honest and the ask yourself again,as all in life is not as it seems!


LDR

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

[quote]Originally posted by LUCKY DIAMOND RICH:
<strong>
I am very interested in giving you and other here at P.Net my out-look,but before I do this...LDR</strong><hr></blockquote>

Jesus, can't wait for that one... so its not just an ink billboard? Wrap it in the loftiest terms you can, I'm gagging for it.


Jim... girlfriends? I always thought you were gay. Try an artist... they rock.
Finding someone who is also "obsessed", someone who has a path they love being on, gives a common ground of understanding. I do know what you mean about a 9-5 partner growing resentful of our lifestyles.

I look at performing as a fortunate release from the grind most people have to deal with. I'm lucky enough to do work which I can put my whole heart into. When I'm not doing a show, I'm drilling holes in rocks, making sculpture. "Obsessive behavior" is all around me, but is it that, or is it following your inner promptings, undeterred by the myriad mindsets of the mediocre masses?

[Busteroo]

I do believe that we all have one thing in common. That is from an early age we all felt different from others around us. There was probably a time that each of us realized that we were not like others and did not fit that mold of do well at school then go get a 9-5 job, marry, and raise a family. Some of us may have even felt a bit guilty about not being able to be that way. Then we began to fulfill our dreams and visions. Yet, at times those old feelings still creep in. Yes,society has set up norms that have most of us as abnormal. Yet, when you think about it, do you really want to just fit in?!?

[Peter Voice]

The question I'm trying to put here is "What role, if any, does obsession play in our world?". Perhaps "What is the difference between commitment and obsession?" I don't even want to suggest that obsession is a negative thing, it may even be essential to our success.
My example is spending 3/4 of my life trying to achieve standards that I will knowingly move every time I approach them. I will spend hundreds of hours on a work regardless of whether anyone will like it let alone buy it. As soon as it's finished, it's just put in the pile because I know the next one can be better. And I put that on myself.
I mention LDR because it is impossible not to recognise his extreme commitment and his opinion will certainly add to our perspective. He has actually spent far more time perfecting his show than he has in a tattoo parlor.
So many artists I know don't create art, they live for art. Ever played cards with Love 22?
I rest my case

[ 11-15-2003: Message edited by: Peter Voice ]</p>

[LUCKY DIAMOND RICH]

Thanks Peter,
I can honestly say that my belief's change as I have walked this path!
My Belief today is ,"Belief" itself!I do not want to know anyone elses belief to compaire mine own to theres!
I allow for people to express their beliefs but I just listen not judge.

The Buddha said, there is no road to happiness,happiness is the road!

I am the sort of person that does not really question such things as going to the tattoo shop to get my face tattooed,ask Nick Nickolas if you meet him one day!
Flying from one side of the world,to the other.

In my mind most of the time try not think to much of the consiquences of my actions,before I act!
I deal with that later in my path.Life I feel is to short to question what feels right,for me at the time,other poeple are different.
See ,I enjoy getting tattooed,traveling and doing things intuitively through out my life.
I read in a book ," JUMP AND THE NET WILL APPEAR".
This is somehting I live by.It has never failed me yet.
I come from an Obsessive /Compulsive family tree and this is why I am the way I am!
The first step for me was to except this,and it took me a long time.
And know and for a long time I have worn my Obsessive/Compulsiveness on my sleeve.
To me it represents freedom,and I am a better person for this today.
People are threatened by the very thing they fear and do not understand.
If someone is not free and then some one shows you this in your face this can treaten what you know to be true and alot of people do not want to look at that!
Really they are looking at themselves and for this I am not resposible and never can I take this on board,as I got my own demons to deal with daily.
Other people admire me for me courage to be open about my obsessive/compulsiveness,and for this I to do not look for this in why I do what I do!
The reason I do what I do is,"Because I BELIEVE" the rest takes care of itself.
Thank you to all the people that walked this path before me and for this I am truly grateful.As this journey is easier to walk,as result of that!
I am not doing anything new,it has all been done before.I am just a modern day representitive of this.

To get to the absolute bottom line, as a result of my insainity/maddness (what ever lable society or you want to attach to my chosen path), you society pay me a hansomly (far more than I ever need) for showing them this.They allow me to travel around the world to countries far and wide and live a life beyond my wildest dreams.How could ask for more than that?
This is why I choose my name as Lucky Diamond Rich

Jim if that is all you got to worry about man,you are doing well,mate.Look at it as a blessing in descise man,you are one of the chosen ones,mate!Keep up the good work.

The only thing I have to fear is fear itself!


LDR
ps.anymore ?'s

[Rex Boyd]

I don't think anyone chooses to become an artist of any kind, whether it performance or music or drawing or whatever, just because they think it would be a good way to make a living. You are an artist because you feel the need to be one. You express yourself and your individuality. I think the individuality is an important part of being an artist. It would be much easier to go with the flow and fit in with the rest of society. I want to say it takes courage to follow your own path in life, but I think it's more appropriate to say have faith in accepting the consequences of your actions.
Like Lucky said about "leap and the net will appear." You can live your life wondering what would happen if... or you can just do it and find out what happens. There is no right answer to what is the right path to take but I constantly feel like an outsider to most people who live a "normal" life. At one moment I feel priveledged to make a living doing something I love doing and then I have doubts about whether being "normal" and fitting in might not be so bad after all. Maybe the normal people are quite happy with their friends and the things they do. After all I don't really have many friends that are not performers. Would I be happier going down to the pub with my mates each weekend to watch somebody else try to entertain us.
I don't know the answer to that question but I do think you just have to be who you are and be the best you that you can be. What everyone else does is not really the issue. So go celebrate your individuality and live a life that no one else on the entire earth can.

Rex

[Busteroo]

Yes, yes!!! Exactly what I was trying to say. It is that inner thing. That "madness", or "obsession" as it has been termed. It drives one but it also makes one different. In each of us our greatest strength is our greatest weakness as well. Do not deny your inner feelings nor should we try to label them. They are what makes us what we are and we should celebrate that in ourselves as well as others! That is the beauty of life. Good luck on your journey!

[LUCKY DIAMOND RICH]

THANKS!


LDR

[em]

But what is "Normal"??
i have many friends who have so called 9 to 5 jobs and familes and houses and toast in the morning, and none of them i would class as normal!!
Often those 9 to 5ers say "oh you have such a glamorous job! mine is so boring compared to yours" and i think, its not glamorous, the only difference is many people are in jobs they hate and i happen to be in a job i love.
But i take great care to stop myself thinking that my way of being is better than anyone elses, yes i prefer it, but i don't think its THE way to do things, or the most anarchistic by any stretch of the imagination, in fact we can be fairly conformist amongst ourselves eh?!!
"normal" is an illusion, i don't feel any more non-conformist than the mad woman with the fuzzy hair behind the till at tescos....

[Peter Voice]

Thanks for joining, Em. It was something you wrote in another thread about living and working with your business and bed partner that made me revisit 'obsession and family', something I've thought about for many years.

Bev and I have worked, toured and slept together for nearly 16 years and it's as tough as shit. We are equally obsessed but have quite different angles on our obsessions but we do treat each other as equals. We've always prided ourselves in our ability to change and adapt and, whether we like it or not, change is afoot so we are trying to redirect our obsessions and keep them positive and complementary.

None of this is a problem. We both like a challenge, have done our homework and are now looking forward to the next ten years on the road together.

I'm just curious about others thoughts on our business, obsession and family.

PS, LDR. We have had our arguments but neither of us has ever struck the other, even once, in 16 years.

[Airborne Dan]

"people can you feel it, love is everywhere"...don't you see? I've heard it said before that the code of ethics for a performer is: first and foremost, do no harm. Why not take it a step further and say "do as much good". What's wrong with that? I'll tell you what is. Nothing. There is nothing wrong with making the world a better place no matter what you do for a livlihood. As performers we all have the opportunity to do that. Be it 100 or 200 or 10,000 or 73 people at a time, we have the gift of making eye and mind candy for the people who see our show(s) but just as importantly the opportunity to spread love, peace, understanding, clarity, joy, truth, harmony, freedom and acceptance to all the people we meet on our path(s). Don't think for a moment we are alone in this. I agree with Em. I know tons of people who don't nescessarily like what they do to make a living (and some that do in fact love their work) but still choose through it all to make a positive difference in this world. It is all about choices. The wonderful thing is, no one can choose for you. You decide.

Love, Peace and all things Joyful!

[martin ewen]

I‘m going to die. (slow shudder and concave chest slowing to arrest then reset with resolve)-Thats for all you mime afficenardos out there, you know who you are. And you are afficenardos, you could put it on your business cards.
Code of ethics?
Do no harm?
Hey I done signed nothing.
The only reason I don’t pick em up and throw em about is that Americas so litigatious.
(and full of obese childen in wheelbarrows)
Whereas in places like Australia I’m merely grabbed by the throat by fathers of boys I’ve molested using a long wooden club attached to my leg. I could be sued in the states. (the sounds of the dislocating shoulders of infants are not foriegn to me)
I’m trying to do harm, I’m trying to inflict irreparable damage.
I want them to leave more jaundiced than they arrived.
And they laugh at me.
What you call love I call bitter failure.
My obsessions in no particular order (but shall not be limited to) are... Myself
Wow what a short list.
Why am I talking to you when I find myself so much more interesting?
I'm going outside to hack at the forest floor.