So.... It's been awhile...92 days of staying at home to be exact. It’s been a crazy few months and I have to say, this is not at all how I would have pictured 2020. On march 9th I performed at an event and If someone had said that would be the last time I would perform in public for the next six months… I wouldn't have believed them. As we all know the Pandemic shut down everything suddenly and basically made my livelihood and career path vanish overnight. I struggled for a couple weeks getting myself settled in at home( something I haven’t done in about a decade) and did an inventory to make sure I had all the household necessities in place. In an effort to keep occupied and give back to those who were struggling, I started teaching free online magic classes for children. I started out with two kids, then four and before I knew it I was teaching classes of almost 90 young people. They would start every class tired...and obviously stressed but then something would change a few minutes in. They would crack a smile or sneak out a giggle and all of sudden, they would forget that they were trapped at home. It was truly inspiring and magical. It reminded me why I got into this business to begin with and helped me recognize the need for some changes in my world that have been ignored.
This has been the most challenging year yet for me, but I am trying to stay positive and focus on some new goals ( as well as bringing back some old ones that were brushed aside) at the end of every free workshop I give the kids an impossible challenge. And I explain that “challenges can be good. Working at them, helps make us stronger.” And saying it consistently has been a humble reminder to heed my own advice. Taking these challenging times and using them as lessons and stepping stones.
If you’re doing something to spread a couple of smiles,please share it with me, I would love to hear about it. If you're curious about more of what I’m doing, send me a message or head over to my patreon page.
In the meantime, I hope you are all staying safe and healthy, and remember, let’s spread smiles… not germs!
J