When I was about three my father moved to a couple of islands to become a lighthouse keeper. He was an avid photographer and got an impressive collection of slides together. When we returned to the main land I frequently turned up to school with my dad’s slide projector to do presentations about life on the islands.
The Ocean Years
In primary school in California I did my first clown gig; an escape artist who can’t escape and has to be dragged off stage.
When I got to high school I joined the debating team; I got excited by the exchange of energy between my self and the audience, being able to present an argument and get laughs. I jumped at every chance to do public speaking and joined the drama class as soon as it became available. Around this time I joined the local community radio station where me and my friends would study Goons, Monty Python and Douglas Adams and use them as inspiration for our own comic skits.
I spent a few years trying and failing to make it in trades, while setting up and operating lights for an amateur theater company. Eventually I quit my job and took off traveling in search of something meaningful to do with my life. I went to England and spent the summer in StIves developing an appreciation for modern art. Then headed to Bristol to study philosophy, literature and performance arts, while learning to juggle. From there I ended up in Melbourne studying art and english while continuing to work on my juggling. I couldn’t find work or reliable accommodation in Melbourne so I headed back up to Darwin to try starting my own installations business, while taking on various roles in amateur theater. Eventually I threw in the towel with installations and started telling people I was a clown. People believed me, liked my work and sometimes even asked me to do some more. I had finally found my vocation.
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Clown Artist Philosopher 