Re: Karas on the Duck!?

I can't figure out how to post comments on The Karasel of Progress, so I'll post them here.

Michael said:

In many ways, I think "what the duck" is really an argument that wes is having with himself. Many people felt like wes was unfairly chastising jugglers for not coming up with new material when in fact, my belief is that the video, just like the graffiti of "make something real" on the wall on the way to circus school, is a reminder to wes. Some people think Wes comes off as cocky in the video. I don't really see this. In fact, I see the opposite. I see a lot of selflessness and admission of failure and shortcoming. Wes admits that he is scared, that he has fear, that he has made videos strictly to please an invisible audience or WJF judges, etc.

In other words, "what the duck" is wes sharing an internal scolding that he has already had with himself.

I can understand this view. Wes has recently been at an elite circus school where, no doubt, he has been bombarded with ideas about creativity. The video was probably the culmination of his indoctrination into the elite sector of the creative class of jugglers in the world. It reminds me of my buddies in college who joined fraternities. They would be pledges for a time, learning about the organization, their culture, beliefs, ceremonies, etc., and then finally be made into brothers when they had shown their loyalty to these things. The same psychological process applies to joining a major religion, cult, or military. When you enter these groups, you must reject a part of your old self and put on your new self. Wes was rejecting his fearful, conformist self and putting on his new brave, creative self.

The problem with this is that Wes scolded his peers at the same time. Did he really need to say to the world that most jugglers bore him because they are afraid to try something new? Couldn't he have made his point by simply talking about his own shortcomings? I think this was Wes' crucial mistake in his speech. He should have kept his rant directed at himself.

Michael said:

"What the duck" is a call to change and a call to think.

I can see that.

Michael said:

Wes is clearly a lifer. There is little doubt in my mind that wes's life will be dominated entirely by the study, practice, and questioning of juggling. So I think we should encourage the fact that he is putting down his props for five minutes to think about why he spends so much time doing what he does. And luckily for us, he has shared these frustrations with others. Notice that he doesn't offer a solution. Nor does he say that he is following his own example. He admits that he falls short of his own expectations.

I agree, but with the reservation that he should have stuck with talking about his own perceived shortcomings.

Michael said:

If you are a hobby juggler with no intentions of performing ever, then I wouldn't worry too much about the video. If you are a hardcore sports juggler who really only cares at this point about perfecting juggling technique and execution, I wouldn't even put this video on your radar screen.

That's probably good advice.

Wes Peden's Rant

Just the other day, prodigy juggler Wes Peden posted a video of himself urging the juggling community to be more creative. Wes is currently studying at an elite circus school in Sweden. I think he is 18 or 19 years old.

The video has been received with mixed results. Many people are saying Wes came off a bit condescending or that his tone was a little harsh. You can read all the comments here.



This next video is a response to Wes Peden's video. I am looking forward to more response videos like this one.

Juggling's value to one's self

In this post I will try to share some brief thoughts about the value of juggling to one's self. The value to one's self can be divided into two simple categories: physical/mental health, and social health.

(1) the value of juggling to one's self
(a) physical/mental health
(b) social health

If you juggle consistently for 30 minutes or more, you can increase your heart rate and work up a sweat. I think this kind of juggling could count as exercise. Everyone knows exercise is good for you

In terms of mental health, you could say juggling invigorates one's spirit. I know it does that for me, especially when I have had a particularly good practice session. Juggling can simply be good fun. A life with no time for immersing one's self into a pastime is sad. Writing this makes me think of the millions of people who are in that situation

Now I will make some points about the social health benefits of juggling.

If juggling is done in a public location, passersby have a chance to enjoy your pastime with you. The simple fact that you are playing where others can see you creates a good social vibe.

If people organize clubs for jugglers, you get to meet people whom you can share part of your life with, and maybe create lifelong friendships. Humans need social bonds.

What is the value of juggling?

I posted this to rec.juggling yesterday:

What is the value of artistic juggling or of sport juggling?
What are the practical benefits for individuals or society by having us jugglers around?

My goal was to spark a discussion around these questions, however the responses were mostly sarcastic with the notable exception of the reply from "Mats1". Read them yourself by clicking here.

I've often wondered about questions such as these. I find they are difficult to answer. Regardless of their difficulty, I think they are deserving a try however lacking our answers may be.

Each one of us has a limited amount of time on Earth. How we decide to employ our time is completely up to ourselves. Of course this freedom to choose is limited by the social, economic, and political environments we are in. My own such environment is one of privilege and wealth. I have never been in need of something as simple as food, clothing, shelter, and medicine.

With increasing privilege and wealth comes increasing social responsibility. It is out of this reasoning that I find myself examining my own actions and their consequences.

So what is the value of juggling? One rec.jer replied with the question... to whom? A good question because the value stated will be different according to whom it applies.

I'd like to divide the question into parts:

(1) the value to one's self

(a) physical/mental health
(b) social health

(2) the value to society

I'd like to examine the possible negatives as well as the positives in order to get a complete perspective. I will begin with the positive... in my next post.

For now, if you want to read about another juggler's answers to the question "How can my juggling positively affect the world?", go to The Karasel of Progress and read the first three posts.