Sacrifice art for profit?
My mind is being sidetracked by a request (translation: demand) by the City that I get a business license. I don't know what these local yocals think, but the Supreme Court has ruled that street performers do not need the same licenses and permits that vendors and merchants are required to have ... so I'm gearing up to fight the City over this.
Some history for people that don't know me: I started out as a street magician, when I first moved to Myrtle Beach I was excited to be in a beach resort where I could perform. Only, the City Attorney claimed I would be arrested on the spot if "any money exchanged hands". While disappointed, I was not deterred ... I could still be a magician and began a career in show business.
I did pretty good, resident magician at 2001 Nightlife, MC at Coconut's Comedy Club, along with all the other places I performed around the beach. But something happened ... the deeper I sank into the "business", the less "show" there was. At some point, I just quit. Stopped. I didn't have the passion, I didn't feel the love, I no longer enjoyed what I was doing.
A few years down time, and it started to come back to me ... I realized why I wasn't happy. I decided to come back to magic, but this time I was going to do it my way ... and not the way the City Attorney wanted. I asked Barefoot Landing if I could street perform on their property for tips, and they granted me permission. I was happy again.
In my years at Barefoot Landing, I have been able to focus on the "magic" and not on the business ... and in that time, I have accomplish a lot. I have created several illusions of my own (Disappearing JoeJoe, the Sword and Rope, Solo Slice), not to mention I have now graduated into larger scale illusions like Snowstorm and the Floating Street Lamp. I hope to make a building levitate by the end of the year, and begin testing designs that will allow me to make a tree vanish before a live audience!
That is art ... there is no "business" in what I do. I could not do these things if I was worried about profits. This time around, I am not going to let the City take my art away from me. I do not "sell" anything, I do not "charge" for anything. I am not legally required to have a business license. And I am going to defend my rights. I refuse to let the City of North Myrtle Beach take my art away from me - I simply cannot sacrifice my art for profit, it means too much to me.
To be continued....
-JoeJoe
Some history for people that don't know me: I started out as a street magician, when I first moved to Myrtle Beach I was excited to be in a beach resort where I could perform. Only, the City Attorney claimed I would be arrested on the spot if "any money exchanged hands". While disappointed, I was not deterred ... I could still be a magician and began a career in show business.
I did pretty good, resident magician at 2001 Nightlife, MC at Coconut's Comedy Club, along with all the other places I performed around the beach. But something happened ... the deeper I sank into the "business", the less "show" there was. At some point, I just quit. Stopped. I didn't have the passion, I didn't feel the love, I no longer enjoyed what I was doing.
A few years down time, and it started to come back to me ... I realized why I wasn't happy. I decided to come back to magic, but this time I was going to do it my way ... and not the way the City Attorney wanted. I asked Barefoot Landing if I could street perform on their property for tips, and they granted me permission. I was happy again.
In my years at Barefoot Landing, I have been able to focus on the "magic" and not on the business ... and in that time, I have accomplish a lot. I have created several illusions of my own (Disappearing JoeJoe, the Sword and Rope, Solo Slice), not to mention I have now graduated into larger scale illusions like Snowstorm and the Floating Street Lamp. I hope to make a building levitate by the end of the year, and begin testing designs that will allow me to make a tree vanish before a live audience!
That is art ... there is no "business" in what I do. I could not do these things if I was worried about profits. This time around, I am not going to let the City take my art away from me. I do not "sell" anything, I do not "charge" for anything. I am not legally required to have a business license. And I am going to defend my rights. I refuse to let the City of North Myrtle Beach take my art away from me - I simply cannot sacrifice my art for profit, it means too much to me.
To be continued....
-JoeJoe
posted by JoeJoe at 11:32 PM
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