The world is littered with mundane “real” jobs in which you are over worked and underpaid.
Labour is a commodity that is constantly undervalued, because of its ever-growing supply. I no longer consent to this model and want nothing more to do with it. I’m a busker, and I will never get a “real” job again.
I first started busking in late 2011 on the streets of Canterbury, Kent. I was desperate for money and saw other buskers and I thought; how hard could it be? Before busking I’d worked in world famous fast food restaurants and independent hot dog stands on the high street. I’ve done a “real” job. I hated it.
The promises that were made to us in our adolescence have been broken. We can’t travel and change the world, we can’t find fulfilling work and if we work hard, things won’t improve.
You awake every morning thinking that your wages aren’t enough to deal with psychological trauma your boss may heap on you that day, depending on the mood he’s in. You travel home questioning what good you are actually contributing to the world.
This can change; those promises can still come true.
What if I told you there was profession out there in which you could be your own boss and work as many or as few hours as you like, take breaks to your heart’s content and meet new and exciting people every day? You would either think I was lying or (if you were like me 4 years ago) you would sign on the dotted line. Honestly though, this is what a job busking offers.
Of course, the decision to be a busker comes with consequences. I will forever struggle to explain my job to people I meet, expecting them to scoff. They will most likely rank me slightly higher if not on par with a common beggar.
I will also have to expect my grandparents, when I see them, to come up with ideas for a new career. Last time they suggested I own a burger van. If that is the price I have to pay for the freedom I experience, well it’s a price worth paying.
Please don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying busking is easy, and it isn’t a solution for everyone. It comes with a whole multitude of its own problems that I’ll talk about in future posts, but for now, I’m a busker and I will never get a “real” job again.
Stefan Mullard
Community Manger
The Busking Project