Harlequin Grim shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Harlequin, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Sometimes it feels like I’m trying to sprint down my path. Be patient, enjoy the journey—but how can I? There is so much to do, and so little time.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Harlequin, a full time circus performer and author of “The Black Carnival” a gothic thriller novel debuting October 25th. My art is often described as “dark but whimsical.” In addition to performing, I create content that showcases and celebrates the bohemian nature of both my crafts and life.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the last day jobs I had was at a funeral home. I’d taken on a position as a ‘removal technician’ right before shit hit the fan with COVID-19. While the world was shutting down and getting locked up, I was driving around in a dark van transporting bodies.
It was a remarkable, extraordinary experience. Having that intimacy with death gave me both the clarity and courage to pursue what I wanted in life, and not to pull punches. It was too ironic, carrying around the physical embodiment of how short our life is, while living one that I feel wasn’t in line with what I desired.
Furthermore, it hammered home the brutal nature of our world. Nobody is coming to save us. Create the life you want, or it will create the one you don’t.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
It was always my dream to be a full-time, published author. I did all the right things from a young age. I read often, I wrote every day, I honed my craft and took criticism. But after almost a decade and a handful of finished novels, nothing panned out. The rejections stacked up.
I made the painful decision to switch art forms, and delve into circus. While my literary dreams seemed dashed, I still had hope of getting paid to do creative work. It sounds absurd, but it’s much easier to be a working artist in the field of live entertainment, than it is to make it as a writer.
After building up my brand and hitting my stride as a performer, I returned to the graveyard of finished novels, dig up the dead, and push one of them across the publishing finish line. Mind you, it had been years since I’d typed ‘the end’ on this one.
Realistically, I believe I could’ve gotten that novel sold much earlier on. While I’m content with the current timeline, I believe the moral of the story is this: you only fail when you decide you have.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Barring a few mental breakdowns here and there, it’s more or less the genuine article. Kind of scary.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Your last day really could be today or tomorrow. We throw around these cliches so often, but I get the sense they aren’t fully felt, realized, nor integrated. Being around death forced me to look at it, and while my work in the funeral industry was years ago, it’s a daily reminder that there really is no time to lose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thegrimtheatre.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlequin.grim/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@grim-theatre
Image Credits
Gregory Bartning & Vitz
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