To share, or not to share

A magician from Australia wrote a lovely message to me telling me how much he enjoyed a performance he had attended there recently. He went on to politely ask permission to use a small gag that he saw me do.

Over the years I’ve had this request made of me by various performers who liked a bit they saw from my act. Of course it’s flattering at first, but if I’m being honest, I always bristle a little bit at the request. Most of the moments and bits of business in my performances were hard won over the course of many years and thousands of performances. No matter how politely the request is made, I often wonder if they have stopped and thought about where the bit came from and how long it took for me to find and “earn” it before asking me for permission to use it in their own act.

To a viewer it might seem like an obvious idea, but if was so obvious they would have found it on their own. But they didn’t, and now they want to sidestep the hard part of finding their own moments and bits of business and simply ask the person who has already done the hard part and paid the price.

Dan Holtzman is a wonderful comic juggler and part of the duo The Raspyini Brothers. Dan and his partner Barry have been together for decades traveling the world with their original act. They are the “gold standard” when it comes to juggling duos and have created many classic moments, gags and lines over the course of their career. Unfortunately they’re so good that they been copied and stolen from. Dan told me that at one point he was doing a solo show on a cruise ship and the cruise director complained that Dan’s act was “hack” because he had heard all of the gags before. Yes! Because Dan wrote them and others stole them!

“But wait Dave”, you say, “nothing is truly original.”

True! Each person draws upon the totality of their experiences and influences to re-mix ideas, that others may have found, but in a totally fresh and unrecognizable way. Building on the work of others is different than plagiarizing.

In his wonderful book "Steal Like an Artist" Austin Kleon explores the idea that creativity is for everyone and that all creative work builds on what came before. It's a manifesto for creativity, offering advice on how to unlock one's creativity by embracing influence, reimagining the work of others, and discovering the unique contributions one can make as a creator.

The book starts with the premise that all creative work is derivative, and that "stealing" ideas is an essential part of the creative process. However, Kleon emphasizes that there's a difference between plagiarizing and creatively reimagining or building upon others' ideas.

In the end I decided to thank the writer for his interest, but I declined to share my comedy bit. Instead I encouraged him to keep looking for his own unique moments that he would surely find, and nurture and protect as well.

Here is my response:

“Thank you so much for reaching out and asking for permission to borrow a comedy bit from my act. While I truly appreciate your honesty and ethical approach, I must respectfully decline your request.

As a fellow performer, I understand the desire to find that perfect moment, and I believe that creating your own material can be incredibly rewarding. I encourage you to continue exploring your craft and to search for and develop your own unique comic gags and moments.

I’m confident that you’ll find greater fulfillment and pride in being original and speaking in your own voice. Wishing you all the best in your creative endeavors!”