the timboucher experience

This month marks the fifth anniversary of this website, in its current form. Well, okay, that form has changed a bit over those past five or so years - from “occult investigator” to “Pop Occulture” to “[tmbchr]™” {View full history here} - but since June of 2003, I have been diligently working to share all the weird and interesting things I find during the course of my research and my life in general. For me, the two are inextricably intertwined - as is the sharing of what I find. I can’t imagine doing the things I’ve done over these past few years and seeing the things I’ve seen without the help and communication of the many many people who have walked through my life - whether online or off.

Without trying to butter you up too much, what I’m trying to do here is raise enough money so that I can continue on my current path uninterrupted. As is, advertising revenue from my website fully covers all of my bills, rent, etc for the month - and leaves me eating beans all month. I love beans, but I also love beer and meat and being able to reward myself for all the hard work I have put in already and which I continue to put in right now into this mysterious process of self-transformation.

My goal, I guess with all of it, is to inspire other people (by actually living it) to go out there and become what they’ve always meant to be, and to achieve what they know they’re capable of. If you feel like that has been your experience of my website and my work in general, then maybe you’d consider helping me out by donating a few bucks via PayPal {Yes, I’ve had some problems with that company, but I’m going back to it tentatively until I find some other way}. There is a widget via a site called ChipIn which you can donate through that makes a handy bar graph to show our progress, or you can use the PayPal donation button on my contact page (though it won’t impact our snazzy bar graph!).

Myself, I have as a goal to match whatever money I raise via this website (until July 4th - America’s Independence Day!), through busking or street performing around Baltimore. I have a long way to go in that department though, as I’ve made less than five bucks doing that so far. But I was thinking this might give me something to use as motivation.

If you’re new to this website, you might not realize why I’m so awesome. That’s okay. Here is the short list:

1. At the end of last year, I donated the entire contents of this website (6,350 WordPress posts, almost forty original songs, plus countless media files) to the Public Domain as a symbolic dedication of myself to others, and as proof that you can make a living as an artist and creative person without setting restrictive usage rights on your intellectual property.
2. I’ve released two Public Domain folk albums under the name Big Elk.
3. During the month of June, I’ll be publishing once every two days a previously unreleased chapter from my (uncompleted) sci-fi novel, REPERMANENT - begun a year and a half ago.
4. Last year, I stopped suffering, though I still go through hard times now and then. Becoming what you know you have to be isn’t necessarily easy…
5. Over the course of the past year, I have done an absurd amount of research into all things circus! I’ve put together an eight-part series about the history, symbolism and roots of traveling performers throughout the world and across the ages. At the intersection of that, I’ve also unveiled a rich tapestry connecting circuses and carnivals with humanity’s underlying nomadic roots (originally built around following herds of prey animals through seasonal migrations). This has brought my work and my writing into close touch with social justice issues for the homeless, and with the uniquely American tradition of “ramblers” and traveling minstrels as sources of wisdom in our modern mass-mediated era.
6. Maybe you can see what kind of person I am, and something about who I’m trying to be - and what just what it is you’re really supporting when you help me out - by checking out my heroes list.

The money’s obviously awesome, but it’s also just incredible to know that there are people out there who find the things I’m doing, the life I’m leading, the risks I’m taking as a human being to live an authentic life - of some sort - to be worthwhile. That’s what keeps me going.

Oh, and anyone who contributes at least $50USD will receive a complimentary episode of my personalized analog podcasts, Verbal Supplements - a unique historical artifact documenting my experience of this world (Each episode comes with a license granting you digital rights to reproduce the content as you see fit).

So there you go. Thanks everyone in the past who has helped me out, and thanks in advance to anyone who has the ability to do so this round. I love you guys! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back the the park and practice juggling clubs. I’m starting to get really good and will try to post some videos of that and of me street performing in the not-too-distant future. (PS. I can buy my own nice set of clubs - I have a loaner now - for around $100. Wink wink.)

• Thanks GH!
• Thanks IR!
• Thanks JWX!
• 500 year old worms
• “I think I’ll put this on my Crediplex”