THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY
...it just takes some of us longer than others!
WELCOME
"Nicky, your life has been a blo**y disaster, but we love you anyway..." so pronounced my late Aunt-in-Law as she sat beside me at dinner.  Comedy is truth and pain. There is treasure in misadventure, a comedy writer's goldmine in my journey. For example, I've had a problem with my name 'Nicky' Slater, with my identity, stature and with 'real life' generally. Therapy and Self Help courses cost thousands. Alternative 'Nick Name' personas developed to enable my search for freedom and the courage to step.  My parents were Ice Dance Champions - so I was too, entertaining on TV, in arenas, ice rinks and theatres. Trouble is I never chose ice. There was more. Busking in Ipswich, England, in the rain, for £1.05. Ha. So now finally it's time for me to stop hiding out and take the LID OFF THE BOX of my life. It's time to be MAKING CRAZY WORK! ​  This page exolains soime of that journey.
Welcome to Lid Off The Box Entertainment. This is my Media Development site. Here - I am Making Crazy Work...
I've been known as Nicky Slater and was a British Champion, 5th ranked in the World did two Olympics. I was lost, climbing the wrong ladder. I never chose that path, nor my name.
Sport focus saw me lacking social & life skills. After leaving the bubble fear has plagued me. I now seek to redress this, win back lost time and encourage others with what I discover.
It's about taking the Lid Off The Box of life, and learning to keep it off. It's about freedom..
So. How do we find who we were made to be? How do we find the courage to pursue this? How do we perform at our best? How can we maintain hope on the journey and be free of lies that bind us? How do we Make Crazy Work?
The answer - for me - starts to breathe here in songs & stories, characters & brands, a new 'Breakthrough Framework' and a DREAMTRYB to come. Work developed over twenty years.
There's always a way...
THE BATTLE
I have come to realise that my journey is a daily investigation into how I can find the courage to overcome fear. Because daily, fear comes to call... ​ What MIGHT happen? ​ And because I work alone - as an artistic creative soul -  I am 'perhaps' more susceptible to this battle of the mind? ​ And a friend says - the world these days (as on Social media) does not do kind. My Sister in Law says she has seen 'kind Tweets' turned into toxic discussions. I am not used to this world at present. ​ And I was killed on Twitter earlier this year with a friend on National and International News feeds after one day of work! After being off grid for five years! So I have some observations on this to come... ​ And for some my battle is ridiculous. Most times I can see it is crazy too. So a part of LID OFF THE BOX in the NICKY SLATER PRESENTS section is my place to document and share this enquiry into overcoming my fear and getting on... THe rest of LID OFF THE BOX goes on regradless of my navel gazing and endless processing!
THE ARTIST REACTS TO THE FRAME
WISDOM
This website is a template I have been designing into. The artist reacts to the frame.
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I re-did for the eleven millionth time the words above and explained my rationale to my wife and son this morning.
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My boy contributed, when I had explained about the need to pithily explain what I am about; "You have a Masters in Marketing, why can't you just say:
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You're making music to make people happy? If you hadn't done everything else you'd be doing it now..."
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Maybe everything else is my avoidance strategy? Discuss. Or stop discussing and just do some music! Indeed...
DON'T SHOW WEAKNESS
I nearly removed this section... Why? Because it is not assertive nor confident and as such it is open to derision. And I am advised that - in today's media world - to show any weakness invites attack.
Yet it is truth... it is uncensored wisdom and it is is helpful to promote thought and action. And maybe someone else reading this might take some message of encouragement from it.
LIFE &
DEATH
Daily in the small amount of media I consume I see life and death. I am for life. I believe we should have principles that include: Thou shalt not kill, and apply them. If we do not have this what type of a society are we? And in our SEO age and title tattle tweeting world the detail of - well do you mean animals as well? No. Human beings. And so here it is - You can sense the wave of disdain, angst, attacks that comes your way from the various groups and interests. Killing Birds. How do we stand in this world? I do believe it is a question of life and death and one I seek to address for myself here...
COURAGE
: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty*
FEAR
an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger*
KILL
to deprive of life: cause the death of*
HOPE
desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment*
FAITH
firm belief in something for which there is no proof*
​* Source: Miriam Webster Dictionary
BLOG
Latest Blog
SERVE
​ I seek to serve you with Entertainment and Inspiration Making Crazy Work. And I live in the hope this will become a venture to support my family and to have people working alongside of me. My goal is to make a positive difference in the world. MY NICKSTIR WILL STIR YOU My writing, songs, stance, opinions, philosphic musings will stir you. One way or the other. I am coming to realise that this is what happens when I stand, speak, write. I am not purposefully being an attacker. I do not seek confrontation and would prefer a quiet, comfortable life but... Some of the things I see in life and society cause me to - from a place of concern and a stand for what I believe is right and true - speak. For so long I have been silent. To find the courage to speak out for what I believe is good, honest and true (these days) can be very dangerous in our Western Society. And I would prefer a quiet respectful debate seeking understanding than the SHOUT SHOUT world I witness online and in mainstream media. I DON'T NEED YOU I am not (in my estimation) pathetic or needy. Indeed I can be quite handy as a problem solver and person to stand beside if you are in a war zone. Emotional or commercial. I do not need you in order that I do this. I will do it until my last breath and last dime. I do not need endorsements nor attacks. This is not that I do not care it is simply that I cannot allow myself to become dependent upon you and your reaction to what I do. ​ I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY ​ I take responsibility for the path I tread. It is not the norm. It is high risk. There are no guarantees that what I do will be successful. Yet this is the calling I have on my life I follow and in that there is hope. I AM BLESSED ​ As I write I am not homeless. I am not being called up for war. I am not alone. I can currently put food on the table. I have a wife, I have a son, I have a dog. I can see, I can hear, I can smell and I can walk. I have friends, I have family. I have my faith.  I live in a great country CANADA on the North American Continent as a British Canadian. I am a Canadian Citizen as first generation immigrant from Great Britain as an Englishman. I HAVE TIME ​ I am blessed with time to make this enquiry and break with the past to re-invent... I have invested over twenty years of my life to reach this point. I have resources and competence to make great sounds. I have a Treasure Trove of material to draw on. I create more every day. I HAVE NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF ​ So I have nothing to moan about - or to be afraid of... And yet...
WHY?
SOME PROCESSING...
I relentlessly and endlessley process why `I 'plan 'to do what I do. I'm bored now. One example is below. Trialing this flip book ideas.