Inspiration from a Blue Man

By Linda Orlando

The other day I watched a PBS special called "Blue Man Group: Inside the Tube." It’s a documentary about the Blue Man Group, that fantastic trio of performers who paint themselves blue and then dazzle sellout crowds with music, color, humor, strobe lights, sight gags, performance art, and introspective social commentary.

Last spring I was thrilled to see the Blue Man Group on stage in New York City in the small, intimate Astor Theater on Lafayette Street. I had seen them on television only in brief appearances on late-night talk shows and Intel comercials, so I had a basic idea of what their schtick was—a loud, colorful spectacle with thunderous drumbeats and slapstick humor. But what I was absolutely unprepared for in their live show was how intelligent their performance is, and how insightful and thought-provoking even their smallest actions would be. They seem to project both a worldly wisdom and a naïve innocence all at the same time, and that dichotomy is unique and endlessly entertaining. On their official website, one of the things they say about their show is that "even the hardened theatre critic finds a deeper message behind the fun and mess." That’s putting it mildly.

So when my husband saw that PBS was going to air a documentary showing the Blue Men unpainted, talking about how they got to where they are today, he taped it as a surprise for me. I have no idea when it was actually aired, but I know it was a good two weeks or more before we ever had the time to watch it together. The daily grind, being pulled in a dozen different directions all at once, and all that.

A couple of weeks ago we finally sat down to take a look at what the Blue Men were all about. We learned about how they had developed their fantastic routines, the materials they use to design and build the props they use on stage, and what singers and musicians they had worked with. They talked a lot about interacting with the crowd, brainstorming for new ideas, and keeping things fresh for people who come to see them over and over again. Everything they said was really interesting, very amusing, and quite intelligent. I had expected to be entertained, and the Blue Men delivered. What I hadn’t expected was to be inspired.

Anyone who’s been to a Blue Man show or even seen them on TV has undoubtedly been awe-inspired by their performances. The trio has certainly inspired lots of laughter by their on-stage antics and interactions with people they pull from the audience. I’m one of the millions of people who have been inspired by their creativity and obvious enthusiasm for what they’re doing. I shouldn’t have been surprised by where they say their inspiration comes from.

One of the Blue Men (I don’t know which one; they all look alike) said that they got their start working the streets of New York City in the early 80s, performing for people on the sidewalk and doing short bits in clubs around town. He said that they were all considering what to do with their lives and what kinds of careers they wanted to pursue, and during that time he was reading Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth. He came across a particular passage that would change the rest of their lives:

"If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living."

That passage stuck with him and eventually he talked with the other two guys about how it made him feel, and they all realized that being the Blue Man Group was, in fact, their bliss. So they followed that feeling, and look where it led them.

I’ve thought about the Blue Men several times since watching the documentary, and that phrase—"follow your bliss"—has been echoing in my head ever since I heard that blue dude say it. (He actually wasn’t in the greasepaint when he said it, but I like the way "that blue dude" sounds.)

Am I following my bliss? I know I’ve always loved writing. Granted, some of the writing I do now is far from being something I love, but it pays the bills. As for being "my bliss," the jury’s still out on that one, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my path is right in front of me and I’ve been either ignoring it or putting it off for "some day." But thanks to a little bit of unexpected inspiration from the Blue Man Group, I don’t think I’m going to put it off any longer. I think of Joseph Campbell’s words almost every day. I’d like to follow my bliss and put myself on that track that takes me to the life I ought to be living. I could say more about how I plan to get on that track, but—you’re probably expecting this—I have to stop writing this right now to go follow my bliss.

To be fair, this article should have been titled "Inspiration from Joseph Campbell," since he’s the one who said to follow your bliss and put yourself on a track to the life you ought to be living. But the Blue Men are actually doing it. And the track they’re on is one fantastic ride.