Meet Nathaniel Allenby | Circus Entertainer, Entrepreneur & Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathaniel Allenby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathaniel, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
In 2011 I was living in Mexico, my best friend Tyger was in Florida, my brother Dan was in San Diego; both of them were asking me to support them and a lover wanted to see me again but couldn’t fly to Mexico. She offered to fly to Florida and buying me a ticket there, meeting up with my best friend simultaneously; I accepted. Once there, Tyger told me how lonely he felt and how he would really appreciate if I simply stayed, and that he would cover my living expenses. Meanwhile my brother made a similar offer for me to come to San Diego. My friends in Mexico were asking when I was coming back, and it was very difficult to choose where to go.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have two companies: Cirque Quirk and Allenby Art. The former is Circus entertainment, providing a vehicle for sharing positive messages and uplifting audiences while performing incredible feats and skills. The latter is a fine art business to sell my artwork and photography. I’ve traveled to 4 continents, 15 countries and 33 states, and I enjoy photographing natural beauty, especially of locations unspoiled by humans. I also create art with colored pencils and paint. What sets me apart from others is truly my life story, and the unusual and unique path that has brought me to where I am today, which has been filled with overcoming adversity and besting difficult challenges. Each challenge has helped me build a varied toolkit to overcome them, and each one has needed a different solution. I have learned such a plethora of lessons and gained insightful wisdom. I want the world to know that everyone can live amazing and incredible lives, like those we see in movies, through being fearless and following your dreams, and not letting other people tell you what you cannot do!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would do a sightseeing drive to Coronado, Cabrillo National Monument, Sunset cliffs, Mission Bay, La Jolla and Mount Soledad, and head East to Mount Helix. I’d want to walk them around Balboa Park, the Gaslamp District and the Wharf/Marina. I’d want to take them to eat at Dao Fu, Hash House, Ranchos Cucina, and go out for drinks downtown, in Hillcrest, and in Ocean Beach. I would love to introduce them to some of the most incredible circus folks around town and take them to a show if there was one. I’d also want to take them to the San Diego Zoo! There are so many amazing places around town to go to!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, I’m actually writing a book right now called “The Kindness of Strangers”; an adventure tale of my journey on a bicycle over 6 years, pedaling over 28,000 miles across 10 countries and 30 states, which would not have been possible at all without the help of so many people along the way. I could thank a dozen people just in San Diego: Derrick Gilday of Mango & Dango, Lili Noden from Dragon Knights, my ex-wife Jillian Lange, among others.

Website: www.CirqueQuirk.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Cirquequirk/

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cirquequirk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CirqueQuirk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueQuirk

Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/cirque-quirk-san-diego

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CirqueQuirk

Other: https://allenbyart.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AllenbyArt/ https://www.instagram.com/AllenbyArt/

Image Credits
Stephen Cammell, Tyler Hill, Ian Holaday.