In 2015, Josh Turner, Designer, traded the sun-soaked beaches of Brighton for the rain-soaked cobbles of Manchester. While at Falmouth University, he picked up a fair few notable accolades including two YCN awards and the 2014 Design Week Rising Star.
His proudest honour, however, isn’t a design award, it’s his world record in Juggling (“the most amount of balls achieved both as an individual and as a passing pair”). Josh started juggling at 13 and still finds time to fit in his passion for juggling while working full time in our Manchester office. We sat down with him to find out a little more
How did you get into juggling?
I was taught by a maths teacher at school who set up a juggling club at lunchtime, I fell in love with it and then took it a bit too far!
Is there anything in juggling that helps you with your design or vice versa?
Creativity plays a large a part in juggling just as it does in design and thinking outside the box opens up a world of tricks that people have never seen before. Having different avenues like this to express creativity only seems to make me a more creative person in the long run. I also sometimes get lost in the moment when juggling and this gives my brain a rest from the outside world meaning I can come into work the next day feeling recharged and fresh.
How do you balance your work life and juggling?
It can be difficult at times to keep an intensive hobby up alongside a job but fitting it in where I can and trying to do a little bit every day makes a huge difference. Having a local juggling club near work gives me a handy place to practice once a week.
What experiences have juggling opened up to you?
Juggling has introduced me to a whole underground world of conventions, competitions and amazing friends all interested in the same thing. It’s allowed me to travel around and perform in various locations from Cornwall to Norway.
Why is design your career and not juggling?
Well… Jugglers are famous for not being able to make that much money! Honestly, though I have a great deal of passion for both. Design is most enjoyable when done for clients with real-world briefs and problems to solve. Juggling is most enjoyable with the freedom and pressure-free environment of a hobby.
What do you consider your proudest juggling achievements?
Although I no longer hold any records there was a brief period where I equalled the world records for the most amount of balls achieved both as an individual and as a passing pair.
Any tips for beginners?
Start simple with one ball and try to throw it from hand to hand. You should throw the ball around head height and into your vision rather than looking down at your hands. From here it is adding in more balls and practice, but if you can do that first step then you can juggle.
