We recently had the chance to connect with Nathaniel Allenby and have shared our conversation below.
Nathaniel, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something outside of work that’s been bringing me a lot of joy is spending time hiking in nature with friends and being back in school. Getting out on the trails clears my mind and keeps me grounded, whether it’s a quick climb in Mission Trails or a full day exploring the forests in Mount Laguna. Being immersed in beautiful landscapes reminds me of why I value balance and reflection, and it keeps my creativity alive.
I’m also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Psychology at National University, with plans to continue into a master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. My goal is to become a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist, helping people heal and grow through cutting-edge, compassionate approaches. Returning to learning at this stage of my life has been incredibly fulfilling; it feels like I’m aligning my personal passions with my professional future, and that combination is both exciting and deeply meaningful.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a San Diego based visual artist, travel photographer, circus entertainer, and author of The Cycle of Kindness. Raised on a small farm in Aurora, Oregon, I set out on a six-year, 28,000-mile bicycle journey through ten countries and thirty U.S. states, traveling without money or technology and relying entirely on the generosity of strangers. That adventure reshaped my understanding of humanity and now fuels everything I create, from my art and writing to my performances with Cirque Quirk, San Diego’s highest-rated circus entertainment company (www.cirquequirk.com).
My work is about more than entertainment or aesthetics; it’s about connection. In The Cycle of Kindness (www.thecycleofkindness.com), I chronicle stories of courage, generosity, and resilience gathered on the road, while my visual art draws on geometry, ancient symbols, and personal inspiration to create patterns reflective of human experience (Allenby Art: https://allenbyart.myshopify.com/). Through Cirque Quirk, I share these same values in motion, blending circus artistry with motivational storytelling to uplift audiences of all ages. Right now, I’m also pursuing degrees in Integrated Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy, working toward becoming a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist so I can help others navigate their own transformative journeys with the same compassion and creativity that have guided mine.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
It wasn’t just one moment but a series of them that shaped how I see the world, especially during the years I lived on a bicycle. Life slowed down to the pace of my pedaling. Every sunrise, every meal shared with strangers, every storm weathered under a tarp felt heightened, precious, and sacred. I became much more present. That journey taught me to hold two perspectives at once: the wonder, amazement, and joy of a newborn seeing everything for the first time, and the reverence of someone at life’s end, cherishing what may be the last look upon a loved one’s face. On the road, every river, mountain, or human kindness was both a beginning and a farewell.
When you balance those perspectives, the baby’s amazement and the elder’s gratitude, time stretches, almost slows, and the ordinary becomes extraordinary. That mindset has stayed with me as a father, artist, and entertainer. Whether I’m watching my daughters discover the world, helping someone heal their trauma, or performing for a crowd, I try to live in that dual awareness: in awe of the newness while treasuring the fleeting nature of the moment. It’s what makes life feel full, sacred, and alive.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me something success never could: the power of will. I began learning this while pedaling around Europe, often choosing challenges I was afraid of and simply didn’t want to do. When I ruptured my Achilles tendon in 2017, I lost not only my mobility but also the livelihood I had built through circus arts. Overnight, I went from stilt-walking and performing for audiences to relearning how to walk, enduring more than two years of grueling physical therapy. I didn’t want to face the pain, frustration, or endless exercises, but choosing to do them anyway built a deeper perseverance and determination than any success on stage ever had.
That period showed me that resilience isn’t born from applause or achievement but from showing up when it’s the last thing you want to do. Success makes you feel accomplished, but suffering forces you to decide who you are when the easy path is gone. It sharpened my willpower, made me more patient, and gave me the grit to push forward not only in my career but also in my relationships, parenting, and personal growth.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
The truth I hold, one that few seem committed to acting upon, is that humanity must end war. As long as we continue dropping bombs on one another, pouring trillions into defense budgets, and inventing new ways to kill instead of new ways to live, we will never thrive as a species. The same resources that fund endless conflict could feed, clothe, and educate every person on Earth many times over. But ending war is about more than laying down weapons. It is about learning to live in harmony with our planet and with one another. We must stop bulldozing forests, poisoning rivers, and tearing apart the Earth in pursuit of profit, and instead redirect our energy toward science, technology, agriculture, art, and culture, toward creation, not destruction.
And beneath the global shift is the personal one: living with authenticity, honesty, and integrity. All the great spiritual traditions point us in this direction, whether it is the Golden Rule in Christianity, the compassion of Buddhism, the justice of Islam, the reverence for nature in Indigenous wisdom, or the dharma of Hinduism. At their core, they all teach us to treat others with kindness, respect, and humanity. Many embrace this vision, but to me, it is the only truth that matters. When we end war, choose peace, and truly embody honesty and compassion, then we give ourselves a chance not just to survive but to live in real freedom, real love, and real peace.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I believe I am truly doing what I was born to do, not because it was laid out as fate or destiny, but because I feel guided by something greater than myself. In the early part of my life, I lacked intention and direction. Even during the years I spent bicycling, living with almost no money and learning survival, kindness, and resilience, I felt like a sail in the wind, drifting wherever life took me. That journey awakened something deep within me.
Only after landing in San Diego did I truly start living with purpose. That led me to found Cirque Quirk, building a company that brought wonder, joy, and empowerment to people through circus arts. And now, it has brought me back to school, training to become a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist to help people heal in deeper and more lasting ways. Each of these paths unfolded not from a plan I was told to follow but from doors opening at the right time, as if a higher hand was steering me forward. On my 36th birthday, I even had a profound, divine experience that affirmed this sense, that while I don’t believe in a fixed destiny, I do believe we have a creator, a guiding force that shapes my life in ways I cannot imagine. And every step now feels aligned with that calling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cirquequirk.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Cirquequirk
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielallenby/
- Twitter: https://x.com/cirquequirk
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yanomamo
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cirque-quirk-san-diego-5
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/CirqueQuirk
- Other: https://linktr.ee/TheCycleOfKindness
https://linktr.ee/CirqueQuirk
https://allenbyart.myshopify.com/
https://g.page/r/CefGAVMZtu4wEAE
Image Credits
Corban Lundborg
Stephen Cammell
Milan Bihlman
