Meet Joseph Classen | Poet, Musician, & Martial Artist

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

Hi Joseph, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My sense of balance between work, life, and creativity first changed with the birth of my 1st child nearly 9 years ago, and recently again with the birth of my 2nd child nearly a year ago. I was 24 when I had my first kid, and about to go to a Film school in Cuba, but had to instead find a steady job. It left me incredibly frustrated, and my creative work at the time (music and filmmaking) reflected that frustration.

I had to learn how to appreciate my “free time”. When the baby is asleep for a few hours, I began to get more creative work done in less time than I did in 2 weeks before then. Over time I learned how to work within smaller time frames, and actually enjoy the process, rather than chase the greatest impact.

And now with the recent birth of my 2nd child, I felt like I was able to do that intense period over again, this time with the deck of cards stacked in my favor. I knew what to expect time wise, and also didn’t place so much pressure on myself for not getting so much done. I could also attribute that to being older and near my mid 30’s now as well,

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I always seek to inspire those around me to do more in their own lives. I aim to do that in 3 different ways; Through Spoken word, Music, and Martial Arts.

Within the last month, I won 1st place in a Judo tournament, Wrote and performed a 15-minute poem that included guitar performances and was accepted to perform a written piece by the Paterson Arts Council in New Jersey, a city that is rich in its history of Beat Poetry.

All of this is done while working a full-time job and being a hyper-present family man. It’s not easy at all, but I do all of this to show others that it can, and it is completely worth trying to do.

My motto is, “Forever, Onwards”, and it is a way I try to live within everything I do. And it’s something I hope my kids can “see” me doing, instead of just hearing about it. I want them to know that their dad is someone who always tries to be a better version of himself, not just a person who is coasting along the way

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, first we would hit the dojo. Cranford Judo Karate Club for Judo, and Rolling Bear for Jiu-Jitsu. The hour or so of hard training from both those places would put us in a good state of mind, and after a good nap, we would then go to the Colombian Steakhouse, Rancho Mateo, in Elizabeth, NJ.

We would then hit up my best friend, FaceCadet, an amazing alternative rapper, and find out where the local open mic was happening, go there, sing a fun cover song, and then go to his place for an impromptu jam session.

We’d chill at the Hoboken Waterfront on one night, then go bar hopping. And the next morning we would go to the Camden Aquarium to recover and talk about our future goals and dreams while looking at all the cool fishes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Leo Tolstoy, and his great book, “War & Peace”, opened my eyes to what was important in life. That to be completely present with your family is to receive the ultimate blessing. I was so stuck with the idea of being an “artist”, that I lost sight of what was important, and that was opening your heart to the human spirit.

I picked up the book at a thrift store for $3, and read it when my baby’s mother was pregnant. I couldn’t believe that the raw human emotions that I was feeling at the time, were also felt in a book written nearly 3 centuries ago, and it buffered me to be able to see the world with fresh eyes.

And so even now, I always challenge myself to live a life that is worthy of the work of Leo Tolstoy.

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