Introducing Zivi Kivi, Magician and Balloon Artist

One of the pleasures of writing this blog is that I learn about people I would be unlikely to otherwise come into contact with. This week, I learned about Zivi Kivi, a magician and certified balloon artist who lives in Israel. Due to the current unrest in Israel, many children's events have been cancelled, particularly outdoor events because of fear of missiles. Zivi Kivi has made it his project to try to make children happy and has visited 30 villages so far to give free performances for children in shelters.

Describing the children and families that he has met and performed for recently, Zivi Kivi says, "I was privileged to entertain them and make them laugh."

Almost three months ago, he left his job as a project manager for a software company and started full-time as a magician. He has been teaching himself the ways of magic and balloon artistry for some years now, and he has won competitions with his balloon sculptures. Looking at the balloon art in the gallery on his website, I was impressed with the complexity of his work and how expressive it is. I almost expected some of his figures to begin speaking and moving like animated cartoon characters.

Here is someone with a passion for his art form--and a desire to bring joy to others during difficult times. It's a reminder of the value of creativity and personal artistic expression in a diversity of forms. Learn more about Zivi Kivi and his work on his website, zivikivi.co.il (which you can translate from Hebrew into English using Google translate if, like me, you don't read Hebrew).