Ross Reekie

Last night I was asked to “jump in” to the opera Manon Lescaut by starring and .solo

It was my third Puccini opera in the last month (after and Trittico) and I loved them all!

I played a very busy businessman, an MTV film crew member, and a Paparazzo! 📸

It happened to be live streamed on the app. Here are a couple of screenshots and behind the scenes photos of the action!

What a blast! 😃

Tag der offenen Tür at the - Open day in the Vienna state is one the best events of the year! To open the new season we open the doors to the public. Normally, as extras, we don’t get much feedback from the crowds, as it’s rare that we get to take a curtain call. On the open day it feels great to interact, chat, take a million photos with the guests. This feedback and appreciation makes the job feel more rewarding. And it’s !

This one was extra special as my son Otto was able to come and see my workplace, and experience the magic of the .

It’s also awesome to catch up with old friends after a long summer.

Ps my costume is Prospero from

“I love all of my jobs!” - Having just one job you love is a challenge for most of us, never mind four! But perhaps that’s the trick. Like Nina, a talented illustrator, we all have different versions of ourselves, different elements within us with their own needs to be fulfilled. Could balancing all of that in a blend of a “portfolio career” and side-hustles be the answer to a healthier relationship with our work?

Nina’s latest job, working in the opera as a makeup artist, gives her something important that she knew she was missing from her main job - human connection. It’s also given her so much more that came as a surprise. Click the link to read more and find out how Nina challenged her own definition of a career to find meaning and happiness in her work.

This is a story about the importance of human connection, fulfilling different passions in work, and finding freedom by exploring different ways of working.

Nina the Makeup Artist and more » Ross Reekie How well does your job fit you? We give high importance in meaningful work research to the concept of authenticity. There are literally thousands of

When I started the fun jobs project it was to find a new way of approaching work with lightness. Some days in the Vienna state opera that comes very easy!

📸 from this weekend’s performance of Tosca .wesener

Rehearsal for

“That’s when life really hit me: Why would I ever want work to be a part of my life I don’t like?”

Do you do work that you love?

When I started working as an Extra in the Vienna State Opera it was just for fun. I was so focused on my research and keynote speaking about finding meaning in work that I didn’t expect this part-time “fun” job to become something that would change me and change my views on what work actually means to me.
Without question, one of the best parts of the job has been talking with and being inspired by my colleagues in the Opera. I’ve been recording and sharing their stories. It’s turned into the “fun jobs” research project.

Ben is one of many who inspired me to think more deeply about what being “authentic” at work means. Authenticity is a word that gets thrown around with abandon on social media and self-development books. We’re apparently supposed to be our authentic / true selves all the time in order to be happy and fulfilled. It’s much harder to know exactly what that means and how to make it happen. Ben’s story is a great example of how to “do” authenticity by challenging our values and choices.

It’s a story about finding joy in work.

See you there! https://rossreekie.com/events-workshops/