Depending on the time of day, 24-year-old Nick Clark may be one of any number of things: a photographer, a security guard, a wedding assistant.
At 11 a.m. on this rainy weekday, Clark is busy being the Statue of Liberty.
Gender notwithstanding, it’s a reasonable gig for someone who stands 6 feet 6 inches in comfortable loafers, even if the frenetic waving of Clark’s giant foam hands doesn’t necessarity evoke Lady Liberty’s stoic image.
"My family thinks I’m insane," Clark says with a shrug.
Clark earns $8 an hour standing at the corner of University Avenue and South King Street and attracting potential customers to Liberty Tax Service at Puck’s Alley.
People are generally nice, Clark says. Sometimes his friends will come around to gawk at his green robe and foam crown, and that’s OK, too.
Clark, who grew up in Makiki and graduated from Roosevelt High School, is saving up his money to return to college. He’s not sure what his major will be, but he’s eager to complete a degree and get a reliable full-time job.
Thus, in addition to the five days a week he spends in costume, Clark also works six days a week as a security guard at a downtown parking lot. He also helps set up for beach weddings for $15 a pop and takes whatever freelance photography jobs he can find.
Clark credits his mother, a counselor at the University of Hawaii, for instilling in him a willingness to work hard for what he wants.
"I’m young," Clark says. "People say that I have a lot of time on my hands. So I figure, why not use that time to do something?"
Clark works from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. at the parking lot, then grabs a quick nap before donning his Statue of Liberty costume and working his corner from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Clark also goes to UH for a few hours to hang with his friends in the Anime Manga Society.
Clark has served as the club’s unofficial photographer since he was drafted to help at a cosplay fashion show a few years ago. People took notice, and now Clark’s photos adorn many of the club members’ social media sites.
Clark says he does most of his sleeping on Friday, his one day off. On the job he tries to keep moving to stave off fatigue.
To keep his goal of returning to school within reach, Clark also tries to keep his expenses to a minimum.
"Most of what I spend," Clark says, "goes to nachos."
Check out #IncidentalLives on Twitter. Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.
