I'm really unusual. I'm really really unusual.
Not so much what I do for a living but that I do what I do for a living and I'm married...and I have children.
It's pretty weird, hardly any children's entertainers I know have normal or traditional lives. It's pretty strange of me to actually have children.
So, I've got one foot in the normal and one foot in the absurd.
It's an uncomfortable place to be. But I've got a good hint on what it is to be a family. I've got an idea of what it's like to throw a party, take a family out to dinner, run to pick up kids after school, afford a million music lessons.
I'm more comfortable being a clown.
Being odd.
I never feel quite comfortable around people. The thing is, I'm the queen of involvement. I'm on two PTA boards. I fundraise, I volunteer, never miss a field trip the whole thing.
But I'm more comfortable being a clown.
I like being around the funny people, I like being irreverent, unpredictable, silly.
People think I wear a mask to be a clown. oh no. I wear a mask to be a regular person. I can't relate to anyone with a job, I can't figure them out, what they do all day, why they do it. I'm always at a loss in regard to that.
I'm way more comfortable being a clown.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
"What Do You Say When A Kid Says You're Not a Real Clown"
How do you write a come back?
I've been writing comebacks for years. I first put out this little book of comebacks, 15 or so years ago. I took out a tiny ad in Laugh Maker Magazine and sold them for $5.
I've written a ton of things to say to kids when they ask questions like "you aren't a real clown".
If you start "listening" and "watching". You'll notice the same patterns again and again. Some patterns are pretty obvious, wave and someone will wave back.
When you hear "you aren't a real clown" over and over, it's a pattern. So, what made them say it? Why at that particular moment? and What do you want to say back?
I want to see kids laughing. So, my comebacks tend toward the very silly and the changing the direction of the thought process. I don't want to get into "so, what exactly is a real clown?" It's a question a kid can't answer, it's one of those, I know it when I see it things.
The last few years, I've tended toward agreement and doing a physical act. "You're right"...then dropping my hat on the floor, dropping something else, going into that routine.
I choose this because if you asked me what a clown was, I would lean on the physical presence. The being in character 100%. (See my thoughts on Stephen Colbert).
A lot of times, I lean on the verbal stuff. "how big are your shoes" Size 1....in clown. "These...they're loose. Someone was broken down on the highway so I gave them a toe"
The difference. "You're not a real clown is sort of challenging to my core" I am a clown, it's me day to day performing or not, I just am. I have to deal with that question pretty quickly or it actually hurts my feelings. The other stuff is just fun.
So, when I say listen. Listen to yourself too. I have to listen to my own reaction. Even though these are very young children, they can still get to me, they can insult me. I want to control the situation and lead it where I want.
Maybe I think too much. I should listen to that.
I've been writing comebacks for years. I first put out this little book of comebacks, 15 or so years ago. I took out a tiny ad in Laugh Maker Magazine and sold them for $5.
I've written a ton of things to say to kids when they ask questions like "you aren't a real clown".
If you start "listening" and "watching". You'll notice the same patterns again and again. Some patterns are pretty obvious, wave and someone will wave back.
When you hear "you aren't a real clown" over and over, it's a pattern. So, what made them say it? Why at that particular moment? and What do you want to say back?
I want to see kids laughing. So, my comebacks tend toward the very silly and the changing the direction of the thought process. I don't want to get into "so, what exactly is a real clown?" It's a question a kid can't answer, it's one of those, I know it when I see it things.
The last few years, I've tended toward agreement and doing a physical act. "You're right"...then dropping my hat on the floor, dropping something else, going into that routine.
I choose this because if you asked me what a clown was, I would lean on the physical presence. The being in character 100%. (See my thoughts on Stephen Colbert).
A lot of times, I lean on the verbal stuff. "how big are your shoes" Size 1....in clown. "These...they're loose. Someone was broken down on the highway so I gave them a toe"
The difference. "You're not a real clown is sort of challenging to my core" I am a clown, it's me day to day performing or not, I just am. I have to deal with that question pretty quickly or it actually hurts my feelings. The other stuff is just fun.
So, when I say listen. Listen to yourself too. I have to listen to my own reaction. Even though these are very young children, they can still get to me, they can insult me. I want to control the situation and lead it where I want.
Maybe I think too much. I should listen to that.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
"Keeping the Faith..."
I was sitting here today, totally in my head, thinking thinking thinking.
To quote my old friend Woody, "My brain was percolating like a Mr. Coffee glub glub glub".
Really, I wasn't just sitting. I was sending out a flyer to libraries in my area. Some pretty far from me, they say please hire me. I said it with a little more aplomb but please hire me is the jist.
Big mailings are expensive. Up to this point, I've always done postcards, this year, I decided to cut paste and make a one sheet, print zillions of them and mail them off. More expensive than a postcard but I didn't have to wait for the design and the printer.
Here is the faith. I have no idea if the timing is right. I have a rough idea libraries are booking now for the summer but some booked everything two months ago. Some won't finish booking till May. I have no idea if anyone sees it. I have no idea if it works. I just have to get my name out as much as possible with my message of fun.
Historically, I have gotten work from it, usually it will cross the desk of the right person. I charge enough that it is worthwhile, at the worst, I'll book one more show and I'll still come out ahead.
But mailing is expensive, printing is expensive.
But this is the kind of thing you have to do. It takes me hours and hours and hours to fold, stuff, stamp, wet the envelope, drop in the mailbox.
Keep the faith, it will work....it will work...it will work
Being a working artist is always a gamble. It's a lot of money to me, so I'll have to stretch finances a bit further but if no one knows your name, how could they hire you?
It's an act of faith.
To quote my old friend Woody, "My brain was percolating like a Mr. Coffee glub glub glub".
Really, I wasn't just sitting. I was sending out a flyer to libraries in my area. Some pretty far from me, they say please hire me. I said it with a little more aplomb but please hire me is the jist.
Big mailings are expensive. Up to this point, I've always done postcards, this year, I decided to cut paste and make a one sheet, print zillions of them and mail them off. More expensive than a postcard but I didn't have to wait for the design and the printer.
Here is the faith. I have no idea if the timing is right. I have a rough idea libraries are booking now for the summer but some booked everything two months ago. Some won't finish booking till May. I have no idea if anyone sees it. I have no idea if it works. I just have to get my name out as much as possible with my message of fun.
Historically, I have gotten work from it, usually it will cross the desk of the right person. I charge enough that it is worthwhile, at the worst, I'll book one more show and I'll still come out ahead.
But mailing is expensive, printing is expensive.
But this is the kind of thing you have to do. It takes me hours and hours and hours to fold, stuff, stamp, wet the envelope, drop in the mailbox.
Keep the faith, it will work....it will work...it will work
Being a working artist is always a gamble. It's a lot of money to me, so I'll have to stretch finances a bit further but if no one knows your name, how could they hire you?
It's an act of faith.
Monday, February 7, 2011
"Hi Mom! I'm on TV"
The camera is your friend.
If you are working as a clown, you will be on camera...a lot, all the time. How do you pose? How do you prop a child up to look their best? How do you get a group of 15 little girls to gather round and look at the camera?
Cameras are so a part of our life, they should be accepted like a hug from a child.
This is so much in the character realm. Your character should have a way of standing, if you see a camera, go into that pose in a quarter second.
But here's a thought on that. Is it your pose? Or have you seen a million other clowns do that same stance? My pose is a tip of the hat, mouth half open. Now, as a side note, when I'm at a family gathering, it's really hard to not have my mouth hanging wide open when my mother takes a picture of a table full of people. I'm just in front of the camera a lot more in my real life, my clown life...
There are also moments I look for that I know will take great photos. 2,3,4 sometimes 5 year olds will sit on my knee. I am on the floor one knee up like a football player and I put them on that knee. This is the cutest shot in the world. Plus, I'm happy the kids are so comfortable with me. Doesn't always happen, so I like it when kids are willing.
Sometimes I take photos with child after child. This happens to me in my library shows. Everyone has a camera now on their phone, so I get a line of kids to take pictures. I have my 3 go to poses. A lot of it though is getting kids laughing in a fraction of a second and getting one on one time with them. It's nice to make that very very strong connection.
A lot of times, I can actually pick up a younger child, if they have an older brother or sister, this is cool too.
This is not to brag, it's just I have to know how to do this.
I was thinking of this topic last night because I was watching 5 very seasoned singers last night perform. One of the women has asked me to video the show. This was as far away from clown work as you can get. They sang gospel, jazz, soul, show numbers. They could sing!
I say it was far away from clowning but performing is performing is performing. They didn't look at the camera but I could see they acknowledged the camera. A bit hard to explain but because I am on both sides, I perform a lot and I make a lot of video, I see how people are in front of the camer. So I can see they acknowledged me as a special audience member. The same way you might acknowledge you mother is in the audience.
Embrace the camera as a friend. Look it square in the eye and smile big.
If you are working as a clown, you will be on camera...a lot, all the time. How do you pose? How do you prop a child up to look their best? How do you get a group of 15 little girls to gather round and look at the camera?
Cameras are so a part of our life, they should be accepted like a hug from a child.
This is so much in the character realm. Your character should have a way of standing, if you see a camera, go into that pose in a quarter second.
But here's a thought on that. Is it your pose? Or have you seen a million other clowns do that same stance? My pose is a tip of the hat, mouth half open. Now, as a side note, when I'm at a family gathering, it's really hard to not have my mouth hanging wide open when my mother takes a picture of a table full of people. I'm just in front of the camera a lot more in my real life, my clown life...
There are also moments I look for that I know will take great photos. 2,3,4 sometimes 5 year olds will sit on my knee. I am on the floor one knee up like a football player and I put them on that knee. This is the cutest shot in the world. Plus, I'm happy the kids are so comfortable with me. Doesn't always happen, so I like it when kids are willing.
Sometimes I take photos with child after child. This happens to me in my library shows. Everyone has a camera now on their phone, so I get a line of kids to take pictures. I have my 3 go to poses. A lot of it though is getting kids laughing in a fraction of a second and getting one on one time with them. It's nice to make that very very strong connection.
A lot of times, I can actually pick up a younger child, if they have an older brother or sister, this is cool too.
This is not to brag, it's just I have to know how to do this.
I was thinking of this topic last night because I was watching 5 very seasoned singers last night perform. One of the women has asked me to video the show. This was as far away from clown work as you can get. They sang gospel, jazz, soul, show numbers. They could sing!
I say it was far away from clowning but performing is performing is performing. They didn't look at the camera but I could see they acknowledged the camera. A bit hard to explain but because I am on both sides, I perform a lot and I make a lot of video, I see how people are in front of the camer. So I can see they acknowledged me as a special audience member. The same way you might acknowledge you mother is in the audience.
Embrace the camera as a friend. Look it square in the eye and smile big.
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