Bummed Out...

I was goofing around with clowns and comedians the other day.  They were tearing apart my writing style on this blog.  

I was laughing but felt pretty beat up after.  I've never wanted to be a writer but always felt I HAVE to write.  Since I was 7 years old, I knew I had no choice, I had to be a writer.  I wrote a story about my tortoise (named Frisky!  Yes, I was funny at an early age).  I wrote a 25 page story about Frisky in first grade.  I had so many people praising me, I had no choice but to become a writer.  The decision was made. 

At the same time, I felt trapped and angry about the decision.  I have very mixed feelings about writing. 

This blog has fed an internal need.  I have to write or I feel like I'm a failure.  I also want to be a hero to the world, I like being talked about...a lot. A whole lot.  

So, today I'm feeling bummed.  I've written for two years about my passion, children's entertainment.  I have friends making fun of my writing and I average 5 hits a day on this site.  

If you read my posts, just let me know, I'm curious.  If you want my help, let me know, I'd really like to give it a shot.  But today I'm bummed. 

You Can Make Anything Funny...

I was asked a question on my last post about a pom pom routine.

I wanted to write about the pom pom trick because I get huge laughs and gasps of amazement.  I've seen the trick done where it's a complete bore.  This has nothing to do with the fact that I know how it's done, it's character.  The person doing it has no character or they've copied someone else's routine without their own character motivation.

The pom pom is simple.  4 colored pom poms.  You pull any one and another will follow, very very simple.  That's all the trick is, pull one color another follows.

Are you amazed?  Are you a smart alec that knows you're fooling everyone?  Do you want a child to look like a hero and have them do it and fool you?  Are you a show off?

These are character choices.  My choice as Boswick The Clown, I am fooled by the trick, I can't figure out why it's working.

I make a strong clear choice.

Just because I do the trick this way, does not mean it will work for you.  It might work for you if you make that character choice.

I've always used this particular trick when I work on character.  I love the many ways people find to use it.  One woman I worked with discovered with two pom poms hanging down, it looked like a little man walking.  I loved it, I had never seen it that way before.  I never saw it as a little puppet.

Another woman, kept trying to do it and saying whoops each time it did something she didn't expect.  This always stuck in my memory as one of the most endearing tricks I've ever seen.  She was so vulnerable and cute trying to figure it out, it was a joy to see her create this.  

Take the character question and apply it to any of your routines, they will be stronger and funnier.  I apply this basic character to how I enter a room and how I eat, if I'm offered food.  When I eat, I LOVE the food and make yummy sounds.  Kids laugh like crazy, and I get a free meal.   I enter a room, very proud of myself, set my trunk down to take a ta da that I'm there, then forget to get my trunk.  I have to go back and get it.  Then I have to take a ta da again, and forget my hat etc etc etc.  I try to find extreme choices, this is the comedy of a clown.

I just make choices as a character.  Boswick the Clown shows off but gets frustrated by the most simple task, sitting in a chair, eating, putting a hat on.

Want help with your routine or character?

My email is david@boswick.net