To Boldly Go Where No Clown Has Gone Before...

I'm leaving tomorrow for a show in Blaine Washington.  I think it's near Tacoma.

I don't travel much with my shows.  It's always been a dream of mine to be able to do more kids shows around the country.

This is super exciting.

I am being hired because the kids in this little town watch my DVD "here comes the clown".  They discovered me in the library.

How cool is this?

Um...pretty cool.

The dad called me about 6 weeks ago and asked if I would be willing to travel?  Um yeah.

I think the furthest I've ever gone for a birthday party show is about 75 miles.

These are just normal people that want to give something to their kids.  I'm so flattered.  I'm all wigly with excitement.  I have to pack my show and costumes, I've polished my shoes.  I got a new nose out of the medicine cabinet (I have a little stack.  I change them about every 6 weeks, they lose their shine).  I borrowed a nice little sound system I'm trying.

I feel like such a celebrity.

Can't wait.

Into the sky I go

Mimes Are Awesome...

I am unapologetic about how much I love mimes.

Mimes got a bad rap a few years ago.  I'm not sure why.  How often do you actually see a mime?  I study mime, love mime and I only see a mime every couple of years.

Every once and a while I get hired as a strolling mime.  I get so nervous.  I get nervous about my skill level, will people try and hurt me, do people really hate mimes.  Will they hate me?

I did a fancy cocktail party a few days ago. Just so fun.

Mime is such a pretty character.  It's also non-threatening.  It's a quiet character and people just want to hug you and take pictures.  It's fun with the silence to make people laugh.

I've studied mime.  Not for years but I love the classes when I get to do them.  It compliments my art form hugely.  Mime is just the pure study of the body on stage.  Incredibly geeky.  It's not about the rope and box.  Mime is about the space you take when you are on stage.  This applies to actors, clowns, musicians, stand up comedians.  Any body on a stage.

When I go out as a mime, I get really nervous because I won't have all my verbal stuff available to me.  I really don't need it.  I am just a funny guy.  I have a lot of gags available to me.  I have facial expressions, I have body mechanics.  I'm also good at make-up.  My costumes look good and I'm just cute.

It's a challenge but a good one.

For cocktail parties it's just a wonderful character roaming around making people smile.  More corporate events should have a mime while people are mingling.

Cramped Hands and Swallowing My Pride...

Way back there was a thing called "Take Your Daughters To Work Day".

It lasted about two or three years.

Then it became "Take Your Kids To Work Day"

And it lasted about two or three years.

I did shows for the employees kids at hospitals, law offices, Cisco, Google, Ebay.  It was a busy time.

These days I get a few inquiries, not much.  The biggie every year is Google.  I used to do these big shows for the kids.  Then it slowed to mostly balloons.   There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of kids.  So I was one of maybe 10 balloon makers scattered around a giant field as the kids got hot dogs, played games went bouncing.  I was payed skunk.  I was just one of the many.  

Yesterday, I worked as a "high end" balloon maker with an old friend/acquaintance.  He's gotten bigger and bigger. He's really into balloons.  That's his thing.

I like the comedy of balloons, the magic of taking a tube and making it into a teddy bear.  That's pretty cool to me.  I like using the skill for a laugh or a smile.

For the gig.  There were 4 of us.  We had to do three pre-approved designs in Google colors.  I wanted to barf.  I hate being told what to do.  I wanted to destroy the event with my comedy with all my soul.  I wanted to create mayhem and bite the hand that was feeding me.

...I did what I was told.

Doing what I was told was to learn some very specific elaborate balloons.  The Google Android.  The Google bicycle and a Google flower.  Each of these took 4 to 5 balloons.

The night before, we got together to create and learn so we were all on the same page, it wouldn't  matter which balloon maker you went to, we were all doing the same choices.

My competitiveness was scrunched.  I couldn't be the funniest guy in the room.  I wasn't allowed.

I really need the gig, I really need the money.  I have to take everything that comes my way.  Honestly, if I were to start again, I would never go into this line of work.  This art.  I have never made much money.  The art side of me doesn't care, the dad cares a lot.

I do what I'm told... sometimes.

The gig was totally fun.  I learned some very cool new balloons.  I had fun with the kids and Google gave me a great lunch.  My friend Rob that booked me loved me, he's hiring a lot more, so I'm in on that front.  Being a team player will get me more work.  

All in all.  I'm my worst enemy.  I think I'm so important.  But you know what, it's pretty fun to make children happy. Whether it's as a clown or handing them a Google Android made in Google colors.

Go See Your Friends Perform...

For a big chunk of last year, I worked on a one man show.  Not for kids but for adults.

It was emotional for me.  Personal.  I thought this show would be a new direction in my performing life.  The combination of acting, stand up comedy, story telling and clowning.

Most people I know missed it.  Or treated it like it was a choice.

If someone lets you know about their performance, I don't believe you have a choice in going or not going.  It's on the level of "Are you coming to my wedding?"  "Are you coming to my son's Bar Mitzvah?"

As long as I've been performing, I still get nervous.  If there are people in the audience I know, I'm really nervous.  I have my entire being at stake.  My ego is taking a hit in a big way.

My one man show was extra personal.  It's been a number of months and I'm still hurt at how people didn't go out of their way to come.  I didn't do one show, I did 7 shows.  That's a lot to choose from.

My sons have both told me what an important lesson they've learned by my insisting they go see their friends in shows.  I don't get a lot of acknowledgement for my parenting but this one they both get.

Both my sons go out of their way and will apologize to a friend if there is a conflict they can't get out of.  They've both told me how they don't understand other friends that don't bother.

I took my son a couple of weeks ago to his friends play.  It was a teenage version of Les Miserables.  On paper I was thinking "oh God...".    It was 45 minutes away.  The girl's parents were beside themselves that I would come all that way to support their daughter.  I know.  It's who I am.

The best part.  It was great.  I loved it. I had a great time.

If you miss someone's show, it's done and gone.  It's not a photo, or a video.  It's gone into the air.  You can never see it.

If you just go.  It means so much to that person.  Good or bad has no relevance to me in the going.  It's just support, it's emotional support.  It's what we do for each other.

What bugs me so much about the friends that didn't come to my show.  I've been to their shows.  Because I always do.  This is not a one way street.

After my experience it hurt my relationship with a number of people.  Not to the point to where I will say something.  But I view them very differently.

I've always been confused by the idea of thick skin as a performer.  I've never gotten used to rejection.  I've never not been nervous.  I've never not cared what people think of me.  I don't think I ever will.  I have a very thin skin.  Stuff hurts.  I think it does for all of us.

Go support each other.   Get off the couch and go.

What To Say After To Another Performer After Their Show...

I've been mulling this topic for years.  How to deal with performers after a show and why it hurts so much when someone says the wrong thing to you.

I made a rule with my children to never put each other down, my wife or me if any of us are doing something creative.  This helped. A little.

My wife is director of a chorus and works on music all the time.  My sons make videos, do music.

I'm the thinnest skin of them all.  I wanted to create a house where we are safe to be creative.

Years ago, I read a passage in an autobiography by Alan Alda.  I checked the book out of the library, I can't even remember the name but I loved the book and I quote this section all the time to people.  I should really just buy it so I can share it with people.

Alan Alda wrote about dealing with actors after a performance.  He's talking about plays, but it's the same in all areas of performance.  My children would make fun of each other when they were playing something on the piano.  Or did a school play.  It caused very hurt feelings.  I think it shuts creativity down.

Alan Alda described going backstage after a play is like walking through triage in a hospital.  These people are walking wounded.  They are emotional wrecks.

When you don't go backstage after a show.  The performer thinks. "They hated it and they are embarrassed for me"  They are avoiding me.

When you go backstage and say.  "Good to see you"  but nothing else. The performer thinks, "They hated me, they hated the show".  When you say.  "You were really good"  The performer thinks, "they are being nice they hated the show"  When you say "good show"  the performer thinks, "They hated me"  etc etc etc.

There is no room for honesty or criticism.  When you see someone after a show, you say. "I loved it, you were amazing.  The show was incredible."  That's it.  You have to.  That's the rule.

Here's my story.  This came up a few days ago.

I threw a party for my friend Funnybone the Clown.  He turned 50.  He's a big man child and jokingly said, "you're my clown friend, you have to throw me a party"  He was right, I had to.  So I put it together.

I've been doing shows each weekend in a Speakeasy.  People dress up like 1920, there is pretend gambling, 20s singers and I do my comedy magic act.  It's a vaudeville style act,  it's a character act and it goes really well.

So, they let me use the bar on a Sunday for my party.

I had a show for him in the middle, before the cake.  I did my act and MC'd the show with a singer, magician, ventriloquist.

As people were leaving.  A "friend" said, he "liked" my act but I should tip my hat differently because I'm blocking my face.

Throwing the party was a lot of stress.  I was doing the act for people I know, a lot of them really well.

All I heard. "You suck you suck you suck".

I get that he was actually being helpful.  And I took his note and changed the act when I did it last night.  But it bummed me out.  I felt like such a turd.

In fairness.  I am cringing because I've done this to other performers many times.  So this is one of those finger pointed forward, four fingers pointed back at myself.

The best thing. Be gushing.  Let the person get criticism when they are looking for it.  Most people never are, so don't bother.

Clowns Are Not Stupid...They Just Do Stupid Things...

I was thinking about why clowns are funny.

Are clowns stupid?  Maybe.  I'm not sure.

I think Pee Wee Herman is innocent.  Charlie Chaplin is an innocent.  Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Bill Irwin Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy?  The Three Stooges?  They are not smart but they keep trying over and over.

I don't think there's such a thing as a lazy clown.  Clowns are always trying to get something, moving forward, just moving.

Here's a mistake I think people make trying to be clowns.  Clowns don't know they are dumb.  I think why we watch and listen and laugh is because they do dumb things out of pure innocence.  As do we all.

Pee Wee Herman chased his bicycle across the country, not because he's dumb. Just pure child like wonder.  He couldn't live a life without his bike.  Laurel and Hardy carry a piano up a thousand flights of stairs, only to find there was a road to the top.  They take the piano back down and drive the piano to where it's supposed to go.  It's just such simple innocent logic.

I get frustrated watching a clown that is not connected to this notion.  I remember watching a clown try to unpack a suitcase once in a stage act.  I was so frustrated.  It didn't make sense, just unpack. it.  He was missing the simple logic.  He didn't convey to the audience his simple mind.

As a clown, I get frustrated by my own props. My hat, my juggling clubs, my balloons.

I get hit by a juggling club in the head.  I try and figure out why I got hit.  I do it again, I get hit again. If I'm not an innocent, it's frustrating.  Why not just put the juggling club down?  Or just juggle, obviously I can juggle.  I keep trying to do the same thing over and over.  Eventually I win.

Einstein had a definition of insanity.  Trying the same thing over and over expecting a different result.  I think he could have been talking about the clown as well.

I think it's funny with Abbott and Costello discussing "Who's On First"  Bud is innocent to the fact that a man named "who" is unusual.  He's ok with that.  That's pretty funny on it's own.  Costello is frustrated because he's answering the question "who, is on first?"

Costello tries over and over to get a different outcome to the question "who's on first"  The Three Stooges try every job you can imagine and each time they mess it up.  That constant movement is funny.

I think we like clowns because we are all dumb, we are all innocent.  We'll put a grocery bag on top of our car and drive away or go fishing and bring everything but the bait.  We put the cereal box in the refrigerator.   I had a friend once take his dog for a walk then realize he forgot his dog.

We relate to these funny things. The clown will do them again and again and expect another outcome.  That's what's funny.  Because we all do these dumb things.  The clown just never learns.

Balloon Animal Comedy...

Statistics have spoken.  My loyal fan base wants more funny stuff with balloons.

I'm psychic.  I know it.  I'm amazing that way.  I can read your minds...Plus Google gives me analytics.  This touchy feely stuff is cool for me.  Not so much for my audience.

I'm actually crying now.  Be guilty. Very guilty.

Do you remember how cool you used to think balloons were?  Way way back.  Maybe you still do.

I had a teacher in college that taught me balloon animals.  It was a clown class.  This teacher, I'm sure never did a kids party, he was all about stage clowning.  He's an awesome guy.  I'll give him a plug.  Here's his book

http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Comedy-Handbook-Davis-Robinson/dp/0325001146

I just thought it was so cool I was doing balloon animals.  I really thought, this is clowning, what could be better?

I got in trouble when I first came home from the circus.  I was working in a box office with my now wife.  My boss said, "no balloon animals in here...ever!"

So I made them all the time.  I'm a dick.

Balloons are fun, they make you feel good, I want one, they are colorful.  This is where the comedy will come.

Do a big production.  Do a fanfare on your phone.  Bring a kazoo and toot out. Da da du.  Drum roll and finally present an empty balloon.  Fall in love with it, dance with it.  Then give it to a child.

Call it a worm.  Tell the audience.  I'm pretty good eh?  Kids will argue.

Do the whole routine again.  Never underestimate repetition.  Do it exactly as you did before.  blow it up a little.  Give it to a kid.  A pregnant worm.

Do the routine, this time faster.  Blow it up all the way, let it go.  That worm had gas.  Wave at your backside. He must have eaten a burrito.

You can let balloons go in a bunch of ways.  The comedy is to make the balloon smarter than you.  Give the balloon status.  It's an important balloon.  Be surprised that the balloon is not doing what you want.  This is clowning.  Don't do a pretend surprised.  Really believe the balloon is going to stay inflated if you don't tie it.

Clowns are not stupid, they just do stupid things.  Don't be dumb, be surprised that something dumb happened.  We all do dumb things. (Ever lock your keys in the car?  Clowns just do it a lot)

Keep making similar mistakes of letting the balloon go.  One time say.  "There's something wrong with this balloon"  Blow up a few, then let them all go.  "Fourth of July"

If you tie a balloon loosely around your finger you can take your finger out and it will be untied.  This takes a little practice.

When you have a balloon blown up.  If you hold it and force your finger into the nozzle end, the balloon will shoot away.  This is just funny looking. You can chase after the balloon and let it escape. Try capturing this same balloon but it keeps flying away because you've put your finger into the nozzle and it pops away.

Get mad at the balloon (always funny). try and step on it.  Balloons won't pop if you step on them.  or sit on them.  Unless they are heavily inflated.

Then finally make something really simple.  A dog.

After all this build up, you don't have to make anything elaborate.  The audience will applaud because of the comedy.

I just love balloons.  Not the balloon line kind of gig.  Balloons are magical.  One minute you have a long colorful tube the next minute someone has a flower.  It's nifty.

Just Show Up...

I've been doing Aikido for a long long time.

I am a second degree black belt in Aikido which means

Toughest Clown in San Francisco!

I'd still cover my crotch and roll up in a ball if I were ever in a fight.  Aikido is like violent Yoga.

I got better and better at Aikido because I just kept showing up.  I go 3 to 5 times per week.  Every time I go, it's a struggle.  "I don't feel like it, I'm no good at this, I just want to relax today"...Head voices.

I show up and the rest takes care of itself. Aikido is a frustrating activity.  Often, I don't do well.  I don't understand the instruction or I'm not clicking.  But I show up.  And I get better.  It just happens.

This is how I got better and better at performing.  Shows are not always good, some I hate, some I'm in way over my head.  But I show up, over and over and over.  And I get better.

This is my approach to all things creative.  Just show up.  Then you're stuck, you have to create something.

i.e.  This monstrous blog.  I committed. I show up and write over and over and over. I'm getting better and better.

I created a children's show on Public Access years back.  When I started I was all over the place.  I tried green screens, I tried doing things in studios, I did crazy characters.

It was not very good.

I remember learning how to use Final Cut Pro.  It was a nightmare, I was near tears trying to get my show in by the deadline.

Then I got better and better.  I can fly around Final Cut these days.  I did a video series called "Hey Mr. Sub!"  I eventually flew through those.

The show got easier to make.  It got better and better.  Because I showed up.  Meaning, I signed myself up for a time slot and committed to making something month after month. I'd still be making that show if the station still existed.

When I was younger and more handsome I auditioned for commercials.  I showed up and got better.  To get better at auditions, you have to audition.  To get more auditions you have to be good at auditioning.  So, you show up.

I started doing a "holiday" show every year.  The week between Christmas and New Years.  It was stressful.  I didn't know how to get audiences.  I knew how to perform but I was exploring a new world of clowning for myself.  I didn't know my audience would enjoy my personal clown explorations.

I kept showing up. Year after year.

Stress never goes away.  Fear never goes away.  Self-Doubt never goes away.  Those are voices, like awful Muzak you can turn down but not off.

But you show up.  Day after day, year after year.  You'll get better. Ever see the first 3 episodes of Seinfeld?  Not great.  They kept showing up.  The show became great.

Right now, I'm working on another joke book.  It's frustrating.  It's been about 75% complete for six months.

It bugs me that it's not done.  I decided a few days ago to start showing up.  It's happening.  I can see an end finally.  Then on to the next book.

It's easy to start something new.  Showing up day after day...Sigh, not as easy, not as fun.  But that's how you complete things.  Whether you're a clown, a writer or you're building a house.

Show up.

Ahhh I'm bald...

Following up with the bald theme that's been in my head.  Actually being on a bald theme, there's nothing on my head!

I still think I have hair.  When I look in the mirror, yes I can see my scalp but there is still hair.

I see pictures of myself and it's not there.  It's weird.

I was at the bank with my friend Nick before we went to lunch.  I was standing back and started playing in the security camera.  According to the security camera, I am near complete horseshoe.

I said to Nick, man this camera makes me look completely bald.  He said "look?"

People make bald jokes around me all the time now.  I want from extreme receding to bald guy.  It's within the last 6 or 10 months.  I went over the breaking point.

I'd totally get plugs if I could afford them.  Cut my hair real short.  Spray paint my head.

But you know.  The clown thing.  I really like being a bald clown, it's funny.

I don't like being a bald guy.  Not so funny.

I hate having two identities.   Damn clown, stronger than the man.

This is why I wear a hat all the time. 

Just Call Me Baldy...

I have a strong belief that the reason clowns are funny is because clowns have us (as a society) look at our own flaws and laugh.

In the big picture a clown should be making fun of people that care too much about their looks. A great TV show would be the Kardashian's played by clowns.  Next Top Model with clowns.  The Oscars with clowns.

Clowns should make fun of people in charge.  A clown pretending to be the president.  Awesome.  A clown being Justin Bieber, a clown Supreme Court.  So funny.

Total Carol Burnett stuff.

Where I perform, living rooms mostly. I want to get laughs on a local level.  Baldness is pretty common and it's always funny.  Being overweight is common, it's funny (don't make fun of overweight people, bring it to yourself). Being old is common, it's funny.

Look at what we try and hide, bring it to the surface in your own character.

My old clown partner Woody used to enter and say.  I'm 9 feet tall to the kids.  Woody is 6 foot 5.  Basketball player height.  Yes, super tall and it was funny.  I know he's spent his life dealing with "hows the weather up there"

I'm pretty much bald at this point.  So, I point it out, I point at my mellon.  I stand next to other bald men and say "look we're twins".  It's funny because it's silly to care about something that is so unimportant.

Who wants to be bald?  Not me.  But it's hilarious.  It's a perfect clown bit.  Society spends so much money on hair products, jells, sprays, hair rememdies, hair straightener, hair thickener.  Etc Etc.  I could do a whole show on just sprays, hair color, goops, different brushes.

A Clown should make us see how silly all of that is.  Of course it doesn't matter if someone's bald.  But it sure feels like it matters.

Let the world laugh at itself.  That's what clowns do.  I'm bald.  I totally hate being bald,  I use hair stuff, I cover it, I wear hats, I try to not draw attention to it.  As a clown I fluff my side hair, I point out the baldness, I pretend to get mad when kids point out that I'm bald.

I get to make fun of myself.  Pretty neat.  That's being a clown.

Who's the Party About?

At the end of a birthday party show I go to the birthday boy/girl and give them my complete undivided attention.  I whisper a secret in their ear (usually, it was great to be at their circus).  I Get a high five.  Make them feel special.

A good buddy of mine told me about a fairy princess he hired for his daughter when she was 5.  He's a professional magician.  He's seen everything.  He's a great performer himself.

He thought the show and songs were so so.  But that last moment made him cry and he gave her a big tip.

I heard this and incorporated this into my birthday party show.  I don't know what it looks like.  I don't know if it gets me more tips.  I do know that if this were my child and the performer spent a second focused on my child. I'd like it and appreciate it.

You have to stop and ask.  "Why am I doing this show?"  Most of my shows are birthday party shows.  The focus of the birthday party show is the birthday child.

I ask.  "what's my checklist to make sure it's special for the family?"

Make sure I take a picture with the birthday child and me.  If it's a baby, even more important.
Make sure I use the birthday child's name in my show.
Make sure I spend a few seconds with the birthday child and thank them for having me.
Make sure I send a thank you.

There is nothing more special to a family than their child's birthday.  I always have this in my mind. I do a lot of children's parties.  I never let myself take for granted how special this is and what an honor to be part of something so important to the family.

So.  I take minute and just let the birthday child know, I'm so happy THEY invited me.  

One Balloon Animal Per Child...Nah!

Quite a while ago, when my son was in preschool.  One of the mothers was talking to me and said she saw an entertainer at another party.

When I had little kids and I was in those social circles, people gave me opinions of performers they had seen.  It was natural, it's like meeting a dentist at a party, then talking about some bad experience you've had with a dentist.  What I do is an unusual occupation, it was their way of opening something up.

One thing that struck me about our conversation.  Her son wanted another balloon and the entertainer held to the only one balloon per child custom.

She took away a meh attitude toward this performer.  Everything else was good, she was left with a bad feeling.

How you leave an event is everything.  It's a weird human behavior but a bad feeling at the end will taint our whole experience.  We may have a great meal but the waiter took forever to bring the check and then was slightly rude.  The whole experience diminished.  You'll remember the meal for not being great because of a little glitch at the end.

When I started, I held to the same rule.  One balloon, if you pop it, hey, that's what balloons do.  Tough it out kid, life's tough.

On the other hand. Who cares.  give the kids as many as they want.  Why not?  So what, you go over your time by 15 or 20 minutes.

15 or 20 minutes and you leave with not only a satisfied customer but a customer that loves you forever.

I totally ruin it for all other performers.

You can have a five year old looking at you with big eyes asking for a dinosaur.  You can can say, "Everyone only gets one balloon, you already got a balloon, that wouldn't be fair to the other children"

They hear. "Mean clown mean clown mean clown"

Or, you can just do it and it takes the same amount of time as explaining.  If you are running out of time.  Just say you can't make a dinosaur how about a sword or a dog or a bear?  In case you don't know this.  Children are easily manipulated!

The kids are happy, birthday parents are happy, you get hugs and a tip at the end.  Seems like the way to go.

How Blogging Changed My Life...

I started blogging because I wanted to work on a book.

I could have used a personal journal.  I could have typed on the computer.  But, I view myself as a public person.  In fact, I have a feeling that I'm always being watched, like I'm on the Truman Show.  I've always felt this.

I also figured doing a blog about children's entertainment would put me in a teaching or consulting position. As I created my vision of the blog, I looked at other blogs.  I saw lots of crap out there.

Here's the sin of the blog.  Quitting.  And there's lots of quitting out there.  It's easy to write 3 entries. Then apologize on the 4th for how long it's been since you wrote.  Try the 50th entry.  Or the 150th.  Continue coming up with topics when you're sure you've covered everything.

I've found I'll never run out of topics to write about.  I care deeply about the art of clowning.  I am passionate about the idea of children's entertainment being taken as a seriously.  Those of us that specialize in children's entertainment are good at what we do and do not consider our art form the forgotten step of the entertainment community.

I got disheartened in 2013.  I look back and I have very few entries.  I spent a ton of time linking this blog.  Submitting to specialty sites.  Not much happened.  I got 5 views a day and most of those views were from robots trolling the internet.  I was spinning my wheels.  No one was listening.  Why shout out when there are no ears?

But here's what happened.  My career is about to burst. I am the focus of a major news article about clowns.  The article profiles me, my feelings, this blog and my life.  Where the clown community is busy copying itself over and over till it becomes a faded Xerox.  I forged something new and was discovered.  I've put my whole heart into this thing.  I didn't see it paying off in this way.  I wanted to be a guy that did workshops with other clowns.

The reporter that has been studying me for three months, studied every part of this blog.  I've not only put my thoughts about how to pick clown shoes.  I've put my total passion into this.

I'm being discovered not by magic.  By perseverance.

My last entry was about a party that was not great, everything went wrong.   When things go badly, I get to be a clown.  Being funny, trying to control chaos that's what I strive for, the messier the better.  A clown in peril is funny.  A clown is trying to make the world work when it just won't, that's why clowns are so interesting.  

Of course, I don't like it when things go badly.  But who cares, it's funny to watch a clown deal with the mess and mayhem.  Kids poking at me with plastic magic wands, kids hitting my shoes, the birthday boy trying to hit me, getting in my things.

I got home after that show and was happy it was over, ready for my next show.  A better show.

I called my good friend Mike.  Funnybone the clown.  He told me to share the story with the reporter.  I did that and one better.  I shared it on here.  And I got to see the good side of the show.  The amazing part of the show.  Where I wanted everything to work, that's what made it really funny.  It was because it was not working.

One dream I hold onto is to be able to pick the shows I'd like to do.  The reason I'm so funny and so good at what I do, I've never allowed myself to choose. I always take what's offered.  I hear about other entertainers that will only do certain ages.  Only go to certain areas of town.  Sorry Nancy Reagan, I never say no.

I've done

Senior Centers
Alzheimers
Blind Children
Deaf Children
Inner City Gangs
Housing Projects
Kids with Cancer
Adults with Cancer
Battered Women's Shelters
East Los Angeles After the Rodney King Verdict

I would not choose to be in these places.  But the clown needs to be in these places.  The clown in a nice controlled environment is just a cute character.  A clown in uncomfort is funny.

And that's what I want to be.  Funny.

(yup that's me!  In trouble)

This blog has changed my life.  I realize I'm the court jester.  A lot of times I'm just doing this for a living.  At my best, I'm risking myself.  I get to see that here.

It's only taken 225 entries and a lot of discouragement.