I enjoy group pictures when the show is over, don’t you?
I don’t know if it is because putting on costume and makeup turns me into a ham or because I know that other people will enjoy looking at their photos and remembering the event as much as I do.
I remember how amazed I was at the clown training seminars. The clowns teaching the classes could step in and out of character. It was obvious, even without the makeup, when they were ‘in clown’. Their characters were very well-developed and that is one of the things that makes a clown professional.
Since I am talking about the clown schools, I have something to share. It happened at one of the weekend clown schools I attended back in 2007, but I will show you a few more group pictures while I tell my story…
I was new to clowning and trying my best to learn. Little did I know that most of my clowning would be in North Africa!
They had skit competitions at these clown schools. It was an opportunity to practice, and then receive critiques on costume, makeup, and performance. It was a good way to get feedback from professionals.
To be honest, I never did well. One time, some comments about me were not good at all. I literally went in the bathroom and cried! I will forever be grateful to one of the clown teachers. She must have seen how upset I was and followed me. She encouraged me to keep clowning. She said there was an anointing on me as I clowned. I will never forget Brenda Marshall or her uplifting words.
I may not look like a solo clown while I am surrounded by kids in these pictures, but I am on my own here. If you are part of a clown alley, you are blessed. Just a suggestion: don’t hesitate to encourage the clown next to you. It might make all the difference in the world.
