A Clown Writes About 2023 (Kind Of)

Some bite-sized bits of wisdom and favorite photos

Dec 23, 2023

Hey, clowns! Happy holidays!

I am taking a little time to regroup. So, for the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing bite-sized thoughts about clown that I’m hoping to expand in my book.

I’ll also be sharing some of my favorite clown pictures from 2023!

Thoughts and comments are always appreciated!

GENERAL ADVICE

Every new clown has a unique journey, but most of them make the same mistakes. They move too fast, talk too much, fail to connect and forget that they must always operate from a place of joy.

One of my last jobs of the year was modeling for Fashion Brand Company in December. The company is a mix of vintage chic, high fashion and snarky irreverence.

FAILURE

Failure is the best starting point because it forces us to examine what we don’t know.

Our vision for success is finite, but our ignorance is limitless.

A few photos from backstage at The Lodge Room in Los Angeles. I was the intermission act for a popular local band, Natural Child, and absolutely bombed.

PRIORITIZE THE EXPERIENCE

Don’t just focus on what is funny. Work to break the audience’s composure. Embarrass yourself. Be vulnerable. Explore discomfort. Subvert their expectations. Find ways to build tension. Make them to joyfully submit to your nonsense.

Don’t settle for being a comedy show. Take them for a ride. Change the rules of their reality, so they forget how decent people are supposed to behave. It’s only when you’ve freed them of their inhibitions that they’ll laugh from an uncivilized place.

I usually don’t play Santa (that’s my backup plan for when I’m truly old), but was happy to finish my performing year playing a horned-up Saint Nick for Dani Colluci’s KRAMPUS show.

A CLOWN HAS TWO JOBS

Your job as a clown is to save or steal the show.

You are never waiting for the perfect moment. You are always making a bold choice – even if it’s to exit while another clown shines. We must push forward and press our luck. Sacrifice good games in pursuit of great ones. The audience can never suspect we’re out of danger. Otherwise, they have no incentive to root for our terrible ideas.