Under the Big Top

all performers take big risks

Circus artists vary in their modalities, but they all share the art of showcasing risk.

The clown must take risks as profound as the tight-rope walkers and trapeze artists who come before and after them under the big tent of a circus.

If the risk isn’t physical danger, what is it? It is the risk of vulnerability. With patience, you trust yourself and show the audience something you want to show. Not what you think or even know they’ll be impressed by.

As a pedestrian or a performer, I urge you to follow your impulses instead of doing what you know works.

In seduction, music, mark-making, sculpture, design, writing, you name it.

Take the risk.

Maybe you’ll get into trouble. What an opportunity! The clown falls so we don’t have to. And my, what hope they inspire, and how we root for them when they get back up!

If you are brave enough to get into trouble, commit to finding your way out of it while staying in a vulnerable state. If the air gets tight and the tension is high, don’t break it with a laugh.

Let us know you mean it.

Let us know you’re committed to the height you’ve climbed.

Lean into compassion and find the point where you can connect the people back to you while maintaining what you’ve laid down. The risk of following your impulses and committing to connecting your material with your audience creates stakes that showcase your heart, your soul, and your very being. Allowing folks to see your journey and discovery is the oomph! The gold. The red nose.

A hui ho,

Julia