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- “The magic starts within each of us.” ~Chris Sullivan
A lot of clowns talk about running away with the circus, but few have the opportunity that Chris Sullivan was offered in March, 2011.
Chris is now a performing clown with the 141st Edition of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey The Greatest Show on Earth – Fully Charged. He shares his experiences and inspiring perspective…
“Everything has been going great with the show. I’ve traveled all over the United States this year seeing more of it than I could ever have imagined possible. Before I joined the circus I had never really traveled West of the Mississippi river… other than flying to Dallas,Texas August of 2010 for the Ringing audition and flying to L.A., California to catch my connecting flight to India earlier this year.
Last August I did the audition. It was a wonderful workshop lead by Karen Hoyer and a few of the Circus clowns. We each participated in the workshop doing various exercises, group exercises, partner work, and finally our own five minutes of spotlight to perform something which we had prepared in advance. After the audition they talked to several people individually– unfortunately I was not in that cut. So after seeing the show that night, I ventured back to TN the next morning.
During the time at home I pondered about some friends who I knew were planning a trip to India. I inquired with the group leader and was invited to join them. So I spent my winter preparing for the trip. During the last week of January I flew to L.A. where I met up with our team made up of two clowns from Minnesota Brad Stone and Sandy Kephart, and two clowns from Texas Brenda Marshall and Brittany Allen. All of us are Moose Camp Alumni and had seen each other the previous two summers.
The trip to India was amazing. We spent time doing Vacation Bible School programs with two different orphanages, we also spent time doing shows in Schools, Churches, Streets, a treatment center, and even Roof tops. The children in India are absolutely beautiful. You can see Gods love in their eyes and joy in their smiles.
People today take so much for granted– myself included. However to the children we were working with the smallest and most simple things meant the world to them. This really made me reflect on things and has been teaching me to reduce and simplify my own life.
A week after I returned home I got a call from the Director of Talent inviting me to join the 141st Edition of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth. He allowed me to finish a theatrical project I was currently involved with at home… So I packed my red nose and big shoes and on March 25th I flew to Ohio to join the cast of Fully Charged.
The circus has been around for going on 142 years. As a result the show is one of America’s oldest living traditions. Older than Coca Cola and Baseball. Clowning itself has been dated back to early Egyptian times centuries and centuries ago B.C. as a young Egyptian Pharoh witnessed a clown performing and called him a “Divine Spirit.”
So far this year I have spent three months in California, as well as time in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts… just to name a few. It really is fun to zig-zag across the country in the mile long Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey train.
Aside from the show — which is three hours of non stop three-ring fun from pre-show to finale, we do all sorts of advance and public relations work for the show. During these times I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with boys and girls clubs, boy scouts and girl scouts with our Scout Clinics, Libraries with Reading with Ringling, Schools with Circus Fit, and Museums presenting “Science of the Circus.”
We have done some really neat projects too, like opening a Fresno, Grizzlies baseball game, juggling and shooting our Human Fuse down the Vegas Strip, and being the opening act for the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade.
I’ve also been privileged to work for the Starlight Foundation, Ronald McDonald Houses, and various hospitals which host the Beads of Courage program. I’ve found that these experiences can be the most heart-warming.
Children need and deserve entertainment… no matter how healthy or sick they are. If they aren’t able to come to the circus then it is our job to bring a little of the circus to them. I am proud to be a small part in making that possible. Afterall, they do say that “laughter is the best medicine.”
The magic starts within each of us. If we believe in ourselves and believe that what we are doing as clowns then it is all realistic to children. To quote Steve Smith- a former teacher of mine- If we believe in what we are doing then there really is a Neverland, snow on Christmas, and all day suckers. The magic and healing power of clowning and laughter is very real.
Now I am back home in TN for Christmas and New Year. Reflecting back on my journey and experiences this past year is really a little overwhelming. Everything happened and went by so fast. But, thats how things go when you are in a new city each week or two. Pricilla Mooseburger once told me that “Life is like an elephant blanket. Each blanket has thousands of tiny sequins which work together to make a beautiful design. As performers, we are each earning our own sequin on that blanket.”
I believe everything happens for a reason. We all have paths that our lives are meant to follow. I am and always will be a dreamer. Gandhi once said “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Now realistically I know I can’t change the world. But if I can make it a little bit better for someone through humor, I’ll do that.”
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About AHeart4Clowning 5 Years of FAB FUN Celebration, click this link (here)
Don’t miss a thing — all kinds of FUN planned throughout 2012!
>>>You’re invited to receive our FREE Hospital Clown/Healthcare Family Entertainer/Applied Humor Therapist/SmileMaker e-Newsletter… by signing up to receive FREE Hospital Clown e-Newsletter (click on this link here)
Dr. Steven Eisenberg specializes in Medical Oncology and Hematology, is a strong proponent of using music therapy and humor, as part of helping his patients…
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
If video player doesn’t work, view vid by clicking this link: Music Therapy w/Onologist Steven Eisenberg: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41743465/vp/43793404/
Dr. Eisenberg is founder of EnlightenMed, LLC: http://enlightenmed.com/
Lyrical Life: Healing through Connection, also established by Dr. Eisenberg: http://www.lyricallife.org/
Watch for upcoming interview on AHeart4Clowning TalkRadio!
>>>5 Related articles you might find helpful on Injecting Healing Humor in the Healthcare Setting, are listed below this blog post (click on the title of this article, if you don’t see topics listed below)…
>>>You’re invited to receive our FREE Hospital Clown/Healthcare Family Entertainer/Applied Humor Therapist/SmileMaker e-Newsletter… by signing up to receive FREE Hospital Clown e-Newsletter (click on this link here)
Great video-explanation of Laughter Yoga, from the Laguna Laughter Club!
MORE: The Laughter Yoga Institute (To read more, click here)
Did you ever wonder what Patch Adams was really like? Would you like to catch a glimpse of his 110-acres in West Virginia, where he is beginning construction of his 40-bed free-care rural community hospital, a long-held dream at the Gesundheit Institute? This short documentary preview clip distributed by Bullfrog Films gives a peek…
I was very fortunate to personally speak with Patch Adams after my first book was published. He so very kindly called to congratulate me on it. His words were deeply meaningful, and his thoughtfulness is forever treasured.
Hearing Patch’s positive, encouraging words for my book and work mean so much to me, and remain a “Most Memorable Moment.”
Through the implementation of his ideas of applied humor therapy in the healthcare setting, I believe he paved the way for many of us to be able to share laughter and to “be” Joy (his words) in that venue — an environment crying out for it!
It is my sincere hope through my efforts here, my books, AHeart4Clowning TalkRadio Show, Humor Bit-TV, and multimedia training programs, will encourage more healthcare humor programs, while also supporting existing programs everywhere — to keep injecting humor in the healthcare setting.
Read about friend Robbo’s Humanitarian Clowning Trip with Patch Adams to Russia:
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You’re invited to receive our FREE Hospital Clown/Healthcare Family Entertainer/Applied Humor Therapist/SmileMaker e-Newsletter… by signing up to receive FREE Hospital Clown e-Newsletter (click on this link here) Always and only FREELY offered since 2007, AHeart4Clowning e-Newsletter is filled with FUN ideas, tips, inspiring stories and updates!
Injecting Healing Humor in the Healthcare Setting Counts!
Sometimes healthcare facilities carry their quantitative analysis beyond the office suite, bringing it to the hospital clown, applied humor therapist, or healthcare family entertainer group. The reason they do this, is to measure your group’s contact on each visit or set of Rounds.
Needless to say, being so ‘in the moment,’ entertaining and doing work that looks like play doesn’t leave much room for an analytical mind. Math skills in that time and space, seem counterproductive to me.
Fortunately for our group, when asked, we could estimate. The best “guesstimate” for our team, was to base our reach on the patient census the day of our visit, and add in an estimated number of visitors.
Our reach — and likely yours, if you visit nearly all the patients in the hosting facility who can see you — is far greater than anyone else on any given day. Administration will be mightily impressed if looking for numbers!
However, if their quest is for more hard, fast and “real” numbers, you will need to devise a system…
Here are 4 ways to help you track the number of patients visited on Rounds:
- Some facilities require groups with a staff liaison, making “the count” much easier, since they have a list of patients you will see that day. If you need to add visitors into the count, employ a means that works with your performances. (More ideas, below…)
- Entertaining with at least one teammate, designate who will be the ‘analytical mind,’ to track numbers with a notepad, a mechanical or digital “counter” to tally the patients visited. Being clever, you may even work it into your routine. (I hope for your sakes and future performances, that this is only a temporary request, as I would find it difficult to keep up with. It is easily forgotten!)
- Based on estimated numbers, count out approved simple-fun giveaway items designated for patients, and something else cool for visitors. At the end of visitation, you can inventory your supply, to determine your numbers. (An inherent challenge with this technique will be when that cute little girl visiting wants what you brought to give her grandma, and vice versa. And so on…)
- Based on estimated numbers, bring along a uniform one-cool item for all, like a “Laugh Ticket,” a “Hug Ticket,” which can simply be dispensed from a colorful roll of stock tickets to all you see. (This works well, as long as no one wants an ‘extra’ (it happens), one of the items falls on the floor (rendering it uselessly contaminated lol), or you really do want – and – need to dispense another, to someone for some reason.)
…as you can see being analytical, counting, and even simple math while in the midst of sharing laughter and cheer is difficult to do! In this role, we are cast as “performer.” We exist to perform. Having to take extra steps and incorporate somewhat unrelated tasks, hinders the overall performance. It also drains at least some of the creative spontaneity in the appearance.
If you’ve read this blog for very long, you know I’ve written about the importance of the focus remaining on the patient, putting them first in all efforts at all times. Extraneous tasks and mandated responsibilities not actually related to entertaining divert the performers’ attention and mar the performance for the intended audience.
I’ve also explained why entertaining ‘in the moment’ with-to-and for the patient (audience) is critical for engaging them and effectively performing applied humor therapy. In fact, improvisation is important for an engaging performance.
For this reason, it is not advisable for a hospital clown group, applied humor therapist troupe, or healthcare family entertainers to be assigned the responsibility for tracking visitation numbers on Rounds.
Side Note: Since you likely visit a number of patients, remember to observe your hosting facility’s Infection Control policies and maintain best practices, to alleviate the possibility of spreading infection.
How about you and your group? Are you required to provide your hosting facility Administration the number of patients, and maybe visitors seen on Rounds? Please leave a comment describing your preferred tabulating method, and how it works for you…
More Resources:
Guides on: How to Establish a Hospital Clown or Healthcare Family Entertainer Group, and Entertaining in the Healthcare Setting, click this linked text (here)
—-AND—-
You’re invited to receive our FREE Hospital Clown/Healthcare Family Entertainer/Applied Humor Therapist/SmileMaker e-Newsletter… by signing up to receive FREE Hospital Clown e-Newsletter (click on this link here)
—Share Miles of Smiles: Funny Smilemakerz Kit for Smiles on a Stick and Endless Smiles—
That’s right! Absolutely NOTHING… and it’s pretty drab, boring, downright cheerless, and probably depressing — for everyone. Don’t let this happen! Add color, smiles and cheer to the healthcare setting near you — TODAY.
“Healing Humor is NOT a Band Aid — it’s a Way of Life.
It’s for EveryBuddy!” ~ Becky Cortino
REMEMBER: A Smile is a terrible thing to waste.
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Resources and other Great Stuff to help you:
5 Related articles you might find helpful are listed below this blog post (click on the title of this article, if you don’t see topics listed below)…
—-AND—-
Resources – Guides on: How to Establish a Hospital Clown or Healthcare Family Entertainer Group, and Entertaining in the Healthcare Setting, click this linked text (here)
—-AND—-
You’re invited to receive our FREE Hospital Clown/Healthcare Family Entertainer/Applied Humor Therapist/SmileMaker e-Newsletter… by signing up to receive FREE Hospital Clown e-Newsletter (click on this link here)
—Share Miles of Smiles: Funny Smilemakerz Kit for Smiles on a Stick and Endless Smiles—
My Road or the Highway?! Entertaining Effectively in the Healthcare Setting...
I would suppose from the other side of the clown nose, in the healthcare setting, things look a little differently than as to those of us entertaining children of all ages, behind the world’s tiniest mask, as a hospital clown.
Now as I think about it, probably it also seems counter-intuitive that we are in fact performing as a family entertainer, sharing laughter, cheer and applying generous doses of humor wherever our meandering trail leads us that day in the hospital or healthcare setting, in the midst of all the sickness, sadness, uncertainty and death.
Ahhhhh! Such is the divinely topsy-turvy world of the hospital clown, caring clown, healthcare family entertainer! How perfect a setting, especially due to the very nature of the clown, where inside-out, upside-down, and what is — in actuality — is quite apparently not. See…?!
“Flexibility” is the name of The Game, as those clown shoes meander into each room and public space of the hosting facility:
- Each situation encountered is always entirely different from the last or the next, making profuse applications of “Improv” absolutely essential. (Expect this and you won’t be so surprised lol)
- With varying patient’s conditions and ongoing staff intervention of treatments and procedures, it is not always possible to complete each schtick or sight gag performance in its entirety. (Remain flexible, and you won’t disappoint.)
- Procedures and policies change, and new ones are often implemented, changing things-up for hospital clowns and healthcare family entertainers. (Deal with it — roll with the changes.)
- It is not appropriate for the hospital clown, caring clown or healthcare family entertainer to set about their work that looks like play with a mind only focused on their “work.” The true goal or mission of what they’re about isn’t really the ‘work’ at all — it’s all about the audience. (Keep the audience in focus, always in mind, as you entertain.)
We know it is said “For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required,” and truer than true this could not be, for those of us so blessed with the privilege of spreading goodhearted laughter, cheer and Joy in the hospital or healthcare setting.
In the process of what we do, we are often allowed into a space where few are allowed or tread. That is hallowed ground indeed, where we cast away all that is, ignore our cares and fears, leading those who we meet right there to a place of Joy and Wonder of what might be — could be — is.
All very counterintuitive, you might think?
Thinking not: it all depends upon your perspective.
5 Related articles you might find helpful are listed below this blog post (click on the title of this article, if you don’t see topics listed below)…
NEWly-published book especially for Hospital Clowns, Caring Clowns, Healthcare Family Entertainers, Applied Humor Therapists and SmileMakers, about entertaining in the healthcare setting (click on this linked text): Injecting Healing Humor in the Healthcare Setting: Entertaining Effectively in the Healthcare Venue
You’re invited to receive our FREE Hospital Clown/Healthcare Family Entertainer/Applied Humor Therapist/SmileMaker e-Newsletter… by signing up to receive FREE Hospital Clown e-Newsletter (click on this link here)
Click here for More: Entertaining Effectively in the Healthcare Venue
At one of the training programs I led, a student told me that what I shared regarding the importance of improv really flipped a light on in her mind. Being primarily a “skit” clown performer, she was really excited about this discovery and looking forward to exploring improvisation!
I was excited for her too, making this breakthrough! I shared with her that I knew this would also greatly help her in her upcoming humanitarian clowning trips she had planned.
Then, the unimaginable happened — when the improv training segment came around, she was off in another class (similar to what she had taken in a previous training program I held).
My reaction: I was highly disappointed for her, because I knew she was missing an opportunity to learn and grow in a new way. For sure, she would come away with a fresh perspective and some new performance tips.
Yet, I understand this is what we call ‘human nature,’ repeating those familiar things or what we most enjoy, but — letting that stand in front of growing in our knowledge and proficiency in this art. It’s like repeating what we already know, and if we learn anything new, it’s just piling more information on top — leaving a void of Great Possibilities yet to be filled. Worse — maybe never filled!
How about you? Have you explored a new art or performance style that would help you in your applied humor therapy routines or add some spark to your clown rounds? It’s natural to feel tentative about trying something new, but why would you want to stunt your growth in learning and exploring all the possibilities of what you can do, or be as a hospital clown or healthcare family entertainer?
Isn’t that a little like cheating your adoring audience, waiting to see what’s next — and you make the dreaded mistake of actually repeating the same thing you did last time?! YIKES Even if the facility staff sees you doing this, it makes you look ill-prepared and non-professional, with a sorely limited repertoire.
Life is improvisation. It is not “fill-in-the-blank” in Real Life. Living life successfully, as well as entertaining effectively is not a “formula.” In our world, where coloring outside the lines and being “different” is lauded as being ‘good,’ why embrace an Old School mentality? This doesn’t serve your audience well, help you meet your purpose, or allow you to be the entertainer you’re capable of being.
In the kind of work we do that looks like play, it is critical that we are able to be flexible, proficient in a number of presentation modes, and able to roll with things as they happen, because even on stage in a real theatre with a script in hand, “things” can happen.
This thought goes beyond improvisation, although improv is certainly a large part of what we do. To be a well-rounded performer who can meet their audience wherever they are, in whatever condition we find them, we must be prepared. That includes knowing more than a trick or two — but doesn’t necessarily mean buying a trunk load of props and items you might use every now and then. It’s more about you and what you bring to your performance, and how you add your flair or special spin to the whole presentation.
The work we do is already stepping out of our comfort zone, and into a place we do not inhabit, save for the few hours we spend there. Why impede the positive effects and health benefits you can share with those who need you to be there, always giving your best?
My advice: Realize this situation for what it is. Step out of your comfort zone to learn something new — and grow some more! You may discover something you don’t like… you will learn something new!
NEWly-published book especially for Hospital Clowns, Caring Clowns, Healthcare Family Entertainers, Applied Humor Therapists and SmileMakers, about entertaining in the healthcare setting:
More about this recommended book (click on this linked text): Injecting Healing Humor in the Healthcare Setting: Entertaining Effectively in the Healthcare Venue
You’re invited to receive our FREE Hospital Clown/Healthcare Family Entertainer/Applied Humor Therapist/SmileMaker e-Newsletter… by signing up to receive FREE Hospital Clown e-Newsletter (click on this link here)
AHeart4Clowning TalkRadio Show
Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities offer Critical Care through Healing Humor Programs at low-to-NO-cost, Build a Priceless Caring Reputation — and it is NOT Rocket Science! Here’s why… Does your hospital or healthcare facility have a Humor Program?