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Argentinian clown theatre practitioner, Carla Guida Johnson, tells you how
Ever thought of a joke and cracked up? Or made absurd expressions at yourself in front of the mirror? Or broken into a jig while ambling along? That's the clown inside you wanting to break free.
While others may frown at your odd ways, clowning around in your day-to-day life is a great way to ease up. It helps bring down the façade of being busy and important that we all hide under. "Just let it go. Be like a clown and you'll see things in a positive light. Live in the moment and stop being selfconscious," recommends Argentinian clown theatre practitioner, Carla Guida Johnson.
The trick lies in tapping into the inner humour of our mundane lives. It makes stressful and sticky situations easier to deal with. Having a joker's attitude can do wonders for your personal, professional and social life.
Clowning around doesn't always mean doing acrobatic exercises, with multicoloured hair and a red blob on your nose. Take it for what it is; child's play. The methods may seem facile, but it's surprising how effective they can be. The actor, who will be conducting a workshop on clown theatre organised by Theatre Professionals next week, shares some of her techniques.
Being self-aware
One of the first things you can work on is being aware of yourself and conscious of what's happening around you. Start by trying to communicate exactly how you feel, when you feel it, by being true to your innermost emotions. This is what gives clowns their innocence. The clown is always attentive of the audiences' response. There's no distinction between public and private. They are a part of their audience and feed off the audiences' reactions and the situations they find themselves in.
Lose inhibitions
Clowns are always trying to be loved by the audience and do all they can to amuse them. Use your imagination and creativity freely. Don't beat yourself down with social norms and constraints of how things should be done. Do what you believe in and what comes naturally to you. The confidence that comes from believing in yourself is most empowering. A clown is the most confident performer only because they believe in what they do. More importantly, they enjoy doing it.
Switch off
Clowns are always perceived to be happy people but they aren't necessarily. They have their good and bad days too. There are times when things are not going great with them personally, or when they're unwell or in a bad mood, but as entertainers, they are expected to always deliver a good act. So they switch off from their current state and mentally move into a happier space. They develop the ability to identify humour in tragic situations. Try doing the same. No matter how badly things are progressing, switch off and try finding the funnier side of things. For instance, if you're the kind who takes thing too seriously, poke fun at yourself for doing that. Visualise yourself as a difficult, officious person. It'll positively crack you up.
Accept and adapt
Accept situations, adapt to them and then go with the flow. For instance, if the clown is stuck in a spot of bother, he/she just plays along. In the real world, if your boss is constantly at your case and you can't do much about it, use some humour to deal with the boss's idiosyncrasies. You'll notice an improvement in your interaction with them.
Use your body as a tool
Hop, skip and jump like a clown. Use your whole body to express your emotions. It expands the facility to express who we are. Do some yoga exercises such as surya namaskar, as these help the body to move in a more organic way. It also energises the body and makes it flexible. Dancing is also a great way to break free.
Ever thought of a joke and cracked up? Or made absurd expressions at yourself in front of the mirror? Or broken into a jig while ambling along? That's the clown inside you wanting to break free.
While others may frown at your odd ways, clowning around in your day-to-day life is a great way to ease up. It helps bring down the façade of being busy and important that we all hide under. "Just let it go. Be like a clown and you'll see things in a positive light. Live in the moment and stop being selfconscious," recommends Argentinian clown theatre practitioner, Carla Guida Johnson.
The trick lies in tapping into the inner humour of our mundane lives. It makes stressful and sticky situations easier to deal with. Having a joker's attitude can do wonders for your personal, professional and social life.
Clowning around doesn't always mean doing acrobatic exercises, with multicoloured hair and a red blob on your nose. Take it for what it is; child's play. The methods may seem facile, but it's surprising how effective they can be. The actor, who will be conducting a workshop on clown theatre organised by Theatre Professionals next week, shares some of her techniques.
Being self-aware
One of the first things you can work on is being aware of yourself and conscious of what's happening around you. Start by trying to communicate exactly how you feel, when you feel it, by being true to your innermost emotions. This is what gives clowns their innocence. The clown is always attentive of the audiences' response. There's no distinction between public and private. They are a part of their audience and feed off the audiences' reactions and the situations they find themselves in.
Lose inhibitions
Clowns are always trying to be loved by the audience and do all they can to amuse them. Use your imagination and creativity freely. Don't beat yourself down with social norms and constraints of how things should be done. Do what you believe in and what comes naturally to you. The confidence that comes from believing in yourself is most empowering. A clown is the most confident performer only because they believe in what they do. More importantly, they enjoy doing it.
Switch off
Clowns are always perceived to be happy people but they aren't necessarily. They have their good and bad days too. There are times when things are not going great with them personally, or when they're unwell or in a bad mood, but as entertainers, they are expected to always deliver a good act. So they switch off from their current state and mentally move into a happier space. They develop the ability to identify humour in tragic situations. Try doing the same. No matter how badly things are progressing, switch off and try finding the funnier side of things. For instance, if you're the kind who takes thing too seriously, poke fun at yourself for doing that. Visualise yourself as a difficult, officious person. It'll positively crack you up.
Accept and adapt
Accept situations, adapt to them and then go with the flow. For instance, if the clown is stuck in a spot of bother, he/she just plays along. In the real world, if your boss is constantly at your case and you can't do much about it, use some humour to deal with the boss's idiosyncrasies. You'll notice an improvement in your interaction with them.
Use your body as a tool
Hop, skip and jump like a clown. Use your whole body to express your emotions. It expands the facility to express who we are. Do some yoga exercises such as surya namaskar, as these help the body to move in a more organic way. It also energises the body and makes it flexible. Dancing is also a great way to break free.
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