After 3 posts containing video’s of clowns without red noses I thought
it’s about time to show some example of adorable clowns who are wearing red noses ;o).
I like very much their shoes, the part with the ukulele and the violin
and everything, but most of all I like the crying part; I think this
exaggeration of tears is very cool.
And crying is what we feel like these days. There was of course a lot of
violence always and everywhere in our world, but still it feels different when it comes so close to you, to the city you live
in (I happen to live in Brussels since last summer, you could call that,
perhaps, bad timing).
However I want to share something, deeply inspiring to me, about Franfran
(as everybody calls my current clown teacher Francoise de Gottal). I follow a course with her
on a weekly base from September until May. There was this time that she wasn’t
feeling well at all, because of extremely suffering at the dentists and her
father in law dying on the same day.
She said: “okay, the dying part I
can accept but one and half hour being like 'this' at the dentists (and then she
showed us how 'this' was in a very funny matter)… But anyway I am here! And I
would like to see what you clowns have to say about death.” We improvised
with this as a starting point ‘mourning in a clown’s way’. For example one
clown and I cried so loud together that it started to be like an absurd crying
competition game. It was to all of us a very special experience. So much that
Franfran now decided to continue working with us on the theme by making a
clown’s funeral together with us for our final presentation.
In reaction to the attacks of yesterday she said: “Our theme has become
more actual again”. Then there was one of the girls of our group sharing her
feelings on Facebook. She said that although she was safe during the attacks,
she feels scared, scared of racism, of decrease of freedom, and that most of
all she feels extremely sad and can’t stop crying. It was obviously very
recognisable for a lot of people since her post got over 100 likes, me being
among them. However, Franfran reacted on her post by saying: “ ‘Behind every fear there is a desire’, try
to focus on your desires and not on your fears…and continue to work on a better
world, more joyful, more generous, more conscious, softer, more tender, more
empathic, more intelligent… :o)”
I think what she says there is a fine answer on the question why clowns
are clowning. This is our work, our daily work. We strive for a better world
and don’t want to work on anything less. And the word Franfran actually uses
there (it was in French) which I translated with work is 'oeuvrer' the word you
use when you mean working on a work of art, and she is very right in calling it
like that. Let’s all, whether more or less clown, focus on the desires behind
our fears and may that be our daily (art) work! :o)
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