Does Your Success Need an Audience?
I've been trying to get laughs as early as I can remember. (See photo, right.) From plays and skits in elementary school, to clowning in high school, to serious acting in university, the desire to entertain has never waned. By the time I left college I had lots of experience in front of audiences, but an unrealized dream was to earn money street performing.
At age 20 I moved to a small town a few hours drive from Portland, Oregon. Determined to try street performing I spent months developing my first street show consisting of mime routines, juggling and magic tricks. I went to Portland to look for a venue and discovered Jefferson Square, an open plaza surrounded by office buildings that emptied of workers at lunch time who grabbed deli fare or sandwiches and would sit on the steps of the plaza to eat and socialize. An ideal spot to try my first street show.
It was a sunny, warm, fall afternoon. 200 people sat in tiers around the plaza center as I strode to the "stage" area right in front of the steps. Dressed in my colorful mime costume complete with whiteface there was no place to hide, no half way to do it, it was all or nothing. I set down my prop bag and began. I had been extremely nervous, but once I started the energy focused my routines and I hit a flow. I felt great and I relaxed.
At the end of the first routine I stopped and looked up at the audience in anticipation of their applause and appreciation. Not a single person among the hundreds gathered on those steps had stopped eating or talking for a moment to give me even the slightest bit of attention. My heart stopped. I felt the warm flush of embarrassment and the urge to grab my things and vanish. Then I had this thought. "This is as bad as it can get." And I realized a magnificent thing. I was more in need of doing what I loved to do than I was of getting attention or applause for what I loved to do.
I felt a huge weight lift from me. The worst thing had already happened and now there was nothing that could stop me from continuing. I finished the entire remainder of my show that day without the least bit of acknowledgement. I took a big, slow bow anyway and walked away with tremendous gratitude for what that experience provided - the realization of how essential my love for performing was and the understanding that nothing could stop me from one day doing it well.
If we take responsibility for doing what we love to do then our "success" is guaranteed, we don't need to have an audience to validate our efforts and we can experience victories at every stage along the way in our personal and professional lives.
Don't miss this month's
Hidden Camera Video Clip
of The World's Funniest Waiter in action.
Rick Lewis has been entertaining and inspiring audiences for the last 30 years. The success of The World's Funniest Waiter over the years is based on clean, interactive comedy and high-level circus skills.
Total Event Success in 3 Courses
Rick's Agent Friendly Site
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Hidden Camera Highlight
Early Beginnings
(Me trying to get a laugh by putting on a diaper and pretending to be a small child.)
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