Tuesday, April 6th 2021

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Today I get to take a sweet little clown workshop online with performers from around the world. If you look in the Zoom boxes you can see Boston, Atlanta, New York & California in the US alone. Then there is London, Mexico City, The Netherlands, Greece, Stockholm Sweden, Beijing China and Niger West Africa. This all courtesy of The Global Play Brigade; Amazing!

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The workshop is designed to help us access our different “motors”:

HEAD: Intellectual; stickish movement, seeks to control.

HEART: Emotional; veil-like movement, seeks approval.

GUT: Instinctual; ball-like movement, seeks survival.

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And moreover; to practice non-attachment, to let go, and to laugh at ourselves. That is;

P.L.A.Y. = Practice Laughing At Yourself!

First we practice Non-Attachment.

Aka: “Letting Go,” “Allowing,” or “Noticing.“

Then, because my breakout room partner did not show up, I get paired with the two workshop teachers for the personalized mocking exercise. I choose the frown-line on my forehead. First they respond just plain empathetically. Secondly they respond by mocking it. With a spirit of love and respect, but actual mocking. Finally they respond by mocking it with ridiculous over the top ridiculousness.

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Although I didn’t get to mock them back, I do grab some compromising screen shots of Jeff, who is also a beloved clown partner and friend.

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We then do basically the opposite exercise, “Reverse Trash Talk,” where you passionately and aggressively compliment your partner. “Oh YEAH!?! Well *I* think your SMILE is TERRIFIC!! I LOVE IT!!!”

Great exercise! I highly recommend it.

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Here we are practicing some face isolation exercises:

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And speaking of faces, I get to see one of my very favorite ones of all time in the workshop today. I’m sure a random screen shot cannot convey how wondrously beautiful, intelligent and talented is this person, but all the same I present the other healthcare clown in today’s workshop; from Humorology Atlanta, the incomparable Denise Arrabas!

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Another exquisite human being I am going to hug the crap out of once I get the chance again.

Anyway, two thumbs up for the Global Play Brigade!

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#HospitalClowning

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