"The wisdom acquired with the passage of time is a useless gift unless you share it."  -- Esther Williams

Figure skaters have coaches who teach them the technical aspects of skating and choreographers who teach them the artistic aspects.  Television commentators during the recent Winter Olympics and World Championships talked about somebody else who helped the skaters, their mentors.  Great figure skaters of the past like Dorothy Hamill and Paul Wylie mentor younger skaters by sharing the wisdom they acquired through experience.  For example they help them deal with the pressure caused by the expectations others have for them and by their own expectations.  According to Paul Wylie, if you concentrate on trying to win that causes nervousness which interferes with your performance.  If you concentrate on doing your best performance and skate with confidence, your performance will be good enough to win.  The mentors are not in daily contact with the skaters, but they do share their wisdom when the opportunity arises. One of the most important skating mentors is Scott Hamilton who guides the professional development of skaters touring with Stars on Ice.

Herb Camburn was an important mentor for me when I was in college.  He taught many of my technical theater classes and was almost always present in the theater building answering questions and making comments on projects that students were working on.  He taught me the importance of continuing education and setting goals for personal artistic improvement.  He, and Bill Smith, taught me how to critique my own work and the work of others.  Herb and Bill also taught me about creativity.  Dr. Charles "Doc" Boas, the founder and director of Circus Kirk, taught me professionalism during my two seasons with his show.  Randy Pryor was my mentor early in my career and taught me a lot about showmanship.  My most important mentor was my father, Bruce L. Johnson, who taught me many important life lessons as I grew up, and who is still a source of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration for me.

There are a few entertainers that I have tried to mentor.  I don't see most of them often.  The internet does allow me to keep in touch with them more frequently.

Instead of passing on your wisdom to individuals, you can teach groups of people.  A place where you can really get involved is teaching young people.  I have taught Junior Joey (clown) classes at the World Clown Association Convention and at Clown Camp.  Those programs were run and organized by Ruth Matteson who is stepping down at the updoming convention after years of outstanding service as WCA Junior Joey Director.  In the Puget Sound region, Bruce Myers is doing an excellent job mentoring young magicians by directing a club called the Ring of Smoke. 

Another way to pass on your wisdom is to write articles for variety arts publications.  I know that many of those publications are looking for new authors.  Think about writing a single article on something you would like to share with a friend who is an entertainer.  Keep it short.  Make it about the reader instead of about you.  Don't brag about how great you are, but inspire the reader in terms of how great they can become.  Consider writing a tribute to somebody you admire.  Make it as practical and useful as possible.  Write it and then set it aside for a while.  When you write something you know what you meant to say so that is what you perceive when you read it again making it difficult to proof read your own work.  Wait long enough that you forget exactly what you said and then proof read it.  Now the errors will stand out and hopefully you will be amazed at how good it is.

How can you pass on your wisdom?  Who can you mentor?  What opportunities do you have to teach?  Is there a program for young entertainers in your area or at a convention that you attend?  If you were going to write only one magazine article in your career what would it be about?  What magazine do you think has readers who would be interested in that topic?  Write that article, look in the front of the magazine for information on where to submit it, and send it in.