"Do not allow critics to make you think you're so good it's impossible for you to become better! Do not content yourself with merely reaching high standards to satisfy your ego. True artists enrich their art, not themselves." --Philippe Petit, Creativity: The Perfect Crime

I taught a clown course through the Southern California School of Magic and Variety Arts in the early 1990's. I was trying to encourage one of my students to make changes to her make up design because it hid instead of enhancing her facial expressions. When she came home from attending a regional clown convention she informed me that she didn't need to make any changes because her make up was good enough to win second place in competition. She never did improve her make up and eventually stopped clowning. The unfortunate thing is that she did not win because she had excellent make up. She won second place because only two people entered that category. Winning a competition does not mean you are good, it just means that in the opinion of the majority of that group of judges you were the best of those who entered on that day.

Few clowns appear in venues like Broadway shows where theater critics review their performances. Competition judges are the critics most clowns are exposed to. Clowns enter competitions for many reasons. Many of them do it to satisfy their own egos. I have seen very talented clowns who did not reach their potential because they used winning competitions as their standard of excellence. Once they were good enough to win consistently they did not advance. Some of them created new routines, but the quality didn't improve. Their routines were flawed, but since they met their definition of success they didn't see the need to fix the flaws. They kept repeating the same mistakes. They also kept winning awards that some people considered prestigious. They were good enough to satisfy their ego and stopped their efforts to lean more.

I don't mean that is true of every person who enters competition. Aurora Krause was the first person to win the World Clown Association All Around Clown competition. I think because she won it relatively early in her clown career she realized that she still had a lot to learn. She has continued to study the art of clowning since then and her performances have improved. I think more importantly her goal is not to satisfy her ego. She enjoys competing, but that is not her focus. She advertises to obtain bookings. However, she doesn't promote herself. When you speak to her she talks about her efforts to promote clowning. She works hard on her performances because she wants people who see them to think highly of the art of clowning. Some people look down on some venues, for example birthday parties, as requiring less effort. Aurora approaches each party as an important event because it is another opportunity to influence the public's opinion of clowns. She is active in clown education because she wants each person to be good enough to serve as an ambassador of clowning earning respect for our art. She writes magazine articles urging people to respect clowning as an art and to continue to pursue excellence. There are many more like her who try to promote clowning.

A recent issue of The Linking Ring, published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians, contained a tribute to Joanie Spina who passed away August 17, 2014. She began working with David Copperfield in 1985 and became his lead assistant, choreographer, and co-director. She choreographed ten of his television specials. She is credited with transforming his performances which gained increased respect for the art of magic. I saw her several times in person, including the taping of two of Copperfield's TV specials, and was very impressed by her stage presence. After eleven years she left his company to create her own successful magic show. In 2000, she retired from performing to concentrate on coaching. She worked with some of the most popular magicians and improved the entertainment quality of their acts. In the magazine many magicians commented on how much she had done to improve the art of magic. Magic is better because she lived.

How do you set your standards of excellence? How can your performances be improved? How can you promote variety arts? How can you encourage and assist others in reaching their potential?