Art and Passion

From as early as I can remember I've been in love with the joy and sheer pleasure of laughter, hearing it - seeing it - and, whenever opportunity presented itself, sharing it.

Laughter and crying, I believe, are two sides of the same coin. Both cleanse and heal the heart, but laughter hurts lots less.
When opportunity presented itself to express this joy and pleasure, I did so in the form of theatre and circus, among other endeavours.

In the circus, I wasn't the best or the worst, but I loved it. I learned and absorbed a lot. I grew in this profession to the extent I remained in the business.
Why I got out of the business is my affair, but, I never got that bug out of my blood.
The love of clowning, performing still burns in my heart.

When you love your art, craft - whatever it may be, when your heart is in it, when you believe in it so deeply that it burns in you - it is sheer passion!
If you think, live and breathe this passion, it is a form of love that you express through your art.
And when you see your art, your labor of love being poorly treated, you naturally take offence just as you might when a beloved friend or family member is abused.

It's not an overstatement.
Ask any artist who has pride in their art if this isn't so.

Don’t you bristle when you see someone asserting that they are something grand when you can clearly see that they don’t live up to what they fancy themselves to be?
Don’t you cringe at TV shows like America’s Got Talent when some acts sound just awful and are appropriately critiqued on their performance and they take a sour attitude as if the judges just don’t recognize their “greatness”?
(There are some great performances to be seen, and then again, there are some EPA Impact Statement Required stinkers on there, too.)

Your average audience is not as dumb as some “artistes” and some producers might presume. Given the opportunity, more often than not, an audience can be discerning enough to sort out the trash.
(Of course, sometimes there’s just no accounting for taste.)

Personally, I cannot stand the ‘efforts’ of HACKS who fancy themselves as artists,
nor can t abide the “Pshaw! Anyone could do that!” school of thought
where it pertains to any art or profession.
That outlook reeks of self indulgent arrogance.

Just because one thinks they’re talented in a given area does NOT mean that they ARE.
You and I are not the best judges of our own talent as we are too close to the subject matter to be truly objective.
Our audiences will inform us as to our talent.

I would say, just be honest and find your TRUE talent and hone your art THERE.