April Lessons Learned

I am not a person who pays much attention to April Fools Day or Friday the 13th, but in retrospect it seems I should have taken both days a bit more seriously. Between my work and doing the labor of painting our home in anticipation of opening a Bed & Breakfast (The Storyteller’s Bungalow) in the fall. I was confident I had no time left in April for distractions or any new endeavors. 

By mid-month, I had finished up a delightful 4-day residency for 1^st grade classes at a school in Scottsdale, Arizona, performed a multicultural storytelling show at a local library and presented “Squirrely Shirley Meets Fry-Fry!” during Tucson’s  Healthy Kids Day Celebration. My mind was occupied with thoughts about learning some new stories, and I was looking forward to developing shows for two new programs I will be doing later this year. I had reached a point where I believed I had finally gotten into an easy rhythm with this blog. I was feeling great. 

Just about that time (April 13th), a hacker struck my email account and caused most of my plans to come to a halt.  

All this is to say, I came face to face with a lesson I thought I had learned many other times in my life: we never really know what can happen. No matter how much we think we are in control, something out there or some unexplained event can change our plans before we know it. That’s life, and because I sometimes get so wrapped up with what I am doing, I guess I needed to be reminded again about how uncertain life can be.  

Thank goodness I have my health, a wonderful family and am surrounded by good friends. I love my work, and I appreciate having the freedom to be able to do many of the things I enjoy. It is unfortunate that we must occasionally deal with troublemakers on the Internet, dishonest and greedy folks, and other problems that come our way. How easy it is to become angry, frustrated and depressed about things we cannot control. I am happy to say that my nature won’t let me stay in these dark places for long. I don’t want to miss out on the moments I live for: love, joy, accomplishment, creating art, spending time with my favorite people and having the satisfaction of doing some good in this world. Most of all, I don’t want to let trouble win. I hope this is true for you, too!

I'm looking forward to the month of May.

A Pause in Communication

I have had problems accessing the Internet since my email was hacked on Friday.  My computer may have been hit with a worm or some other invasive program, as well. This has created a break in my email responses and regular Blog posts, so I am using a borrowed computer until mine is up and working again.  

Please be patient with me as I l find ways to access blocked accounts and stumble through this unfortunate and time-consuming situation.

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if mean-spirited folks used their talents in positive ways? 

Mother Goose, Libraries and Storytelling

Yours truly as Mother Goose in 1971.
The cute little boy looking at the book
 is my youngest son, John.

It’s interesting to note that many beginning storytellers who may have volunteered in libraries helping out during story times for tots, elect to take on the persona of Mother Goose as a way to launch a storytelling business. I decided to add Mother Goose to my repertoire several years after performing as Whispers the Clown.

My idea was to attract the attention of customers who had already hired Whispers for a venue and might appreciate an alternative to a magic clown for birthday parties and other family events. This was an easy and logical move on my part, because I had served as a volunteer coordinator for story hour in Matawan, NJ in the late 60s. By then, I had already developed Whispers the Clown to draw attention to our library program, register participants and recruit other parent-volunteers. I really had no idea that what I was doing might actually develop into anything other than a fun, temporary project. As I look back, I know now that serendipity was at work, helping to set the stage for my current work as a storyteller. 

In those early years, I learned a lot and got quite a bit of experience keeping toddlers interested and happy. Furthermore, the press started to notice what we were doing at the Matawan Joint Free Public Library, and in no time at all, many parents in the Jersey shore area had started to ask me to tell stories or bring Whispers the Clown to birthday parties. Trust me, this was not easy work, but I loved it! When we moved to Tucson, Arizona in the 70s, Whispers and the idea of Mother Goose came to the desert with us.  

With Mother Goose, I started to move away from the slap-stick, attention-getting antics of a clown into the quieter and more introspective arena of telling stories for the sake of stories themselves. Glenda as Mother Goose was off and running by the time the family had settled into our home on the east side of town. 

My Mother Goose phase didn’t last long, because Whispers was hired by KUAT-TV (local PBS station) to do some television segments and a 30-minute children’s special, “Whispers Magic Tent.”  By that time, some new “characters” had started to form in my imagination - I plan to tell you about them in future blog posts.   

If you have small children or grandchildren in your life, and if you want them to love books, stories and literature, be sure to check out what your local library has to offer. If the librarian happens to be looking for a parent/volunteer to lend a hand during story times, you might even want to say yes. I'm certainly glad I did! And please keep an eye out for beginning storytellers who bill themselves as Mother Goose – they are a sure bet to entertain at a young child’s birthday party. For some reason, kids always love Mother Goose.

Gaining Experience as a Performer (part two)

For any new storyteller or community performer looking to develop a small business as an artist, knowing how to entertain a wide variety of audiences and having many opportunities to demonstrate one’s work are essential for ultimate success. But how does an artist move away from constantly donating services to confidently asking for and receiving a fee?

When people contact you and say they are looking to find an entertainer for an event, but they have no budget, you are in a position to ask for something other than money as compensation.  By doing this, you establish the fact that your work has value, and it alerts people to the idea that you are seriously looking forward to the time when you will be charging professional fees for what you do. Do not be shy about asking that in exchange for your time and talent, they (1) allow you to use them as a reference, (2) be willing to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, and/or (3) can help you network and explore new opportunities.

I was a little nervous the first time I requested a letter of recommendation, but I soon learned that people are quite happy to accommodate a performer in this way. Furthermore, the unspoken message is that you are starting to move beyond the need for experience and exposure alone.  This unspoken message translates into a new respect for you as an entertainer. It is a “cross-over” moment.  I know this to be true, because once I realized I had reached a point when I could ask for acknowledgement in a tangible form, I began receiving fewer calls to work for free and more calls asking about my fees.   

Performing Before Library
Audiences is a Joy for Me!

One of the most important goals to pursue as you “pay your dues,” is to clearly identify your ideal niche - the groups and audiences that can’t get enough of what you do, and the audiences you are most eager to serve. This is where your repeat and loyal customer base lives, and this is the group that will make it possible for you to transition from the world of “free-bees” into working as a professional performer.

I am always happy to share the benefit of my experience with other performers. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions or comments.