 Home |
Tom E Boy's Bio? |
Clown Supplies |
Clown Registry |
Clown Events |
Clown Links |
|
Home |
Tom E Boy's Bio? |
Clown Supplies |
Clown Registry |
Clown Events |
Clown Links |
| About Flower |
|
When I think back, I realize that Flower Clown started taking shape many years ago. As a kid, I used to dress up as a clown for Halloween. I don't recall actually meeting a clown when I was growing up, but I did see them during visits to the circus. And all through my adult life, I've really been just a big kid. During family events, I can always be found playing with the kids. When I was 14, my mom brought a unicycle home for me from a flea market. Since my family lived in the country, I couldn't ride a skateboard in my yard -- but the unicycle could handle my area's rougher terrain. I tried on and off to learn how to ride it, and, after a few months' worth of trying, I finally got the hang of it. Then, the pedal broke off and I wasn't able to repair it. A couple of years later, I borrowed a friend's unicycle and the skills all came back to me. Shortly after that, I finally bought my own, and since then, I've taken it everywhere with me. While I was in college, I started working at Power Play, an arcade in the Flats, in downtown Cleveland. A mime named "Pun Pun" worked there as well. He was kind of quiet, but I still managed to learn a lot by just watching him. Inspired, I went out, bought a bag of balloons, and started trying to twist them. The hardest part at the time was trying to blow them up. But once I got some air in them, I was able to twist them into shapes. They didn't look like much, but they got better as I worked at it. I did that as a bit of a hobby for about seven years, only making simple items like swords, puppies, and basic flowers. Later, I took a year-long, around-the-world trip, and, after my return from Southeast Asia, I took my old job back at Power Play. This time, I met a professional clown named "Jingles," a.k.a. Pat Morris. By barter arrangement, we traded video game tokens for balloon twisting lessons. He taught me how to create more animals and other items with my balloons. And being a successful clown meant that Pat could introduce me to the business side of clowning. After a few months of practice, I started working for tips at a Flats bar called Tommy's. That soon led to working the whole East Bank of the Flats. Working in popular places like Heaven, Jimmy's, Dick's Last Resort, Max & Erma's, The River's Edge, The Beach Club and others, gave me great opportunities to circulate my business card, and, before long, I began taking bookings for children's events. |
| |Home| | Clown Registry| | Clown Events| | Guest Book| | Store| | Where is Tom E Boy?| | Fun Links| |
